Mini Split In A 30X40 Pole Barn

[@jnicksnewstart]

All your heat is rising to the top of the ceiling. It could easily be 20 or 30 degrees warmer up there. Install a couple of reversible ceiling fans. When you run them in a reverse mode, it draws cool air up from below, and warms it as it spreads across the ceiling to the walls and down over the windows to the floor again. When used properly, ceiling fans do an amazing job of evening out the temperature of large rooms and ridding them of hot and cold spots. Most people will turn them off when they're using their heaters or air conditioners that can be a huge mistake.

[@dexterranch]

Hi John. Great advise. I have a couple ceiling fans up there. I do forget to turn them on in the winter though. Thanks for the input!

[@RPIEM09]

@6:20 you shall see the fan, he has 2

[@ValConB]

More like only 5 F warmer in the ceiling - I have measured the temperature at my work in a 20 ft. tall warehouse several times thru the years, never saw a temperature differential higher than that from within a couple feet of the ceiling and about 4 feet above the floor.

[@jnicksnewstart]

@@ValConB You better get yourself a new thermometer.🤣

[@ValConB]

@@jnicksnewstart - Where did you perform your temperature checks, and what thermometer did you use?

[@patlarentz6500]

Another thing to consider is, concrete and/or floor temperature. In my 30x40, I heat with a wood stove. If not heated up daily, especially in cold February, it will be hard to maintain a comfortable temperature. I have found that when the floor temperature is near freezing when I have an event, or work to do, you might as well keep your coat on sitting or working on the floor. Making instant heat is not going to change the effects of the floor temp in a short amount of time. Your wall thermometer can say 70, 75. But if you sit on a chair or work under a car, it's like being outside basically. Just another thing to consider from my experience.

[@dexterranch]

This is right. I have considered keeping the heater on 50-55 for a winter just to see how bad it affected my electric bill but that would be the only way to keep it maintainable all year long.

[@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644]

Good video, my 30x40 with 12 ceilings I have a large propane heater which is nice because it will literally take the temp from 40F to 70 in minutes and with everything insulated I just use a portable 13K AC in summer which will keep it at 75 on the hottest day in PA. Probably not the best for efficiency but the few hours I'm out there at a time it's good.

[@blackmacgyver9965]

Which heater do you use . I have a 30x40 12ft ceiling . So I'm lookin for a good heater

[@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644]

@blackmacgyver9965 Sterling TF-125 was already there when I moved in. It's a tubular gas fired direct spark propeller unit says the paper for it. Has the blower fan on back that kicks on when hot and wired to a thermostat.

[@blackmacgyver9965]

@goaheadmakeourdayscooterpe9644 thanks for the info .

[@melvinbyrd8609]

Nice economical idea!! Love the shop also!!

[@dexterranch]

Thank you Melvin! Hope all is well with you.

[@lefthandedarcher2126]

Thank this was exactly what I was looking for I’m starting my 30x30 and was Planning to do all the same things

[@dexterranch]

Hope your project goes well. Thanks for watching!

[@dheujsnrhfydhehehshshhdggsd]

Getting more relaxed on camera. Enjoying the channel.

[@dexterranch]

Thank you! The encouragement is appreciated.

[@Thepriest39]

Very nice. I installed radiant floor heating in my shop when i built it this year. Works great. The concrete is nice and warm. I do need an AC for the summer. I might look into one of these.

[@dexterranch]

Awesome. You mind me asking what the radiant heat install set you back? I’m considering doing that in my home build.

[@leebarron1310]

@@dexterranch check out Radiantec. I just installed 2400 sq ft of it in my barndo.

[@roberthowe321]

Once you install covering on the inside, it will take longer to heat up. A Plywood or wafer board covering has a lot of mass and a lot of surface area that will be cold. It would be interesting to see how much longer it takes to warm up the air temperature.

[@dexterranch]

I didn’t think of this. Curious myself now.

[@colinblankenship2401]

thank you for sharing

[@dexterranch]

Thank for watching!

[@laffilmfest3759]

Looks like a great system!

[@dexterranch]

Thank you!

[@mockingjaye3024]

Thanks for the info

[@dexterranch]

Thanks for watching!

[@mt9372]

I've read comments where some say that spray foam voids the warranty from the metal building company. There seems to be differing opinions on whether or not foam can damage the metal, by trapping moisture, either through condensation or roof leaks that go undetected. I'm at a loss to decide which to use.

[@dexterranch]

This is the first I have heard this. Even though I don’t think my building came with much of a warranty outside of problems in the first year I’m sure he would have came back to fix it. The big companies like Morton I’m sure give warranties but they are way out of my price range. It sounds like a valid concern, but everyone I know uses spray foam so I have never considered it. In my case I used open cell spray foam so any roof leak would be detected unless it was very very minor. I wish I could help you out more but I don’t have a good answer for this one. Sorry. Thanks for watching.

[@michaeltca3103]

Really nice! -- QUESTION -- Love the closed cell insulation. Can that mini-split maintain a normal room temperature year round... say 71 or 72 degrees? Is that possible?? I am not sure how well insulated the garage door is but I suspect that it can't compete with your excellent walls.

[@domrosanelli]

Curious how much your electric bill went up each month. I have a 30x33x14 that is spray foamed and im looking to get a 48000 btu unit. South Eastern PA

[@heatherlanclos3244]

How did you mount to the outside of the metal building? I'm about to mount ours and I only have 1 metal tubing vertical post and then one horizontal spanning the width of the building 30' with spray foam insulation. I do have stud walls inside as we will live in this section.

[@CynicalDad81]

Wood stove/ceiling fan.

[@picker63028]

You should definitely put insulation panels on garage doors. The ceilings could also be lowered with panels on the trusses. It all makes a difference. My son is struggling with heating costs now in Missouri on a 24x48 pole barn. Forced air electric furnace is triple his bill. Ceilings and walls are well insulated.

[@dexterranch]

Sounds like solid advise. Thank you!

[@24vignettes94]

Depending on the outdoor temp, the mini splits can be 3 and a half times more efficient than his electric forced air furnace that uses resistive heating.

[@hooks4nooks]

Very helpful video and good information. I want a post frame building so damn bad. So nice! Thanks.

[@dexterranch]

Thanks for watching!

[@MarkfromTexas73]

I like the honda 3 wheeler!

[@MrBumbles2]

i have a 40 x 60 insulated shop, thinking this route need ac more than heat lol only 123 heat index today. and fans don't cut it lol

[@johnmcgraw2996]

I am jealous and live in Dexter.

[@dexterranch]

Dexter Ks?

[@rexvaughn986]

I have a 50x50 insulated metal building with 16 foot ceilings. R-11 insulation. Do you think a mini split would work in this space? Concerned that my ceilings are too high and would be difficult to heat. Did you use an online calculator to determine your BTU size requirement? Thanks for putting together this video.

[@dexterranch]

Rex, The only thing I had to go off of was that the company claims their 36000btu can take care of 2000sqft. My shop is roughly 1200sqft floor space, but the 12ft ceilings adds another factor like you said. I think this one is sized just about right for my shop, but probably wouldn’t be able to handle much more. I did see a video the other day where a guy had a large shop and he had installed 2 or maybe 3 in his shop. If this was the way you wanted to go then your shop is roughly twice the size of mine so I would have to recommend 2 of them, and then some ceiling fans spinning clockwise to pull the warm air back down out of those high ceilings. Hope this helps!

[@tomsylvester6851]

I'd recommend going with multi zone unit vs a single.

[@billwebb5648]

Rex- I have a 45x75 metal 16’ eve height with r9 insulation. Inside the shop I have a small car bay with a paint spray booth. Nothing has been completed yet. I mounted a 24k, mitsubishi. Believe it or not 20 degrees outside and 55 inside. Unbelievable. Summer it pulls the humidity out in the summer. 90 outside, 78 inside during the summer. If I had a 36kbtu, it would work even better. I’d recommend a 36k for your shop.

[@bertveldhuizen8699]

@@billwebb5648 24k unit is way undersized for the space you have, upgrading to a larger unit will be more efficient.

[@chuckgross6024]

Nice! I'm thinking of doing a 30x40 with 12 foot sidewalls myself. I'm curious what size over head door you have and how big is your porch? We are doing a porch as well. I was going to put a 10x18 foot insulated over head door in our building. No French door just a normal walk door for us. I'm definitely going to look into that mini split now!

[@dexterranch]

Hi. My door is 10 x 16, and the porch is 10 x 18. Yeah the French door was probably not the best idea. I haven’t had any problems with it but I also rarely use it. Thanks for watching.

[@mattjaxdad8693]

I think if you were using those ATCs, a side x side, golf cart during extreme temps like 90* or 15* a set of French doors would be better than opening that 10x16 overhead door. I live in Alabama and I am building a 30x40x12 right now and I really want to put in a smaller say 4 - 6ft wide door to retain my A/C as much as possible. Do you or anyone else have any feelings about this one way or another?

[@gregmanzolillo8666]

Excellent info. In the middle of insulation my 30x40 now. I have cinderblock walls that aren’t insulated, didn’t plan to but I just might have to. I originally planned on getting 2 36k units to do it but I’m thinking that may be overkill now

[@dexterranch]

The 2 units would probably work out well without the insulation. Cinderblocks have a little R value. Probably be ok either way you go. Thanks for watching!

[@gregmanzolillo8666]

@@dexterranch thank you. I may have to bite the bullet and insulate the walls

[@matthewking621]

Did you frame your mini split in before you had it foamed? My sheds currently foamed and i have an electric heater already which i would use as my emergency back up heater if framing in the mini split system is possible after being spray foamed. Looking for ac options as temps start to rise before summer. I didn’t have the funds for the windows and the foam so i went with the foam…hindsight is 20/20

[@dexterranch]

It was framed, but if I’m remembering right I didn’t have the mini split installed yet at the time the foam was sprayed.

[@Corey-dy2cq]

Still running strong after 3 years?

[@fireboyrasmussen1976]

Could you have ran the heat split tubing up through the inside of the wall rather then running it on the outside?

[@dexterranch]

I think it would have been possible, but the spray foam was already done by then so it would have got torn up in my case. Thanks for watching!

[@lindsaylecuyer8433]

Nice video, I'm preparing to build my 30x40 shop, your video gives me a good sense of what the interior would look like. Wondering what was the ballpark cost for the spray foam, closed cell?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Lindsay! Yes ball park for closed cell will be 4500-5000. Mine was open cell. I think it was just a little over 3k. Thanks for watching!

[@juanjose91000]

Beautiful shop man, I’m getting a 24’x35’ shop built next week and I’m also looking at doing a mini split system and spray foam insulation.

[@dexterranch]

That’s exciting. I think you are making the right choice with the spray foam and mini split. It has really worked out. Thanks for watching!

[@roberto3330]

Hey Guys! I’m also getting a 24x35X9 with 1” of closed cell spray foam and trying to figure out what size mini split to get🤔

[@manandatractor]

Wood stove???

[@JorgeFernandez-kj1io]

Is this a model that has a heat pump? Seems like it should do a better job being a 3 ton unit and your shed having such good insulation.

[@dexterranch]

Hi Jorge. This unit claims to handle 1500 square feet. My shop is only 1200, but with 12ft tall wall I believe the amount of square feet goes down. It’s a lot of air to condition because of the tall ceiling. I think if I would have bought the same outside unit with indoor air handlers it would be able to heat it up quicker. And if you think of it in comparison to your home furnace it is having to start from cold every time because I don’t leave it on. It will get it up to temperature, but takes a little longer the colder it is. Still plenty warm enough to work in. This unit does have a heat pump. Thanks for watching.

[@rastfle]

Great video! Does the mini split seem to cool the space evenly? I have a 30x42 Quonset hut and the new mini split will be here Tuesday. It’d be easier to mount it on the back wall like yours but I’m a little concerned about the front being warm and back being cool.

[@dexterranch]

There will definitely be a moment in time when it conditions the air closes to the unit sooner, but it should even out quickly. Specially if you add some ceiling fans to assist in moving the air around. Good luck! Thanks for watching.

[@doctortran1556]

Greetings Dexter! Thank you very much for sharing your experience on the Pole Barn building. I watched both videos and learned much from it. I noticed a house behind you on this video. It looks like a pre-fabricated house on either a crawl space or a basement. Do you mind sharing some information on that house? I am trying to build a similar set up like yours on my land, a small home and a pole barn. Good job and great content. Thank you!

[@dexterranch]

Greeting Dr Tran. Hope all is well with you. It is a mobile home sitting on a permanent foundation. There is a crawl space but only because the actual house sits on concrete blocks that then sit on the permanent footing foundation. I purchased this house used. It was made in 2008 and I purchased it in 2016. A mobile home like this would sell for 100-125k at the dealer but since I bought it used from an individual I paid $30k for it. Another 15k to move it, pour the foundation, and concrete skirting. So all in all it was a very cheap solution. I will try to make a video for the channel with more details. Thanks for watching.

[@doctortran1556]

@@dexterranch Thank you very much Dexter!

[@mike.briney]

Awesome video! Looking to do this for my 20x40 pole barn. How much was it to have all that spray foam installed if you dont mind me asking? I'm definitely going to need that to happen before installing any unit. Thank you!

[@dexterranch]

Hi Mike. The spray foam cost $3500 for the open cell type. Good luck!

[@xlhappylx]

Thanks for the video, I had one question.. was your building already built when you decided to install the split system or did you include that in the initial plans?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Alex. I knew that I was going to install it at the time the building was going up, but there were no special provisions made or alterations to the build for the mini split system. I simply framed a small box on the wall in between the existing framing to house the unit on the wall. The only reason I needed to do that was so that the spray foam had a barrier to stop at before getting on the system. If you did want to have the builder do it you would just need the outside dimensions of the unit so he would know how big to make the box. Hope this helps.

[@clinteast7476]

How mush was insulaton cost on your 30x40? thanks

[@dexterranch]

Hi Clint. I just put this video out last night with all of the cost itemized. Thanks for watching! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIGTio2vi72Id9E

[@Growmechanic]

3 tons of ac for that size building? What part of the country?

[@dexterranch]

Hi. I am in SE Kansas.

[@charlesmarshall2697]

The universal problem with every mini split is the scroll fan in the evaporator side of the unit. It gets clogged with lint from the air inside and is nearly impossible to keep clean. When that happens it will get out of balance, begin to make noise and loose much of it's output! A much better alterative is the all in one unit from the same company that never gets clogged and cost slightly less than the mini split!

[@dexterranch]

I have not had this problem yet. I keep expecting to have problems cuz I have had lots of comments about different problems to expect. Thanks for watching!!

[@joeskin9560]

You didn't mention if you have insulated doors.

[@dexterranch]

Hi Joe. The garage door does have a minimal amount of insulation built into it at the factory, but there was nothing extra added. Entry doors are just regular wood doors. It’s been a while since I made the video , but I think I mentioned that I kind of went over board with the number of windows in the shop, and then there are windows all over all the doors on top of that so it’s definitely not perfectly sealed. The spray foam does do an amazing job to help with everything though. Thanks for watching!

[@jerrywilder9403]

I have the exact unit works great until lightning hit wiped out my control board senville sent me a new one replaced it now working great again

[@dexterranch]

That’s good that they took care of you. How old was the unit when this happened?

[@jerrywilder9403]

@@dexterranch my uni was about nine months old and their service tech was excellent will buy this brand again

[@GoatZilla]

Why did you frame it like that? Is the unit itself not insulated with foam back there?

[@dexterranch]

Needed something to separate it from the spray foam.

[@Chief2414]

How well does it heat ??? At low temps

[@dexterranch]

Under 10 deg Fahrenheit it is useless. Other than that it does well.

[@joeydurt5438]

Do you have any info on the spray foam process or pricing in your area?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Joey. I have a complete break down in the linked video. Including spray foam. Thanks for watching. Cost To Build A 30x40 Pole Barn kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIGTio2vi72Id9E

[@jeffb7255]

Just subscribed here from ne Ohio. I was wondering how much open cell insulation do you have? Thanks

[@dexterranch]

Hi Jeff. Thanks for subscribing! The entire shop is done in open cell. Thanks for watching!

[@jeffb7255]

Do you know how many inches they applied? Just looking at how many inches I will be comfortable with in winter.

[@dexterranch]

Sorry Jeff I misunderstood the question. It is roughly 4 inches thick everywhere in its cured condition. I have been lucky to not have any of it damaged yet even though I haven’t covered it. The open cell is easy to damage after it’s installed so just be aware of that.

[@CliffsideStables]

@Dexter Ranch would you mind sharing why you chose to go with open cell instead of closed cell foam spray? Tim in northern TN

[@DAMgmt]

How is your electric bill after a year? Do you keep it at 60 year round?

[@dexterranch]

I only run it when needed. Have never seen any noticeable difference in my electric bill. Thanks for watching!

[@prestinb]

Is your concrete insulated under the slab?

[@dexterranch]

No sir. Just regular concrete.

[@darekdarecki1234]

Not bead... for your space you should have about 76000BTU heating to raise 40F. But, looks like this 36000BTU work for you.

[@kevinelder7734]

One year later, are you still happy with your mini split? Any issues? Any problems on the coldest days?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Kevin. It was actually installed in 2018. So 3-4 years later yes still very satisfied. Never had a problem. Never had to do any repairs. As I said in the video on the coldest days the only thing that is allowing the mini split to keep up is the insulation. It takes some time to get it warmed up in there, but it’s always been enough for me and far more efficient than any other solution.

[@IPACA9]

How is this doing for the summer heat?

[@dexterranch]

Here is the summer edition video. Thanks kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYrGaWV4orV8Zsk

[@gtuttle4]

How tall are your walls in your shop? I have a 30 x 35 area shop with 12' walls and 2" closed cell foam insulation.

[@dexterranch]

Hi Gary. My walls are also 12’. Closed cell is the way to go if you can make it make sense financially. Thanks for watching!

[@billgoepferd904]

@@dexterranch Have you talked with your insurance agent? That closed cell spray foam insulation needs to be covered with fire rated covering such as 5/8" sheetrock

[@tbtactical]

Awesome shop! What are the height of your ceilings? Do you mind sharing approximate price you paid for the whole shop? Looking to build either a 30x40 or 28x32 and not sure what to expect for cost. Thank you and awesome shop! 👍👊💪

[@dexterranch]

Thank you. I will do a video to do a cost break down. That way people can see where they could save money if the wanted, but the cost to put the building up before electric, insulation, heating and air was just under 30k. That included over hangs, the porch, cupola, concrete, and all windows/doors. The ceiling is 12ft. Which I have been glad I did several times over the 10ft ceiling. It’s not much more to increase the height. Thanks for the comment.

[@YoungbloodFamilyFarm]

Hello, I think you may be the guy that has some answers for me. I am looking to have a Fugitsu 12k low temp unit installed into my 525sqft shop that is in my barn. I noticed that you had your mini split off and then turned it on. Does your mini have to “defrost” before it begins creating heat after being off overnight or for a few days. I will only be able to use my shop on long weekends during the cold months and hoping I can just turn the mini off during the week. Any experience with this? Thoughts? Thanks

[@dexterranch]

Hi! So my unit is turned on only when needed. I have never noticed it having to go through a defrost cycle. It may be doing something like that intermittently while the heater is running, but any time I have turned it on regardless of how long it was off it began to produce cool or warm air whichever setting it happens to be on. This has been my experience, but mine is an off brand so it may not have the feature you are speaking of. Hopefully this helps. Thanks for watching.

[@RanchoCaliBoy]

How much was the foam insulation?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Edgar. Mine was $3500 for open cell.

[@salreyes3215]

What does spray form run in your area?

[@dexterranch]

I paid $3500 for this. I’m sure it’s went up some since then.

[@markchriestenson3257]

They are crazy cheap to run. The dc compressor and fans use almost no power.

[@joemizer]

What your cost of the building?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Joe. Here is a video explaining your question in detail. Let me know if you have any other questions and I will try to answer them. Thanks for watching! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIGTio2vi72Id9E

[@WhateverItsanOpinion]

The bad part about mini splits.. Most of the time they fail under under 25ﾟ. They stop heating. I have been doing HVAC 15 years. Every year I get multiple calls about about houses not heating up because the system fails when it gets too cold. You end up having to have a space heater. You can call any H vac company and they will tell you the same thing.. If you live in a very cold climate that sees temperatures under 25ﾟ several weeks at a time this is not for you

[@dexterranch]

I would tend to agree. Luckily this is not a living space so it works out well for its intended purpose 95% of the year in my region, but yes the performance begins to fall off quickly around the 25 deg mark. Thanks for the input!

[@alexh5944]

Low ambient mini splits are getting 100% capacity to pretty much 15 f With the capability of running down to about -15 f

[@WhateverItsanOpinion]

@@alexh5944 Sorry you don't know what you're talking about. I live where it's 15 to 25ﾟ in the Winter. I constantly get calls about people having to use space heaters during that time because they have many splits. So you are wrong

[@alexh5944]

@@WhateverItsanOpinion well it’s hard to argue those great points! I’m an hvac contractor in Ontario Canada where it regularly is colder than where you’re living. I would never recommend ductless as the only source of heat, but for most of the year it’s a great option. New ductless units will work to 100% capacity till 5f and operate efficiently as Low as -13f but will also work in lower temps than that just not efficiently. A quick KZbin and google search will bring you out of the 90’s to today’s technology and back up my claims

[@PaulChaosToday]

My question would be good enough to keep pipes from freezing.

[@runaboutfarm2996]

Nice shop! Do you ever have problems with the outside unit of your mini split icing up? Our newly installed unit will build up 2 -4 inches of ice near the fins. Our HVAC company can't figure out why.

[@dexterranch]

Thank you. I have not noticed that. I will say that once the outside temp drops below zero they are nearly useless. Luckily that happens for a very short period of time in my area. Hopefully they are able to find a solution for you. Thanks for watching!!

[@runaboutfarm2996]

Thanks for the reply. I like your channel content. We keep Dexter cross on our farm along with horses and chickens. South eastern Pennsylvania. I'll be making my way through all of your videos soon!

[@dexterranch]

That’s really cool. I have been considering getting sheep or pigs, but not sure if I’m ready yet. Glad you are liking the channel. Do you do chickens year around?

[@runaboutfarm2996]

We keep around a dozen laying hens year round. We have also raised Jacob sheep in the past , we would bring them to historical re-enactments.

[@billwebb5648]

Mitsubishi units do the same thing. In their mounting instruction they recommend mounting on a 4” riser. 2” of ice has built up. Lay some 4x4 blocks down and elevate your unit 4”.

[@richardsummers9009]

If you don't know , you got a framed building nothing like a Pole Barn , not the first Pole in it 🙄😊

[@dexterranch]

I thought they were called that because the structure is built on post. Thanks for the correction.

[@karenr67]

Like it

[@terrymoline8260]

As a 38 year HVAC owner my Back hurts watching this . I personally wouldn't hook it up or fix your system . There are plenty of none licenced and none insured people that will hook it up with no permit but proubley won't come back . My equipment is not wonton junk and I do get calls from homeowners that purchased this online and after a few years of nothing but trouble they junked it out . If your building burns doun and there was no permit or the installer dident have insurance you insurance will not pay . With all that equipment you have its so not worth the money you think you saved for the risk . You must of not checked out the reviews online on your system I did and they make me laugh.

[@dexterranch]

Hey Terry! Thanks for the comment. I totally see your perspective, and can see how that could be frustrating for someone in your line of work.

[@anthony5530]

I am also in hvac and have been impressed by the cost/vs quality of senville vs Fujitsu, Mitsubishi or Daikin. It’s all in the quality of the install.

[@bpieper]

Did you insulate below your concrete slab?

[@dexterranch]

Hi Bill. I did not. Is this pretty common practice? Thanks for watching.