[LionelKing_43]

Last year I used my life’s savings to purchase my dream home in The Villages where I could live the active lifestyle with my peers. There is no doubt The Villages is a mecca with all the amenities but recently I ran into a BIG PROBLEM with doing something I love.

I am an avid hobbyist and love to woodwork or tinker on my Lionel trains in the garage. That is why I chose a home with a modest but adequate garage. Since moving I really have wanted to condition my garage with one of those Mitsubishi “minisplits,” because working in the garage during the Spring and Summer heat is way to hot for this old timer!

After calling for some estimates for the a/c, I just found out the Building Department no longer allows them in garages or enclosed lanais as of 1/1/2015 unless you pay taxes on the whole room. This is NOT an enclosed sun room I am looking to live in, this is my garage where I work on my hobbies and park a car. My neighbor had one of these air conditioners installed last summer in his garage while he works on cars but now I can't! When I asked what has changed all anyone can tell me it is how the building department is interpreting the code?


This is my home and I want to be comfortable doing the things I love….how can my neighbor have the opportunity and they snatch it away from me. All I am asking is that they reconsider how they interpret a code. I cannot be in my garage during the summer time even with a fan. Maybe this is something Villagers should fight to get back!


Sincerely,

Sweaty Hobbyist

[njbchbum]

Am a bit confused re your dilemma. The Villages is not the local property taxing authority - the County is. The Villages does, however, have covenants/deed restrictions. Here on the historic side we are not supposed to have window air conditioners. If your problem is with the Villages you might be able to "appeal" to the Architectural Revue Board.

Were you in discussion with the County or the Villages Bldg Dept? Am not sure who "they" is.

Perhaps there are not enough Villagers who want to work in their garage during the summer - but you might find some here as a result of your post. Good luck.

[rhood]

Munn's had a half page ad in the paper a few times stating that it is now not allowed. This was done by the state, not local.

[DonH57]

I usually work in my garage during evening hours when it is cooler outside. A suggestion may be to look into a portable cooling unit for your use. These units are also refered to as spot cooling systems.

[Topspinmo]

I don't know if this same or not? Why not try run duct off the central air condition central ducting to the garage or Y off the closet duct in the attic with the duct vent over your workbench? That way you don't have to add window unit. Now you would have air and heat what ever the season. IMO this wouldn't be an addition, but and extension from existing central air conditioner?

[LndLocked]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

I don't know if this same or not? Why not try run duct off the central air condition central ducting to the garage or Y off the closet duct in the attic with the duct vent over your workbench? That way you don't have to add window unit. Now you would have air and heat what ever the season. IMO this wouldn't be an addition, but and extension from existing central air conditioner?

I would assume that if a contractor is used and a building permit pulled ... the OP would encounter the same problem ..... no matter how the space was "conditioned"

I would use a portable room ac (as someone else suggested) and not tell anyone.

[raynan]

You might be interested in looking in the Classified section at the top of this page and see the portable room A/C that's being sold for $200. Looks like it ducts up into attic.

[gomoho]

I would suggest you find out how much the tax on the would cost - I believe it would be minimal compared to the comfort you would get from a mini-split. I have heard so many people say they would to A/C their lanai, but don't want to pay the additional tax which I believe would be minimal. Hope someone actually checks this out and reports back.

[villagetinker]

OP, you might want to go to the Sumter County Office (Pinellas Plaza), ad simply ask the question tote building an taxing departments, both are located there.
As for the Munn's ad, it appears that the new state law requires the area to be air conditioned to be class 4 or 5, what ever that means, I have not been able to find this out with an Internet search.
I am guessing that you would be taxed on the new class 4/5 LIVING SPACE, at a rate similar to the rest of the house.
It will be interesting to see what you find out.

PS, I tinker a lot in my garage. have an attic fan to suck out the hot air, and I use a portable fan to cool me. Had only a few days last summer that I was really hot.

Hope this helps.

[Chatbrat]

LG makes a free standing a/c-heat unit rated @ 14,000 BTU-all you'll need is a debited 120v outlet & you can fashion your own vent similar to a dryer vent--total cost should be less than $1000.00

[LionelKing_43]

The taxes aren't the issue. It would be the additional work involved being able to install the "mini split" my garage would become liveable space, from what I was told I would have to raise the floor to level with the foundation and remove the garage door ( so I would no longer have a garage to park my car. I was wondering if I can rally enough people in order to get the County bldg dept to maybe change the way the code is being interpreted.

[LionelKing_43]

thank you for the additional option.

[villagetinker]

IMHO, the portable AC unit looks like the only alternative. I doubt you or for that matter a group of the villagers will be able to sway the county on how this is interpreted. I am sure they will point out if they make an exception for TV, it will be expected that this will be the SAME anywhere in the county. Then you will get into the problems as TV is in 3 counties. As I mentioned before, I would ask questions, I would bet the portable AC unit will "fall through the cracks".
I wish you good luck in your quest.

[sunnyatlast]

It's all 3 counties here (Marion, Sumter and Lake) who made it so that as of Jan1, 2015, the room and its ventilation and windows would have to have the more energy efficient, higher level (class 4 or 5) insulated and heat blocking windows and ventilation in order to be allowed to install the dual AC-heating unit. A patio enclosure contractor ad said this a couple of weeks ago but I can't find it now.

It's about protecting the heating cooling loss and resultant waste of energy, as I understood it. Not a Villages mandate, but counties'.

Ask a contractor for an estimate and they'll tell you how it can be done.

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by sunnyatlast

It's about protecting the heating cooling loss and resultant waste of energy, as I understood it. Not a Villages mandate, but counties'.

Don't you just love how THEY are worried about you wasting the energy you are paying for?