I've got my a/c unit pumping, along with two 18" metal fans but during the heat of the day I'm still looking at temperatures in the high 80's in my shed. I thought about turning the a/c unit off and just opening the shed doors and blasting the area with fans but I dunno.

I don't have an exhaust fan installs yet, as I'm not sure I really want to run an exhaust fan at all. In the past I've always ran the exhaust fan to keep the odor down, well I'm not too conserned about the odor now so I'm not sure I need it.

I do plan to insulate the walls and roof here soon, maybe that's all I need.?.:dunno:

Any opinions?

Is this in your new shed?

My shed is 10 x 12, the walls are not insulated, no ceiling installed, the only insulation I have currently is the reflectix panels on the inside of the roof.

There is also a mature tree close to the shed that lends some shade during parts of the day.

I have a small window unit a/c with a digital thermostat display, set to 80. A lot of times the a/c is not even running.

I was worried about not having enough insulation, but it is actually doing well.

I was planning on using rolled insulation and drywall in the future, but instead I may just use more reflectix on the walls as a 2-in-one wall paneling and insulation.

I think installing a ceiling, then either gable or ridge vents, and throwing some loose insulation up there would also help keep the heat from coming in through the roof. That is where I feel the most heat.

Nice tips. Yes, I'm talking about my new shed. I'm thinking getting the inside roof insulated in some fashion would really help out..

My first insulation step is definitely going to be to try to keep a lot of the heat from coming in through the roof.

I agree with Diana that a ceiling would help keep the heat out. I became an expert at keeping heat out of our plywood hooches in the desert. :D Make sure you vent the "attic" if you put a ceiling in though.

My rodent room is fully insulated. On most days we open the windows at night time and turn on the exhaust fans, it will cool the room significantly. We will them close the windows early in the morning and just run a fan to circulate in the room. On days when it starts getting warm in the room anyway we leave the windows open, the exhaust fans running and the fans to circulate the air. If the weather is going to be consistenetly over 90 degrees we will run the air conditioner in the afternoons to get through the hottest parts of the day. Then open everything back up and run the fans over the night again.

Nice tips. Yes, I'm talking about my new shed. I'm thinking getting the inside roof insulated in some fashion would really help out..

That will make a difference.... our garage roof is insulated and it keeps the heat down for the rats. Keep the heat out is the first step. We also run fans for them, that moving air saves lives!

I bet putting tin foil on the roof would reflect some of the heat...

I bet putting tin foil on the roof would reflect some of the heat...

It will keep them from reading your thoughts too :lmao::lmao:

My shed is fully insulated roof and walls....My temps haven't been real bad so far inside the shed...highest it has gotten is mid 80's inside the shed when it was the hottest outside one day....Temps outside that day got up to the mid to upper nineties....I do have a nice large tree providing quite a bit of shade on the shed which helps out a lot....So far I have been getting by with just a large box fan on a thermostat with all 3 windows open....With the night times still getting pretty cool and into the 50's at night...The warmer days right now haven't been as big of a concern...But I'm looking to put in a AC unit in here soon...As I know I will need one to help out with the higher humidity and higher temps...As they will start to stick around for longer periods as the summer goes on...especially those horrible nights of temps of 80+ and sticky humidity levels 24/7 that are to come :machinegun:

It will keep them from reading your thoughts too :lmao::lmao:

Dont encourage sputter.....

It will keep them from reading your thoughts too :lmao::lmao:

Double layer it.... that's how ours is, stops thought reading and more importantly, downloading them and hacking! :cheers:

i would insulate,and put one of those swirly vent thingys on the roof....hot air rises and it would help a little with the ventelationan and heat use the padding type insulation on roof and you can use the foam or fiberglass boards for wall or padding......

i say use sheetrock/drywall for a ceiling and walls, insulate the walls and ceiling. it will become very heat and cooling friendly druing the summer and winter months. half inch drywall would work great with insulation behind it to keep in cool and or heat, depending on the time of year.

My rat shed is a plastic shed that is already insulated, I run an AC on a pretty low setting, and still have the exhaust fan blowing and keep it 75-80 in there.

It will keep them from reading your thoughts too :lmao::lmao:

Jeff, are you listening to the voices in your head again? :eek:

Jeff, are you listening to the voices in your head again? :eek:

Listening requires me to think which they told me not to do so it is more like obeying :yes:

I've got my a/c unit pumping, along with two 18" metal fans but during the heat of the day I'm still looking at temperatures in the high 80's in my shed. I thought about turning the a/c unit off and just opening the shed doors and blasting the area with fans but I dunno.

I don't have an exhaust fan installs yet, as I'm not sure I really want to run an exhaust fan at all. In the past I've always ran the exhaust fan to keep the odor down, well I'm not too conserned about the odor now so I'm not sure I need it.

I do plan to insulate the walls and roof here soon, maybe that's all I need.?.:dunno:

Any opinions?

Oh boy, I can just see that next electric bill now! :eek:

Update:

After insulating the roof the temps in the shed started dropping immediately. Within minutes the temps were down at least 5 degrees. I believe we've figured out my issue.

Appreciate the help...:yes:

Cool Larry, what exactly did you do?

Also if you add a solar fan. You can set the temps and the fan will automatically kick on.

My neighbor had some extra insulation so I ran insulation between the roof studs and covered it with that cheap reflective panel stuff from homedepot. Here soon I'm going to finish insulating the side walls. Once that's all done, that bad boy will be easy as pie to cool in the summer and heat in the winter.

I didn't add a solar fan. The two 18" metal fans run 24/7

My neighbor had some extra insulation so I ran insulation between the roof studs and covered it with that cheap reflective panel stuff from homedepot. Here soon I'm going to finish insulating the side walls. Once that's all done, that bad boy will be easy as pie to cool in the summer and heat in the winter.

I didn't add a solar fan. The two 18" metal fans run 24/7

The solar fans they put on roof to reduce roof heating. No electric needed. Just an Idea

I also heard swamp coolers are a lot more efficient than running the a/c

what is a swamp cooler?

An evaporative cooler (also swamp cooler, desert cooler, and wet air cooler) is a device that cools air through the simple evaporation of water. Evaporative cooling differs from air conditioning by refrigeration and absorptive refrigeration, which use vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycles.

Evaporative coolers use a quarter as much electricity than traditional air conditioners and add a comfortable level of humidity to dry, parched air.

An evaporative cooler (also swamp cooler, desert cooler, and wet air cooler) is a device that cools air through the simple evaporation of water. Evaporative cooling differs from air conditioning by refrigeration and absorptive refrigeration, which use vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycles.

Evaporative coolers use a quarter as much electricity than traditional air conditioners and add a comfortable level of humidity to dry, parched air.

I worked at a place that used those, its a lie. Those only work if you stand RIGHT in front of them. Otherwise all it does it add more humidty to an already humid environment. Plus in an small enclosed area they can cause enough moisture to promote mold growth. Plus you have to have a constant supply of water, which will cause that bill to go higher.....

Evaporative coolers use a quarter as much electricity than traditional air conditioners and add a comfortable level of humidity to dry, parched air.

This is the key. They add a comfortable level of humidity to DRY, PARCHED AIR. This things are fantastic in Iraq, the air is super dry! But you need an air exchange. They work great if you bring in fresh dry air on one end, allow it to travel into the evaporative cooler, then have a way for the humid air to escape: an exhaust fan, perhaps. This can drop the temperature in the area that is cooled by up to 20 degrees! If you close the room up, or if you are in an area that's already humid.....you might as well quit. It won't work.

If I'm not mistaken the Sutherlands use evaporative cooling for their rodents.

i have a swamp cooler on my rodent rm works great as long as the humidity is low!

also i pour a little mouth wash in the cooler and it makes the rm smell good!

also i pour a little mouth wash in the cooler and it makes the rm smell good!

Now that sounds like a good idea.....

also i pour a little mouth wash in the cooler and it makes the rm smell good!

Thank you for the idea :yes: