Quick Exhaust Fan Question

[superskaterxes]

So i am looking at purchasing a 16" CANARM exhaust fan for my garage. Its a 20x22x10 with enclosed ceiling and insulation. It gets extremely hot in there in the summer so i am looking for a way to exhaust the heat. The fan has 3 speeds with 2300/2000/1800 CFM at each. This would work out to roughly 25 ACH at the lowest setting. This seems like overkill but the next fan size down (12") is 1100CFM at the max which would equate to about 15 ACH.

I mostly just do fabrication and wrenching in my garage and rarely run the car but when i do i always open the door. Theres a $40 price difference between the fans and i typically just go with the larger version if its only a few more bucks but does anyone think its a waste in this case?

here is the datasheet for anyone curious

http://www.canarm.com/UserFiles/Documents/Product/XFS_Series_Literature.pdf

 

[HoosierBuddy]

I've never been working in a garage and thought to myself, "Man there's just too much air moving in here."

I think you're on the right track with the bigger fan.

Phil

 

[MoonRise]

Unless you are welding (with shielding gas, GMAW or GTAW), more air flow is almost never a bad thing.

Figure out where you are going to have the intake air come in and all that too.

The 12" version should be able to be tucked between existing 16" OC wall studs, the 16" version would require some addition wall framing construction (header) to tuck into the wall stud framing (again, for 16" OC studs).

I'd lean towards the XFS16, but might say the wall reframing might sway the choice back towards the XFS12.

 

[superskaterxes]

Unless you are welding (with shielding gas, GMAW or GTAW), more air flow is almost never a bad thing.

Figure out where you are going to have the intake air come in and all that too.

The 12" version should be able to be tucked between existing 16" OC wall studs, the 16" version would require some addition wall framing construction (header) to tuck into the wall stud framing (again, for 16" OC studs).

I'd lean towards the XFS16, but might say the wall reframing might sway the choice back towards the XFS12.

i was going to put it in the ceiling and vent into the attic space (Studs 24" OC). Not a good idea?

 

[PoorOwner]

If you are putting in ceiling just get a whole house fan

 

[MoonRise]

Ceiling mount? Use a "whole house fan".

Those Canarm exhaust fans are made to go in a wall.

Oh, and if you are going for the vent-into-the-attic route, not only will you have to account for the intake air into the garage, you will have to make sure your attic venting (ridge vent or gable vent, whatever, but you really don't want to be pushing all that air down through the soffit vents IMHO) can handle that volume of exhaust air.

Without enough intake AND exhaust flow available, you don't get the airflow you thought would/should get and also you may 'damage' the fan itself.

 

[superskaterxes]

Ceiling mount? Use a "whole house fan".

Those Canarm exhaust fans are made to go in a wall.

Oh, and if you are going for the vent-into-the-attic route, not only will you have to account for the intake air into the garage, you will have to make sure your attic venting (ridge vent or gable vent, whatever, but you really don't want to be pushing all that air down through the soffit vents IMHO) can handle that volume of exhaust air.

Without enough intake AND exhaust flow available, you don't get the airflow you thought would/should get and also you may 'damage' the fan itself.

ive been looking at whole house fans but they are normally much larger than i need (24" is like 4500 CFM). i have gable vents and a ridge vent that runs the length of the roof. I imagine they should be plenty for 1800 CFM of airflow.

I also plan to vent the garage door or just crack it open a few inches when i have the fan running.

 

[Elginz]

I have a 20x20 fine art studio with steep vaulted ceilings and loft. When the 16 inch wall fan comes on you can't hardly get the door closed. Once in a while they get some nasty smelling coating going on. The fan makes a little noise, more than I like but there is a lot of fresh air with a window cracked or the door open. Consider the noise. look at the Decibels.

 

[buildyourown]

I would go bigger and then just run it slower most of the time. This will be a much quiter setup and you'll still have the high CFM for painting or other stinky stuff.

I'm looking at the same myself. Curious to see how yours works out.

 

[superskaterxes]

ill update this thread with some more details after install.

 

[larry4406]

Attached or detached garage? If attached, I don't like the idea of venting the garage to the attic which is/might be common with the house attic. Personal opinion.

I would do a ducted vent to the outside.

 

[superskaterxes]

Attached or detached garage? If attached, I don't like the idea of venting the garage to the attic which is/might be common with the house attic. Personal opinion.

I would do a ducted vent to the outside.

its attached but the entire garage including attic is separate from the house. Like i said before, im mostly using this to vent heat and not any noxious gasses or anything like that.