Attic Fan Recommendations?

[Onewolf]

We are going to install a gable attic fan in our detached garage/workshop that is currently under construction. The garage is about 2400 sq and it has hip roofs except for a 40 ft wide area of gable roof. Since we are in central Florida and we will be air conditioning about 1100 sq ft of workshop I would like to keep the attic cooler with a thermostatically controlled gable fan. Are there any recommended models to purchase (or avoid)?

Note: The attic will have soffit vents and ridge line vents and the ceiling above the air conditioned rooms will have R-38 insulation.

Thanks.

 

[musgofasta]

I have this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000LNII4Q/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It's done the job for 5 years.

The Broan's generally have better reviews for a little more money:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00155UDOW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Onewolf]

After doing more research it appears that _maybe_ I don't want a gable exhaust fan since the garage will have soffit vents and ridgeline vents. However our house has soffit vents and ridgeline vents and the attic gets incredibly hot....

 

[Falcon67]

What's "incredibly hot"? Ours runs 130F or so with venting which is much better than 160F without. Shop uses reflective decking and it's a cool 110~120. Soffit and ridge are supposed to be balanced for proper air flow - several publications out there cover the details.

 

[pseudorealityx]

Soffit vents and a ridge vent need hot air to get enough convection to work. They aren't designed to keep the space cool or comfortable, but it's enough to drop the temperature to an 'acceptable' level, as Chris just said.

 

[Repsolracer22]

Im wondering this same thing .... i have a 40x60x12 and im doing a finished ceiling. Gonna do r38 in ceiling. I have a soffet/ridgevent system. But my research has proven that those work "ok" but arent really that great and usually cant move the hot air fast enough. It works enough to take an attic from 160 to 130 or so perhaps. But I also assumed that putting a vent fan on each end would help greatly. one fan pulls, the other fan pushes. should work great, no?

 

[Onewolf]

In my research I found that a number of 'experts' say that if you have ridge vents and a gable fan then it is possible for the gable fan to **** rain/moisture IN through the ridge vents.

 

[Repsolracer22]

ok so if you have a soffet and ridge vent system, how do you improve it? more/faster air flow