sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
Want to thank the OP and @Bluedog225 for the ideas. I had wanted to do something similar, but I never had the bandwidth to give it much thought. Both are great solutions.
Ideally I would like to panel the outside East and west walls and put some kind of insulation under the paneling. Trying to decide if I should throw insulation under the panels on the roof. I like the gap for air flow to help keep the panels cool.Others have reported that insulating the outside is far more effective than insulating the inside. Even just shading the outside makes a big difference.
Ideally I would like to panel the outside East and west walls and put some kind of insulation under the paneling. Trying to decide if I should throw insulation under the panels on the roof. I like the gap for air flow to help keep the panels cool.
A mini-split just needs a place to fish the tubes and wires through, you could mount the exterior unit outsidecand fish everything under and up through the floor.I currently have a 12k btu Mr. Cool mini split in the cabin next to this container. It’s awesome. The problem is its start up power is about 1200-1300 watts for about 3-5 min. I’m using a Victron 12/1200 inverter with my solar which will sometimes power that mini split but sometimes it will trip the inverter. I plan to get a bigger inverter but I’m not there yet. Also a mini split is in the $1000-1500 range plus the bigger inverter to run it. The window unit is $400 and can run off my existing inverter. This window unit essentially is a small mini-split. Inverter technology in a small window size package.
Yeah. A mini split would be the best option cost aside.A mini-split just needs a place to fish the tubes and wires through, you could mount the exterior unit outsidecand fish everything under and up through the floor.
Either way if you don't get the heat OUT of the container then it's still hot in there.
Yeah I’m looking at it. A bit more expensive but it might be the way to go. Wish they had a 10k or 8k btu unit. 12k might be too much for the victron 12/1200 pheonix. Might need to pick up a multiplus 2000 to make all this work. I’m planning on adding a 48v system in the future and was trying to hold out with the existing 12v inverter I have.The Costco Mideast portable is inverter and dual hose.
how did this come out? I'm interested in your choice on wall insulation methods.like a cool setup. I’d love to see pics of the panel attachments.
I’m in the process of super insulating my conex. Mylar with spacers, 5” polyiso on the roof and 2.5” on the walls, tyvek to keep cool air from leaking to the hot walls, and 5/8 fireguard sheet rock. all on the first 10’. That will be a little air conditioned room for the solar stuff. The rest of the conex will be lightly insulated and a little hotter.
I decided to get the Midea portable unit from Costco. Just got it. Hole in the floor seems like better security. The thing is a beast as well. I’m going to run it here for the summer and see if it is reliable. And costco returns policy gives me a lot of peace of mind. Cheaper than a split and easy install through the floor.
Hi, how did your A/C and insulation turn out, any updated images? RegardsSounds like a cool setup. I’d love to see pics of the panel attachments.
I’m in the process of super insulating my conex. Mylar with spacers, 5” polyiso on the roof and 2.5” on the walls, tyvek to keep cool air from leaking to the hot walls, and 5/8 fireguard sheet rock. all on the first 10’. That will be a little air conditioned room for the solar stuff. The rest of the conex will be lightly insulated and a little hotter.
I decided to get the Midea portable unit from Costco. Just got it. Hole in the floor seems like better security. The thing is a beast as well. I’m going to run it here for the summer and see if it is reliable. And costco returns policy gives me a lot of peace of mind. Cheaper than a split and easy install through the floor.
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I’m going to be setting it up in my house first. If I can find the watts meter plug in thing I have, I may be able to find starting watts.
Reported for spam. And really? Dropping keyword rich anchor text on a site which will have nofollow links within user generated content? Go back to SEO school.Hey there! You have quite the setup in your 20ft HC shipping container in the Southern California Desert, and keeping your solar equipment, especially those batteries, cool in those scorching temperatures is crucial. Your plan to create a separate, cooled space within the container by constructing a wall and installing an 8k BTU window AC unit for the back 8ft is smart. It's an effective way to focus on cooling where it's needed most without worrying too much about the front 12ft of the container. If you ever need additional storage or a different shipping container setup,
If I get a few of these and insulate them, I’m going take a track saw and cut the foam to completely fill the ribs because of condensation. And then apply another layer to get as much coverage on the metal as possible.Update
So I ended up using 2” closed cell foam panels to insulate the back section of my container. I use magnets to hold the panels in place as well as create a small air gap off the steel walls to hopefully help a bit with thermal bridging when the sun beats down on the container.
I sealed all the seams with tape and spray foam. I then erected a 2x4 wall to seal off the room. Rockwool was used to insulate the wall and 1/2” plywood sheathing.
I got a 2 in 1 exhaust tube portable 10kbtu inverter air conditioner. The tube was a weird shape and I didn’t want to cut the hole to fit it in the floor so I only cut a 6” whole for the exhaust portion. I already had a 4” hole cut in the floor with a 4” inline fan so I directed that intake directly at the intake of the air conditioner. Not the best but it works right now to solve the negative pressure build up.
The room stays 15 degrees cooler than outside temps. I’ve tested in 105 degrees so far and that’s without a door installed in the wall yet. I just had some plastic draped over the door opening.
I also picked up a multiplus 12/2000 to handle the air conditioner load a bit easier.
I’m still considering a mini split as I think it will work much better but want to test this set up through the spring as it warms up again. I’m also in the process of some kind of awning or shading for the sides of the container.
Anyways. Here’s some pictures.
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