Air circulation in a small closet

[LSU]

I have a small (6’x6’) closet off of my carport. Our exterior refrigerator lives out there.

I recently replaced the old wooden doors with steel doors. (I’m happy with these).

There is no air circulation in the room unless the door is cracked.

I’m thinking of a ceiling mounted exhaust fan that would be on a timer? Has anyone done this? I’m looking for a drop in model and not something I’d build myself.

I also need an exterior vent that would allow the air to be sucked in from the outside.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[mike93lx]

You want to draw exterior air and then vent it? This will require two vents. Put an intake down low with the exhaust up high. Can you install a louvered vent in the door?

 

[cvairwerks]

Trim an inch off the bottom of the door and go with a heavy duty bathroom fan. Use a thermostat to drive it and hard pipe the exhaust out the soffit face.

 

[LSU]

I had a louvered vent in my old door. Not sure I can cut the metal door. I’m thinking a vent into the attic.

Put the fan down low - but I’ve got some concerns over the back of the fan being exposed to little hands and fingers.

 

[LSU]

Trim an inch off the bottom of the door and go with a heavy duty bathroom fan. Use a thermostat to drive it and hard pipe the exhaust out the soffit face.

Metal door in a metal frame. I can’t trim the door. The thing seals like a refrigerator.

 

[mike93lx]

I had a louvered vent in my old door. Not sure I can cut the metal door. I’m thinking a vent into the attic.

Put the fan down low - but I’ve got some concerns over the back of the fan being exposed to little hands and fingers.

Why can't you cut the door for a vent? Don't want to or don't know how?

Angle grinder would make short work of it.

 

[CraigStu]

I used one of these in a powder room in our previous house.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/broan-thro..._bePZdoUCdv6IT1ecHRKIT-28LQbLhj0aAub9EALw_wcB
This way I avoided going into the attic and through the roof. Mount it as high as possible
in the wall. Find an aluminum or plastic grill to cover the hole you cut into another wall down low.

 

[rlitman]

Trim an inch off the bottom of the door and go with a heavy duty bathroom fan. Use a thermostat to drive it and hard pipe the exhaust out the soffit face.

For an interior install, I'd agree. Outside, you don't want to break the bottom seal of the door. Bugs and water will get in.

As said above, put in some louvered vents. I'm betting you'll be much better off with a passive vented system than one actively power vented.

 

[kbs2244]

I would just use a square "mushroom" roof vent with a screened louvered vent apx 5 inches above the floor.

No need for power

 

[niget2002]

I'm using one of these to vent a small room.

It pulls just enough air to keep things circulating. The fans are thermostat controlled so they're not on all the time and it's a very very low-draw system. The fans are super quiet. It's designed for home theater, so a little on the pricey side, but I couldn't have built it cheaper for the cost of parts.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QFXC4MS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[anythingyoucanimagine]

I have a similar situation with a bunch of networking equipment up high on the back wall of our front coat closet. I built a custom louvered door like this and it's worked out great. She wasn't very happy with the idea of a door that looked like a door from a store dressing room but in the end it worked out and looks great.


This is simple. Heat rises. Cold air in the bottom and hot air out up top. I realize you have a new steel door... If you don't want to cut up the door just cut a hole in the side of the house. Cut a round hole for something like a dryer vent then pull out the dryer vent's one-way flaps and replace them with 1/4" square galvenized screen mesh (for critters) with some black or white window/door screen over the galv. mesh. Do something similar up top. That'll give you passive air flow and keep the critters out.

Is this closet part of the house? You said the door seals like a refrigerator, could you do a passive venting system into the house conditioned air space? Would be nicer on the refrigerator but worse on home efficiency.

 

[ZRX61]

Low vent on one wall, high vent on the opposite wall. No need for a fan as the heat coming off the back of the fridge will cause cool air to be drawn in the low vent & exit out the high vent.
I'd probably put the low vent in the wall behind the fridge.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Low vent on one wall, high vent on the opposite wall. No need for a fan as the heat coming off the back of the fridge will cause cool air to be drawn in the low vent & exit out the high vent.
I'd probably put the low vent in the wall behind the fridge.

This^^^^
Using convection as your "air mover" will save you money and aggrevation- that fan will eventually fail.

 

[LSU]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I'm going to think about these and get back with some more questions.

Thanks again.

 

[tthornto]

I agree on the louvered vents (one high and one low) but they don't need to be in the door, you cut a hole in the wall just as easy as the door.