Keep it cool

[whoender]

Trying to keep my garage cool. An exhaust fan or a large floor fan?

 

[Cyberbear]

A guy I knew who picked up a good used swamp cooler and put it on a rolling stand. Says it has worked well as a poor man's shop air conditioner, quiet and puts out lots of air with minimal noise.

 

[jkrswld]

I was recently in a small shop that had a barn fan up in the "attic" which was wide open, and wow did that make a difference. It was something like this http://fountainbuildings.com/wp-content/uploads/Attic-Fan-Barn-Only.jpg

I recently got one of these mounted between my two garage doors http://www.menards.com/main/fans/co...al-oscillating-wall-fan/p-1762150-c-12728.htm

and one of these on the wall facing my workbench area http://www.menards.com/main/fans/re...able-air-circulator-fan/p-1393844-c-12727.htm

If you have the space/means to install a barn fan I'd say do it. The guy said it stayed even cooler in there with the garage all closed up but the fan on. I can vouch that for my own garage, the wall fan made a world of difference, and the circulating fan is a nice extra blast in the work area - and, fyi, those fans are great for at home and keeping rooms cool for cheap.

A guy could always get one of those Mitsubishi deals if you've got the cash... http://www.mitsubishielectric.com/bu/air/

 

[Simeon]

Watch out for rust sensitive items if using a swamp box in a closed up garage. They increase the humidity in the air and so blowing it all over your precision machine tools or freshly blasted Ferrari may be an issue. If the rest of your ventilation is good this may offset this.

 

[G McKay]

Usually the heat will be toward the ceiling. Mine will get up to around 130* at the peak. There are several vents to use. A fan won't work very well unless it is pointed up toward the ceiling to push cold air up and push the hot air down.

 

[Jas29]

An attic fan works the best. If u use your garage mostly in the evening since it will pull the hot air out and the cooler air from outside will come in

 

[LS6 Tommy]

My garage had a gable vent at one time. I can see where the original sheathing was cut for it. Someday I'm going to install a thermostatically operated gable fan with a manual override for when I want to spray bomb things.

Tommy

 

[Matt M PA]

I too have a "barn fan" mounted in the peak at one end of my garage. In my case, it's actually in a storage area. Makes a tremendous difference in the summer.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Where are you located, and what kind of temperatures and humidity do you have to deal with?

 

[jabin]

Big *** Fans
http://www.bigassfans.com/product/commercial/


Actually an large exhaust fan works better if you allow low cool air in.

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Cross air flow.

A fan moves air around, but if it's stuck in the garage, you're just moving hot air around with no place to go. You need to EXCHANGE the air with fresh / cooler air.

I keep the man door open to the rear of the garage open (exits outside) and the main door open with a fan pulling air through one and out the other. Makes a big difference and much better than just leaving the main doors open.

 

[rslaback]

How big of a garage are we talking about here? You can find some pretty large, pretty ugly window air conditioners on Craigslist for pretty cheap. Wall mount one of them and only use it when you are in the garage. It would like even be cheaper for the first few years of use compared to purchasing and installing a vent fan.

 

[67carl]

I put a gable fan above my garage door - heat rises - and used a timer (15 min, 30 min, etc... up to 2 hrs). I open a man door on the opposite end and can really feel the air move through. Because my garage is small and insulated it really heats up when I pull my car into it. Now I just hit the timer and open the door to evacuate the heat.

If you want actual AC they do make portable air conditioners (real AC, not swamp coolers).

http://t.homedepot.com/b/Heating-Ve...ioners-Portable-Air-Conditioners/N-5yc1vZc4m4

 

[zkdiesel]

I just turn on the central air in my 40x60x14 when it gets to the point I can't stand it

 

[NUTTSGT]

Where are you located, and what kind of temperatures and humidity do you have to deal with?

Yep, this is something that will help answer your question. Different parts of the country can get away with different cooling methods.

This is why it's suggested that you put a general location in your profile.

 

[bczygan]

trees!

I know it takes a while, but my garage is nice and cool because I have a canopy of shade trees that partly shade it. And it has black shingles!

Plant them now and enjoy them in coming decades.

Light colored shingles are another thing that helps, or shiny metal.

Even evergreen shrubs along outside walls will help.

 

[flyng_fool]

What about this?

 

[aka Larry]

I installed this 24" exhaust fan up near the gable in my shop and it makes a big difference by exhausting the hot air to let cooler air in.

 

[fatcat87]

Where did you get that fan Larry?

 

[LS6 Tommy]

What about this?

That's great... For sitting on the couch in your shorts...

Tommy

 

[Travinsky]

Yesterday I measure the temps in the garage, 98 at the ceiling and 88 on the floor, I too can't decide between A/C and exhaust fan.

 

[Syberia]

In FL, an exhaust fan isn't going to do a thing about the humidity. I'd go with A/C.

 

[aka Larry]

Where did you get that fan Larry?

Amazon Prime.

 

[flyng_fool]

That's great... For sitting on the couch in your shorts...

Tommy

If you put it on wheels and roll it to wherever you're working why wouldn't it work? Do you need to cool the whole shop or do you just want to keep yourself comfy?