Garage Fan

[BigE]

I tried searching to no avail. I need to get some air flowing in my garage to deal with these 100+ degree days we're having. The local chassis dynos have huge rolling fans but I'm sure they're expensive. Growing up, we just had a cheap box fan. However that garage was below grade mostly so the earth helped to keep it cool. My question is (besides AC) what are you all using? Any reliable, yet economical brands?

Thanks

 

[cnc-me]

I tried searching to no avail. I need to get some air flowing in my garage to deal with these 100+ degree days we're having. The local chassis dynos have huge rolling fans but I'm sure they're expensive. Growing up, we just had a cheap box fan. However that garage was below grade mostly so the earth helped to keep it cool. My question is (besides AC) what are you all using? Any reliable, yet economical brands?

Thanks

Get an old fan from CL or E-Bay they are way better built than
any of the cheap junk made today.
Emerson, GE , Hunter are good to name a few.
My brother and I restore old fans.
Emerson 646 series is one of the best, all cast iron construction with
brass blades.

 

[dnroe]

I picked up an old exhaust fan for cheap at the fleamarket and and built a wire cage around it. Used spare motor off of an old gas pump and put it on wheels. The fan is maybe 28"-30" in diameter and it puts out a lot of air. Just open up the garage doors and have it blowing in toward the shop with the side door open and it keeps it comfortable. Thermometer was reading 90 degrees when I went out to the shop last night and I was able to work for about an hour without breaking a sweat. The thermometer had dropped down 10 degrees in the amount of time I was out there. Best part is I maybe have $20 in it. I can post pics if anyone is interested although it isnt pretty. Oh yeah dont forget to secure it somehow or it can do some damage when it takes off rolling.

 

[alabamavolvos]

I'm not a fan of the drum style fans. Old 30 " pedstal fans are the best in my opion. New Lasko 30" pedstal is about 160 at Sams or Costco. Patton and Lasko both make high velosity floor fans in the 20" - 22" range that move a lot of air.

 

[CoyoteLL]

Northern Tool has these for $199.

Depending on size of your shop, 3000 CFM can get air moving.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200446030_200446030

 

[Ray-CA]

I've got one of these and use it along with a 26" box fan. We can bring a 120* garage down to about 90* and keep it there all day. I just run a garden hose into the cooler for a constant fresh water supply and before we start, a 5lb block of ice goes in also.

Works very well with a door open for exhaust air. I bought this a couple of years ago at Home Depot when they had them in an "After summer" sale.

Ray

 

[kbs2244]

My local ACE has window fans on sale for $12.99
Even if it only lasts a summer, it seems like a buy.

 

[justanengineer]

If you want a larger fan, try looking at farm sales for large portable barn fans. You might also try building salvage stores as well for large ventilation fans. Ive been in buildings where you could stand up inside the ductwork and they had VERY large fans.

 

[Steve from Socal]

Evaporative coolers; SWAMP COOLERS don't work in humid climates, depending on how big your garage is consider a window AC. A fan will move the air around but, dropping the dew point will make it far more comfortable.

Steve

 

[torqueman2002]

Evaporative coolers; SWAMP COOLERS don't work in humid climates, depending on how big your garage is consider a window AC. A fan will move the air around but, dropping the dew point will make it far more comfortable.

Steve

+1 Live in SE Michigan where heat & humidity are bad in July/August, the window A/C makes it liveable those hot dog days.

Other times a 22" Patton does the trick.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Old furnace squirrel cages are great for moving a ton of air, and they're quiet too.

 

[TimGrz]

Get a Barrel Fan. Costco and Sam's sell these in the summertime for under $200 if you don't have a Northern Tool near you.

36in., 11,200 CFM, 3/5 HP, $189.99



/tg

 

[OGJordan]

Man, I was looking at Home Depot tonight while I was there to buy a water hose, and almost bought this for my shop (30 x 30)

http://reviews.homedepot.com/1999/100015874/industrial-60-in-indoor-ceiling-fan-reviews/reviews.htm

 

[tonydanzah]

google big *** fan

 

[SyTyJim]

Man, I was looking at Home Depot tonight while I was there to buy a water hose, and almost bought this for my shop (30 x 30)

http://reviews.homedepot.com/1999/100015874/industrial-60-in-indoor-ceiling-fan-reviews/reviews.htm

I have (3) of something similar in my garage right now.

Jimmy

 

[Greatbear]

I have a pair of 24" Dayton oscillating fans wall mounted on either end, a homemade 18" inch wall mounted between the two doors, and a 40 year old 20 inch Dayton pedestal fan for flexibility. The latter was given to me by a friend who got it when a local London Fog factory shuttered. I replaced the guard since the original was not in the best of shape, and replaced the cord. That fan has been taken to cookouts, projects, renovations, parties and whatnot. Cool thing about the pedestal (no pun intended) is that it extends to nearly 10 feet high.

I also have a couple smallish Powercat squirrel cage floor fans that are awesome for extra air underneath cars when working down below.

 

[BigE]

Thanks for all the suggestions! However, I think some of you overestimate my garage. It's a residential attached unit that barely qualifies as a 2 car. Not a whole lot of space to cool. The whole thing is less than 600 sq ft. I also have a single 18 ft door so any cooled air would be lost immediately opening it. I just need to get the air moving in there because it's just stagnant. To respond to some of your individual comments:
The big *** fans are badass! Our plants use them. However, I'm sure their smallest is overkill.
The barrel fan is just what I'm looking for! Tried to buy one on CList today, but it was already gone. I'll check that one out. Thanks!

 

[newie]

I mounted a fan in the rafters angled towards the front of the garage. Moves plenty of air and vents out the heated air in the peak of the garage. I use a "Superswitch" remote switch to turn on/off. Works well and fairly inexpensive for my two car garage.

 

[Ray-CA]

BigE,

The garage that we use our ShopCool for is a 440sqft, 2-car garage. It works great and is just enough. On extremely hot days (we get to 110+ for days at a time) I use a 26" box fan along with the cooler.

Ray

 

[reinhardt]

how about an attic fan? it mounts in the ceiling and pulls the air from the 'space' and blows it into the attic and out the roof vents. the attic is cooled down, cooling the garage. a cool breeze is pulled through the garage w/o blowing in your face. and best part, no floor space taken up.

ben

 

[Jack Olsen]

how about an attic fan? it mounts in the ceiling and pulls the air from the 'space' and blows it into the attic and out the roof vents. the attic is cooled down, cooling the garage. a cool breeze is pulled through the garage w/o blowing in your face. and best part, no floor space taken up.

That's what I did. $80 fan, and a little time with a jig saw up on the roof.

Link.

[EDIT: It looks like the price on the one I got has jumped up. But I'll bet you could find one that's similar for less.]

 

[reinhardt]

jack's roof is a little out of the ordinary because he doesn't have an attic space from the looks of the pics. if you have a regular attic space over your garage, then you won't need to cut a hole in your roof. just the ceiling of the garage. your attic will already have vents to the outside. a simple hole in the ceiling and mount between the rafters.

ben

 

[Eldogg]

I have a big drum fan. Make sure you get a belt driven fan not direct drive (like I have) it works ok but its LOUD!

 

[jduffle]

The squirrel cage fans work well.
BUT....if you use the belt driven type, please put a guard on it!

 

[reinhardt]

i was corrected today, i mean whole house fan not attic fan.

 

[PassnThru]

jack's roof is a little out of the ordinary because he doesn't have an attic space from the looks of the pics. if you have a regular attic space over your garage, then you won't need to cut a hole in your roof. just the ceiling of the garage. your attic will already have vents to the outside. a simple hole in the ceiling and mount between the rafters.

ben

Actually, I have a whole house fan in my garage. They actually fit on top of the ceiling joists and come with some plastic pieces to fill in between the joists. So no joist cutting required. It is useful for two things - cooling down the attic in a hurry and working in the garage at night without having the main doors open so fewer bugs. During the day, I'm sure it helps a few degrees overall in the garage but since it isn't blowing on you it isn't helping you stay any cooler.

 

[NUTTSGT]

BigE, do you have a ceiling in your garage ? If you don't, that will make difference in itself. You need to make an airspace up there and get it vented to keep the heat out of the garage.

Alot of people use the squirrel cage fans out of old furnaces around here.

 

[slimpickins]

Do you have "whirly birds" in your area. Nobody has mentioned this yet. These are powered by the wind and ventilate very well with a slight breeze, but they also work with normal convection (hot air rises)

Get one with ball bearings rather than the cheaper model with a bushing. The bushings dry out real quick and then you'll hate the noise.

 

[banzaitoyota]

google big *** fan

for the price of a big *** fan you can put ac in a small shop

 

[Ramper]

I got two three blades ceiling fans with 10 year warrenties for about $50 each from Menards. They hang from a hook mounted in the ceiling, not a electric box like other ceiling fans. They made a huge difference. I will get the model number when I get home.

 

[autoclassicnut]

Insulation would really help if you don't have it...

 

[jvitez]

Here's what I use:

http://www.seabreeze.ca/fans/TurboAire/turboaire.html

It works very well. Moves a lot of air, and in the "hassock" mode it keeps the air from stratifying and keeps things cool without blowing everything around. And most importantly, it's very, very quiet. Those big horizontal-blowing drum fans are noisy.

 

[Vettman]

My buddy downsized to an apartment. He gave me this nice, all metal Patton brand fan. I fabbed a metal "T" bracket so I could swivel it up-down-left and right. It works pretty well and has 3 speeds. I added a remote AC so I can turn it on an off from below.

 

[pattenp]

i was corrected today, i mean whole house fan not attic fan.

I didn’t see where anyone may have commented on the issue of meeting fire code when putting in a fan such as a whole house fan mounted in the ceiling of the garage. If your garage is attached and you put in a fan that breaches the ceiling the fan needs to have a fire rated shutter or damper that will close in case of a fire to prevent the spread of the fire into the attic. You also need to be careful that you aren't pumping fumes from the garage into the attic that may get back into the house.