ceiling fan in garage

[geochaf1]

I am debating about putting a ceiling fan in my garage. I live in Houston so increased airflow would help. My issue is that I have 8.5 foot ceiling height. From what I have read I need a minimum of 12 inches (with 18 inches being better) between the fan blades and the ceiling. That gives me 7 to 7.5 feet between the floor and the fan. Is that cutting it too close? I am concerned about hitting the fan with something, but I would like to move the air around better. What are your thoughts?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[DuluthMN]

I have the same question. With 9' high ceilings I feel like I would be ok, but my question is would ceiling fans be a good idea for moving heat around?

 

[Rosco]

i have one in mine very close to the cieling and it still makes a noticeable difference. Any air movement at all in GA (humid like Houston) helps a lot!

 

[geochaf1]

Thanks for the reply Rosco. How high is your ceiling?

 

[Boyd Who]

I have a 9' ceiling in my shop and I have a cheap 42" fan. So far it works ok.

 

[Gary S]

My garage has a 10' ceiling and I have two ceiling fans installed in it. On one end I put a commercial 3 blade metal fan. It moves a lot of air, but also makes some noise.
At the other end I put a 5 blade house fan. It runs quietly, but moves less air.
When I'm in the garage, they both run and are worth having. In winter, they distribute the heat, and in summer they distribute the cool air from the AC.
I wouldn't consider a garage without ceiling fans.

 

[Rosco]

Thanks for the reply Rosco. How high is your ceiling?

My cieling is over 9 feet, but the cieling fan is a close flush mount. Once you get used to it there you will appreciate the air flow. I keep it on medium speed and I also have 2 window fans that circulate the air (one in and one exhaust) It really helps out at night........

 

[scooterseats]

I have an 8' ceiling in my front shop with a ceiling fan that is about 10" from the ceiling. It moves adequate air to keep the AC evenly dispersed. The main thing is to watch where I walk with my welding hood flipped up! Ha the fan will take it right off!
This is one of the first things I learned after I built this shop (30 years ago), Never use 8' ceilings in a shop!

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

10' ceiling in my garage, and a cheap 6-blade ceiling fan. Really works well.
I have it wired to a fan/light control switch, so I can have either the fan or the light on, or both.
The other garage lights are on a separate switch.

 

[thdewey]

Why not a wall mounted fan or two?
I found this fan at this website; http://www.qcsupply.com/10448-durafan-high-velocity-wall-mount-fan-24-oscillating.html

 

[fflintstone]

I have a 12" ceiling in my future shop. I dream of this fan

http://www.bigassfans.com/industrial

 

[Falcon67]

I have an 8' ceiling and use one of the hugger fan carcases that came out of the house. It's a 42" x 4 blade and the blades are maybe 6" from the ceiling. It works just fine.

 

[houstonhusker]

I live in Houston and installed 2 of the Hampton Bay 60 White Industrial Fan Model 92856
from Home Depot. I also have a wall mounted fan. The ceiling fans are SO much better...worth every penny and then some. They are flush mounted to the ceiling but still move an incredible amount of air...I highly recommend them. I have a 10" ceiling, but at your height, it should be fine too...

 

[haugy]

Why not a wall mounted fan or two?
I found this fan at this website; http://www.qcsupply.com/10448-durafan-high-velocity-wall-mount-fan-24-oscillating.html

This. I have 14' walls. With a lift, and beam lifts, I don't need a ceiling fan in the way. I'm putting fans up in the back corners of the shop. This will move air, and also help blow out exhaust, welding gas, etc out of the shop with the doors open.

All that with no loss to ceiling height or worry about clipping a fan.

 

[MrSnicks]

All these people with 8 - 10 inch ceilings... How do you fit in there?




Patrick

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Previous ceiling fan thread. The "industrial" fans from Home Depot, are HD number 526 012, and are $72 each now, sometimes found on sale. They come with 6" and 18" downrods, and according to the instructions must be mounted at least 7' high. At 7 or 8 feet they would blow you away on the two highest speeds. They come with a speed control that mounts in place of the switch and will NOT take a light kit. Plastic blades not affected by heat or humidity, and they just run and run. I've used the daylights out of mine this summer.

I made my own 4 ft downrods out of 3/4" water pipe.

Charles

 

[DuluthMN]

I have a 12" ceiling in my future shop. I dream of this fan

http://www.bigassfans.com/industrial

I would literally be working from 600 feet because this fan would push my frame right off the concrete blocks!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I have a 12" ceiling in my future shop. I dream of this fan

http://www.bigassfans.com/industrial

Only their "Shop Fan" model will run on single phase. They do not have it on their web site for some reason, at least where you can find it. All others run on three phase.

Charles

 

[fflintstone]

Only their "Shop Fan" model will run on single phase. They do not have it on their web site for some reason, at least where you can find it. All others run on three phase.

Charles

WRONG!
there residential fans are 120V and on the website.
http://www.bigassfans.com/residential/
this comerical is 110v or 220v
http://www.bigassfans.com/element
these were the first two I found there may be more.

besides we all need a rotary phase converter in our shops anyways.

 

[Gottspd]

Do any of you know whether you can run the Home Depot 60" 3 blade fan from a remote so I don't have to worry with cutting up drywall to run the wires across the garage for the fan control switch?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

WRONG!
there residential fans are 120V and on the website.
http://www.bigassfans.com/residential/
this comerical is 110v or 220v
http://www.bigassfans.com/element
these were the first two I found there may be more.

besides we all need a rotary phase converter in our shops anyways.

Sorry, I was only looking at industrial fans. Could not see why anyone would want to put a decorative fan in a shop. The residential and commercial fans are "designer fans" from what I can see. They are so expensive as to make it virtually impossible to afford them anyhow.

Do any of you know whether you can run the Home Depot 60" 3 blade fan from a remote so I don't have to worry with cutting up drywall to run the wires across the garage for the fan control switch?

That I know of, the HD "industrial" fan only comes with the wired multispeed control. Whether it can be connected to a third party wireless speed control, I don't know. Only a hot, neutral and ground are needed between the wall control and the fan, I don't know how it does its speed control, frequency chopping I suspect, but ???

Charles

 

[what2do]

Now I'm confused. The Home Depot fan says it comes w/ a remote control if you look under the "spec" tab?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Now I'm confused. The Home Depot fan says it comes w/ a remote control if you look under the "spec" tab?

It does, a hard wired remote control, as opposed to none at all, where you have a pull chain to change speed like a household fan.

Charles

 

[APEowner]

I have two fans in my shop with 8' ceilings. They hang down about 8". I do occasionally get a broom handle or a long piece of stock into one of them. It'll get your attention and I gave up along time ago on keeping them balanced but I run them all the time. In the winter they do a nice job of keeping the heat distributed and in the summer they compliment the AC nicely.

 

[Gottspd]

It does, a hard wired remote control, as opposed to none at all, where you have a pull chain to change speed like a household fan.

Charles

Okay, now I am confused. I want this fan, but my garage is fully drywalled, so I don't want to have to fish wires all the way back to the wired switch. With this remote thing you mentioned, would I be able to simply install the fan and control it with the pull cord or do I have to wire up the wall controller?

 

[Charles (in GA)]

You can either wire up the wall controller, or use a wall switch (in which case it would only run on high, not good for a 8 ft ceiling). You cannot use a pull chain switch on it, no provisions for it, as the whole bottom of the fan turns. Even the reversing switch is hidden under the cover on top of the motor, you loosen a screw, slide the cover up the downrod, and slide the reversing switch. I never reverse mine, and If I wanted to I have a scissor lift to get up to them.

You are going to have to have a hard wired wall control with this fan, or investigate the possibility of a wireless remote that mounts up in the ceiling box.

Charles

 

[fflintstone]

Sorry, I was only looking at industrial fans. Could not see why anyone would want to put a decorative fan in a shop. The residential and commercial fans are "designer fans" from what I can see. They are so expensive as to make it virtually impossible to afford them anyhow.

I would never be able to afford one, unless I hit the lotto. However, they are not really "designer fans" they are just designed to move a huge volume of air at a ridiculously low RPM. (like an HVLP spray gun) The one I saw in action was an older design, and it was moving about 20 RPM and moving a lot of air! IT WAS DEAD QUIET. They really are the cat a$$, the bee knees, in other words pretty freekin awesome!

I have a large drum type fan for cooling (loud as all get out). I had not thought seriously about a ceiling fan. Given the discussion about wired remotes here, I will have to remember to run some 12-3 wire before I put in a ceiling.

 

[jwillis]

In my garage I have a blower from my old furnace sitting on the floor. That really makes a difference. But you should be OK with a flush mounted fan. Most of them are reverseable so you should be able to get it to work. I would be afraid of having one too close to the floor. My neighbor has two mounted on the ceiling of his garage and they seem to work fine. His ceilings are about ten feet. Good luck.........jwillis

 

[TejasBimmer]

Why not a wall mounted fan or two?
I found this fan at this website; http://www.qcsupply.com/10448-durafan-high-velocity-wall-mount-fan-24-oscillating.html

I like that!
That would work great in my place.

My garage is 8 feet-ish tall and right now I use a floor fan.
Similar to this.. 24 in diameter.

 

[mmhouse]

I just use a cheap box fan. I can point it wherever I'm working and I'm moving cooler air (closer to the floor).

 

[akjason]

I have a 12" ceiling in my future shop. I dream of this fan

http://www.bigassfans.com/industrial

These guys are right down the road from me, I drive by them a couple times a week Their fans are all over the factory I work in, and they move some air!

 

[what2do]

Thanks for pointing that out Charles. I incorrectly assumed it was wireless!!

Okay, now I am confused. I want this fan, but my garage is fully drywalled, so I don't want to have to fish wires all the way back to the wired switch. With this remote thing you mentioned, would I be able to simply install the fan and control it with the pull cord or do I have to wire up the wall controller?

I did a bit more research on the HD fan, as I'm in the same boat as you regarding not wanting to fish wires etc. I came across this review link and 2 of the people mentioned they were able to buy a wireless remote from Hampton Bay. I am checking on that as an option.

http://milo.com/hampton-bay-60-in-white-industrial-fan-with-energy-star-rating#reviews

 

[Gottspd]

Thanks for pointing that out Charles. I incorrectly assumed it was wireless!!



I did a bit more research on the HD fan, as I'm in the same boat as you regarding not wanting to fish wires etc. I came across this review link and 2 of the people mentioned they were able to buy a wireless remote from Hampton Bay. I am checking on that as an option.

http://milo.com/hampton-bay-60-in-white-industrial-fan-with-energy-star-rating#reviews

The electrician that is putting it is just going to run the wires on the outside of the wall into a box using some form of conduit.

 

[IllIllIll]

In my garage I installed two used indoor ceiling fans I picked up at a garage sale. I mounted them without the drop down poles directly to the existing light fixture box. The fans hang down about a foot total with the lights in them. The blades are maybe six inches from the ceiling. I live in Arkansas & they make a huge improvement in the comfort of the garage. I'm using three 100watt compact florescent bulbs in each, so they really improved the lighting in my garage over the single bulb fixtures that were there originally. I highly recommend them.