Big *** Fans ShopFan

2012 LML · May 22, 2013

Anyone personally have a Big *** Fan "ShopFan" in their building?

I have been considering, and just about ready to purchase, but figured I would ask.

http://www.ruralking.com/hardware/c...big-***-fan-14-ceiling-shop-fan-115-volt.html

Charles (in GA) · May 22, 2013

Note that it is......... a 12 ft diameter fan. Advertisement is misleading. It is NOT a 14 ft fan, rather it is designed for a 14 ft minimum ceiling.

Do you have the structure in place or can you build the structure to support the fan weight and rotational forces?

Is this going to interfere with your lighting? or cause flicker? How big and tall is your shop?

THE UPPER AND LOWER YOLKS ARE NOT INCLUDED. THE YOLKS ARE SOLD SEPARATELY. (For purchasing of yolks please call Customer Service at 1-800-561-1752)

Did you price the yokes? could easily add another $500 to $1000 to the cost.

For the money, I could buy about 20 or so 60" industrial ceiling fans AND the boxes, conduit, switches and everything else, and install them.

Experience with them? No, I do not......... They are well made, they work.

Charles

gatchel · May 22, 2013

They are awesome and have a serious cool factor (no pun intended).

BUT, for $3000 you can install a mini split and possibly even run it for a season. That's a lot of cash for a fan. There are a lot of details I am missing but....

Charles (in GA) · May 22, 2013

Also note that the fan will hang down a good 3 ft if not more, from the structure the fan is attached to.

Charles

pseudorealityx · May 22, 2013

gatchel said:
They are awesome and have a serious cool factor (no pun intended).

BUT, for $3000 you can install a mini split and possibly even run it for a season. That's a lot of cash for a fan. There are a lot of details I am missing but....

Any space big enough to 'need' a 12' diameter fan isn't going to get much out of a small mini-split.

HAP · May 22, 2013

Here is my install thread...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114992

HAP

2012 LML · May 23, 2013

Shop is 40x60x16 in South Florida.

I have 15' 4" to the bottom of the trusses.

The fan hangs just under 24" if installed without the yolks.

The fan will be below the lighting, no getting around that in this scenario.

I do not need the yokes, since I am installing on a flat service, but the yokes are $200 ea. $400 total.

A/C isn't realistic. There is also the savings in electric draw with BigAss over a bunch of paddle fans. I won't pretend to quantify, but theres no doubt it's there.

2012 LML · May 23, 2013

HAP said:
Here is my install thread...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114992

HAP

Nice!

The other fan that BigAss recommended was a 8' or 10' Isis.

I could get a 8' or 10' fan between trusses (12' apart) and above my lights, which are on the bottom of my trusses.

I think the Isis is the way to go.

Jsf721 · May 23, 2013

I have a 6 foot (Commercial fan) mounted in the wall near the ceiling of out warehouse. We set it up to **** out the hot air in the summertime. If you open the loading docks the cooling effect is amazing.

fflintstone · May 23, 2013

I have admired big *** fans for a long time after I first saw one. I would love to have one but my shop would only need an 8’ one. IMO they are a first class manufacturer.

They are way beyond my budget, but they are actually a client of my new employer. We provide them with plastic dunnage trays that they ship and store there parts in. we must be doing something new for them, I went to the ice machine in the main building and we have several new boxes with their logo on them.

jabin · May 23, 2013

Our local Toyota Dealer has one in the shop area and it's nice. Some of the tech's complain that it can cause the shop to be too cold in the mornings. I have to say it was a nice subtle breeze.

77thor · May 23, 2013

They have those in our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore... I always have to chuckle when I read that brand name.

mo2872 · May 23, 2013

We have two for our maintenance hangar.......but they've yet to be installed. I'm curious to see how effective they will be.

tylernt · May 23, 2013

2012 LML said:
A/C isn't realistic. There is also the savings in electric draw with BigAss over a bunch of paddle fans. I won't pretend to quantify, but theres no doubt it's there.

Well let's see.

According to http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=most_efficient.me_ceiling_fans_over_52_inches , I see paddle fans moving between 180 and 549 CFM-per-watt (on high).

A 14' Powerfoil BigAss fan (according to the installation manual) has a FLA of 5.6A @ 240V, which works out to a theoretical 1,344 watts. It moves 137,556CFM which would give us 102 CFM-per-watt. However, unless poorly engineered, motors don't run at FLA for the same reason you don't drive your car around town at redline (at least, I don't). Let's say the BigAss fan runs at half the FLA and draws 672 watts, which works out to 204 CFM-per-watt. (If someone here knows the actual amperage or wattage draw please give us real-world numbers.)

So if my assumptions are correct, most Energy Star paddle fans will outperform a BigAss fan.

On the other hand, a BigAss fan will outperform a conventional paddle fan which (according to some random websites) only moves about 5,000CFM at about 100 watts for a mere 50-ish CFM-per-watt.

coffeebean · May 23, 2013

victor valley college has one installed in the bay for their fire academy barn. they park 6-8 pieces of ancient equipment in there. the fan has enough force to push Diesel smoke from the engines out of the bay. in fact i think thats why they bought it.

the thing was impressive, i want one, but they just arent appropriate for my 3 car garage.

dave

Rookie2 · May 23, 2013

While visiting Melbourne Fl. I took a look at one in a hanger that my inlaw works in. That sucker is awesome ! 12 or 14 ft. QUIET! no Vibrations and variable speed i think.

2012 LML · May 23, 2013

tylernt said:
(If someone here knows the actual amperage or wattage draw please give us real-world numbers.)

Attached

tylernt · May 23, 2013

Nice find. Looks like the 11' model? 340 watts, 73,200 CFM = 215 CFM-per-watt. Came out pretty close to my guesstimate on the 14' model above.

2012 LML · May 23, 2013

tylernt said:
Nice find. Looks like the 11' model? 340 watts, 73,200 CFM = 215 CFM-per-watt. Came out pretty close to my guesstimate on the 14' model above.

The model I mentioned in first post.

http://www.ruralking.com/hardware/c...big-***-fan-14-ceiling-shop-fan-115-volt.html

tylernt · May 23, 2013

2012 LML said:
The model I mentioned in first post.

http://www.ruralking.com/hardware/c...big-***-fan-14-ceiling-shop-fan-115-volt.html

Interesting. Something's not adding up. That link says it has a 1HP motor. 1HP = 746 watts for a 100% efficient motor. Most motors are 50-70% efficient. So, if it really has a 1HP motor, it's severely under-driven (gear reduction?) if it's only pulling 340 watts.

tymbo · May 24, 2013

I just saw the Menards flyer for Memorial day. They have a 8' dia. industrial ceiling fan for $699.

Spudland_Dave · May 24, 2013

While on the topic of Big *** Fans...anybody know if there is a small "normal" sized unit available anywhere that has the cool look factor?

Charles (in GA) · May 24, 2013

77thor said:
They have those in our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore... I always have to chuckle when I read that brand name.

ReStore here has one also, I wonder if they gave a bunch of them to HFH to use in the stores?

Charles

fflintstone · May 24, 2013

Charles (in GA) said:
ReStore here has one also, I wonder if they gave a bunch of them to HFH to use in the stores?

Charles

I first saw them in a HFH ReStore store as well, and I guarantee they didn’t spend the money on it.

Charles (in GA) · May 25, 2013

fflintstone said:
I first saw them in a HFH ReStore store as well, and I guarantee they didn’t spend the money on it.

Funny thing.... I asked when they put the fan up, I hadn't seen it before... the guy tried to tell me it had been there all along........ I would have noticed a BAF if it had been there, I didn't argue with him, but he either didn't want to admit, or was too old and feeble to understand. Co worker who also frequents the place also noticed it. Readily apparent it was brand new, first thing I noticed when I walked in the warehouse section from the showroom. (its a old lumber/home store of some sort, steel building, might have been an 84 Lumber, I don't recall, but has a finished heated/AC showroom and then a warehouse in the back with a couple of radiant gas heaters, and now this fan. Old lumber sheds out back.

Charles

gatchel · May 25, 2013

Spudland_Dave said:
While on the topic of Big *** Fans...anybody know if there is a small "normal" sized unit available anywhere that has the cool look factor?

This is the closest thing I have seen that is affordable and that has that big conversation piece look..

http://www.lowes.com/pd_198689-8885...fa&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=ceiling+fa&facetInfo=

F16CrewChief · May 26, 2013

http://www.bigassfans.com/product/powerfoil-8/

We have 2 of these in our hangar that fits 9 F-16's.....they sure move some air! Bigassfans.com used to have a photo of their fan installed in the egress hangar from Kunsan ab, Korea on their website.....dunno where it went

F16CrewChief · May 26, 2013

Disregard, found it!

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/hepe/2228521532/

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