A/C Size for Shipping container?

[Stuka]

I've never bought a window unit before, so I am researching what I need. I have a 40 ft shipping container, with an 8 x 11 foot section walled off at the end opposite the big doors.

I am looking to cool the room section to about 76. It's about 88 square feet. The window units are rated by BTUs and the vendors list suggested room size, such as this one from Lowes. Yeah, that seems like a lot of AC for a small room, right? I intend to add Foam it Green to the exterior walls around the 8 x 11 room section and paint with rubberized roof paint, so the end of the shipping container should be fairly insulated.

I am thinking the window unit should be a bit more powerful than a unit rated to cool a 100 sq foot room, because this is a shipping container... but it doesn't make sense to go overkill with a unit that's exceedingly too powerful. It's hard for me to determine what's about right...

I have been reading your threads here for a few years and I am definitely interested in your thoughts! :thumbsup:

The interior door has a 2" gap at the bottom, Should l allow it to function as a vent to the rest of the container, so that the Cool air flows through to the uninsulated section, to help keep it cool and dry? I know it won't be 76 degrees, but some cool, dry air would be good, right? Or would that be really inefficient and cause the unit to run endlessly?

I have already installed a solar powered vent on the roof at the end by the double doors, would it make more sense to add a pair of fresh air vents and seal the interior door?

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[EddieWalker]

Do you want to cool the storage area? If not, I would use an exterior door between the living area and the storage area. Then to vent the storage area, I would put my wall vents down low in opposite corners and a ceiling vent in the middle of the room. The idea for a vent it so move the air through the room. They do not cool anything, but the airflow will stop condensation from building up. More vents don't improve this, and sometimes they can hurt the process.

For such a small room, you'll be fine with 5,000 BTU or smaller, depending on how well you insulate it. Remember air getting into the room from the outdoors is worse then not having enough R value in the walls. Ceiling insulation is more important then anything else. Think R30 for the ceiling as a minimum.

Eddie

 

[orezok]

One thing you don't want to do is oversize the unit. Yeah, it will cool down quickly, but the room may not be comfortable because not much humidity has been removed.

A smaller unit that runs more will remove more humidity and result in more comfort.

 

[muddstopper]

Working for the railroad and living in camp cars for years, heat and cooling where always big issues. My advise, since those campcars would be very similar to your storage container, would to get and roof mount RV heating and air unit. Most of them are 120v, self contained, and mounted in the roof out of the way. 2 such units would do a decent job of cooling a 40 ft campcar. By the way, those campcars where just reefer type truck trailers, very poor insulation, outfitted with bunk beds and slept 12 men to a trailer. Osha finally mandated only 8 men per trailer and most railroads no longer use campcars for their traveling gangs. Except for NSCorp who doesnt seem to give a crap about their maintenance forces.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think Eddie is right, 5000 BTU would cool the whole container IF it is all insulated. Shading from the sun is very good also. I have a 14,000BTU and it cools my whole 950 sq. foot shop with 9 1/2 foot ceilings, but it is well insulated. If you are going to run the unit all the time, I think that the 5000 BTU unit will keep the entire container cooled. The coolest area will be closest to the AC unit so even without a wall and door that end of the area will be cold, but opening up those big doors on the end will let all the cold air out quickly. With a 2" gap under the door, some cold air will filter out to the larger area and somewhat condition the air but don't expect a lot of cool especially with the container not insulated.

 

[Gary Fowler]

You may also want to do a little re-design of your layout to keep the futon from almost completely blocking the interior door. Maybe if you moved the interior door to the opposite side, turned the futon so it is aligned with the bottom wall, the put the desk on the wall next to the exterior door, it would work a bit better. Just play with your design a bit to make it more functional. Maybe even make the room a little larger as a 5K BTU would cool a much larger area than you have planned.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I've never bought a window unit before, so I am researching what I need. I have a 40 ft shipping container, with an 8 x 11 foot section walled off at the end opposite the big doors. I am looking to cool the room section to about 76. It's about 88 square feet. The window units are rated by BTUs and the vendors list suggested room size, such as this one from Lowes. Yeah, that seems like a lot of AC for a small room, right? I intend to add Foam it Green to the exterior walls around the 8 x 11 room section and paint with rubberized roof paint, so the end of the shipping container should be fairly insulated. I am thinking the window unit should be a bit more powerful than a unit rated to cool a 100 sq foot room, because this is a shipping container... but it doesn't make sense to go overkill with a unit that's exceedingly too powerful. It's hard for me to determine what's about right... I have been reading your threads here for a few years and I am definitely interested in your thoughts! :thumbsup: The interior door has a 2" gap at the bottom, Should l allow it to function as a vent to the rest of the container, so that the Cool air flows through to the uninsulated section, to help keep it cool and dry? I know it won't be 76 degrees, but some cool, dry air would be good, right? Or would that be really inefficient and cause the unit to run endlessly? I have already installed a solar powered vent on the roof at the end by the double doors, would it make more sense to add a pair of fresh air vents and seal the interior door? Thanks for your feedback.

I work on boats a lot. House boats are about the same thing as one of these units. I would get a roof top unit from a camper before I got a window unit. It will give you heat and much better circulation in addition to ac. We use these on house boats all the time.

Chris

 

[radioman]

All good points here . :2cents: I'd put unit up high as possible close to ceiling as heat rises and cold sinks. Put ac in shortest width of unit. Also you didnt say where the storage unit is. Is it buried undeground? in direct sunlight? with shade or some? in northest or south? in hot and dry areas like arizona or some desert? 5k would be good for most places but a hot,dry. scorching 100 degree heat in direct sun all day, all month 5 k might not be enough. 12-15 k might be better.

 

[ace10]

Where is this located?

How many degrees of cooling are you looking to achieve at your peak outdoor temp?

Do you have heating requirements?

Will this oven be baking in the sun all day long?

 

[Wa11banger]

To the OP I am not much good for advice on what size or location of A/C unit but I do have two in my 36ft rv and the responses are correct it is good to have heat and cool out of one unit and they are not that much more in cost.. Although slightly more effort to install and maintain a seal on.

However, if you get one of the wooden floor containers do not put living space in it until you have completely removed all of the flooring and replaced with builders flooring or some other substitute. They contain very high levels of harsh chemicals like formaldehyde and wood preservatives containing a number of organochlorine insecticides, including aldrin, dieldrin, chlordane and lindane. All of which are not really healthy to us with regular exposure. Some of these do not have a high vapor-off capability but some do.. Read your container data plate to identify what the floors were treated with and make a good sound decision on if you should replace them or not. I would hate for you to have health issues with your great escape place.

Rick