Garage Ventilation Archives

You can use many types of fans in a garage; one of them is ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are installed on the ceiling of the garage; no surprises there. But since garages are likely to have moisture in them, the fans used in them are recommended to be damp rated. That means those fans should be able to withstand moisture. You can also use wet-rated fans. Another good thing about using ceiling fans in a garage is that they are quieter than other types of fans. High-velocity fans, including wall-mounted fans, are noisy. But since ceiling fans have larger blade spans, they can provide the same airflow at a lower speed. This comparatively low-speed operation makes them quieter. Given below is my curated list of quiet ceiling fans I found best for garages of different sizes; Fan ModelBlade SpanMaximum AirflowSuitable Garage Floor AreaHunter Fan Company Builder Elite52 inch4999 CFM225 sq.ft (1 car garage)Hunter Fan Company 59262 Cassius collection52 inch5537 CFM225 sq.ft (1 car garage)Emerson Loft60 inch7530 CFM400 sq.ft (2 car garage)Big Ass Fans i660 inch9676 CFM400 sq.ft (2 car garage)Casa Vieja Domain72 inch7699 CFM625 sq.ft (2 car garage)Casa Vieja Predator72 inch6775 CFM625 sq.ft (2 car garage)Monte Carlo Maverick88 inch14784 CFM900 sq.ft (3 car garage)Turbina XL84 inch10594 CFM900 sq.ft (3 car garage)Comparison of best garage ceiling fans 1. Hunter Fan Company Builder Elite Highlights: Blade span: 52 inchesMaximum airflow: 4999 CFMAirflow efficiency: 94 CFM/WPull chain controlDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Builder Elite fan by Hunter Fan Company is a good choice for small garages having a floor area upto 225 sq.ft. This is a 5 bladed fan with a blade pitch of 13 degrees. It runs at variable speeds and is capable of creating 4999 CFM of airflow at its highest speed. The average of its airflow rating across all speeds is 3565 CFM. This fan has an airflow efficiency of 94 CFM/W ie, it produces an airflow of 94 CFM per Watt of power. This fan is operated via a pull chain that comes with it. The fan is damp rated, so it can withstand moisture contents in the air. This makes it an ideal choice for garages. However, considering that even the smallest garages are 10' x 20' in size, this fan with its 52-inch blade span is an entry-level fan. This fan comes with two downrods of sizes 2 inches and 3 inches, leaving ample space between the fan blades and the ceiling for efficient airflow. This fan is recommended for garages that are 9 feet or more in height. Pros: This is a damp rated fan so it can withstand moist air.Suitable choice for one-car garagesQuiet operation Cons: No remote control option is available for this fan. 2. Hunter Fan Company 59262 Cassius Highlights: Blade span: 52 inchesMaximum airflow: 5537 CFMAirflow efficiency: 98 CFM/WPull chain controlDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Cassius is another ceiling fan model from Hunter Fan Company. This fan is suitable for small garages with floor areas of up to 225 square feet. This is a very traditional-looking three-bladed fan. A pull chain controls it; it turns the fan on/off and also runs it at different speeds. At its highest speed, this fan moves 5537 CFM of air. It has an airflow efficiency rating of 98 CFM/W, which is slightly better than the above-listed Builder Elite ceiling fan. However, this fan is not Energy Star rated. This ceiling fan comes with two downrods of 3 and 5-inch lengths. When installed, there is more than 10-inch space between the ceiling and the fan, making sure the fan always works at its best energy efficiency. This fan is recommended for small garages with 9' or more height. Pros: This fan is suitable for use in a moist climate owing to its damp-rated construction.A good entry-level for fan single car garages Cons: The fan has only pull chain controls. 3. Emerson Loft Highlights: Blade span: 60 inchesMaximum airflow: 7530 CFMAirflow efficiency: 115 CFM/W4-speed sliding wall controlDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Emerson Loft is a great choice for garages with floor areas up to 400 square feet. While suitable for 2-car garages, this fan is an ideal choice for those who wants lots of breeze in a small garage. The fan follows a traditional, 3-blade design with a blade span of 60 inches. The blades are of a variable pitch to help it flow air efficiently. This ceiling fan is controlled using a sliding wall switch which has four-speed controls. At the fan's highest speed, it moves 7530 CFM of air. This fan is Energy Star rated with an airflow efficiency of 115 CFM/W. Energy Star is a rating issued by EPA for fans that meet its energy efficiency requirements. This ceiling fan comes with a 6-inch long downrod. You can also do a semi-flush style installation if your garage has a low ceiling. Pros: The fan can deliver good wind speed in small garagesBetter speed control thanks to the sliding wall switch. Cons: None. 4. Big Ass Fans i6 Highlights: Blade span: 60 inchesMaximum airflow: 9676 CFMAirflow efficiency: 248 CFM/WRemote, mobile app, and voice controlsDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Like the name says, this is a big ass fan for garages. It is suitable for garages with up to 400 square feet of floor area. This is an excellent fan with many features compared to the rest of the fans on this list. The i6 ceiling fan has a very modern design with helicopter-like fan blades. There are 6 blades on this fan, and the fan has a total span of 60 inches. This fan delivers a high CFM of 9676 at its highest speed. This is a low-speed high-volume fan; it runs slower but moves large volumes of air. This feature provides a constant breeze throughout the room. The i6 ceiling fan uses an EC motor, which is more efficient than a DC motor. Due to this, the fan has an airflow efficiency rating of 248CFM/W, and it is Energy Star certified. Speaking of speed controls, the fan comes with many options. It has Bluetooth remote control for basic controls as well as sensor-based automation. The remote uses SenseMe technology to detect the temperature and humidity in the room and runs the fan according to a set of preset conditions. In addition to the remote control, you can control the fan via a mobile app. It can also be connected to voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home for voice control. The fan is flush-mounted on the ceiling due its special design. However, this doesn't affect its efficiency. Overall, this is a great fan for your garage. Unsurprisingly, a feature-rich fan like this is priced much higher than a standard garage fan. Pros: Energy Star rated for high airflow efficiencyUses a patented EC motor for quiet operationDelivers a uniform breeze throughout the garageThe fan has multiple control options, including voice control.Whisper quiet operation Cons: This fan costs much more than the other ceiling fans on this list 5. Casa Vieja Domain Highlights: Blade span: 72 inchesMaximum airflow: 7699 CFMAirflow efficiency: 254 CFM/W6-speed remote controlWet-ratedLight kit Check price on Amazon Casa Vieja Domain is a stylish ceiling fan that comes with a light kit. This is the only fan on this list that has a light kit. This light kit is an LED module of 16 W rating and it can be replaced with a cover if you don't want it. This fan has a diameter of 72 inches. It has 5 blades which are made of ABS and oak finished. The blades have a 14-degree pitch which increases their airflow efficiency. The fan is controlled via a 6-speed remote control. You can also reverse the fan's direction with it. This fan is suitable for garages up to 625 square feet in size. It runs at 6-speeds and delivers a maximum CFM of 7699. Its airflow efficiency rating is 254 CFM/W which qualifies it for Energy Star rating. This high efficiency is due to the use of a DC motor which is more efficient than the AC motors used in standard ceiling fans. This ceiling fan is wet rated, while all the other fans on this list are damp rated. Being wet rated, this fan is constructed to withstand direct contact with water. This also means that you can wash this fan with a hose; this is very convenient if you do any metal or woodworking in the garage. This ceiling fan comes wth a 6 inch downrod which leaves 13 inches of space between the fan blades and the ceiling. Pros: Energy-efficient fan with Energy Star rating.Suitable for two and three-car garages.6-speed remote control with reverse optionWet rated and water-resistant.Comes with an LED light kitQuiet running Cons: The airflow rate is low for the size of the fan. This reduces its wind chill effect. 6. Casa Vieja Predator Highlights: Blade span: 72 inchesMaximum airflow: 6775 CFMAirflow efficiency: 229 CFM/W6-speed remote controlDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Predator is a beautifully designed ceiling fan with 8 long blades. It kind of reminds me of a spider, even though that sounds really stupid :) This fan is 72 inches in blade span and is suspended by a 4-inch long downrod. The blades are made of ABS, and they have a pitch of 14 degrees. Its long blades deliver an airflow of 6775 CFM, which is suitable for large garages. It uses a DC motor, and so the fan has a high airflow rating of 229 CFM/W. Unsurprisingly, this ceiling fan is Energy Star rated. This ceiling fan comes with a 6-speed remote control, just like the fan listed before it. You can use the same remote control to reverse the fan's rotation, a feature that is useful in the winter season. This fan, when installed, is at the height of 12.25 inches from the ceiling. This leaves ample space for the circulating air to move through its blades. It is suitable for garages that are 9 feet or more in height, but there is nothing wrong with installing it on a slightly lower ceiling. Pros: Energy Star rated fan6-speed remote control with reverse functionUL listed for damp locationsWhisper quiet Cons: The airflow is low for a fan of 72 inch blade span. 7. Monte Carlo Maverick Highlights: Blade span: 88 inchesMaximum airflow: 14784 CFMAirflow efficiency: 380 CFM/W6-speed remote controlDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Monte Carlo Maverick is one of my favorite outdoor ceiling fans. It has a blade span of 88 inches which is large enough to cool a garage of 900 sq. ft. It is also available with blade spans 52, 60, 70, and 99 inches but with different airflow ratings. The Monte Carlo Maverick fan moves 14784 cubic feet of air in a minute. It has three blades which are made of Balsa wood. This wood is specially treated to make it moisture resistant so that you can use this fan in damp locations. This fan has an efficiency rating of 380 CFM/W, which is the highest on this list. In addition, it comes with a 6-speed remote control with a reverse function. This fan is installed using a 6 inch long downrod and it hangs approximately 13-inches away from the ceiling. Pros: Damp rated fan with wooden bladesHigh energy efficiencyHigh airflow6-speed remote controlMultiple sizes availableA quiet fan Cons: None. 8. Turbina XL Highlights: Blade span: 84 inchesMaximum airflow: 10594 CFMAirflow efficiency: 110 CFM/W6-speed remote controlDamp-rated Check price on Amazon Turbina XL is another ceiling fan suitable for huge garages. It has a traditional design with 3 long blades of 15-degree pitch. Its blades are metal, and the fan has a span of 84 inches. Yes, it is slightly smaller than the MonteCarlo fan listed above, but it is hard to notice. What isn't hard to notice is its airflow rate. The fan moves 10594 CFM of air which is lower than the MonteCarlo fan. In addition, the airflow efficiency rating of this fan is only 110 CFM/W, which is good but much lower than the other. This fan is controlled by a 6-speed remote. It is damp rated and is suitable for garages; however, the company recommends that it shouldn't be installed in heavy humid climates. A 6-inch downrod comes with the fan. As per the company guidelines, this fan shouldn't be installed lower than 10 feet from the ground for its best performance. Pros: Large airflow rateDamp-rated constructionRemote control with reverse option Cons: Low airflow efficiency for a fan of its size Comparison of wind speed Ceiling fans are not used solely for the purpose of ventilation; it is their cooling effect that makes them popular. The wind chill effect we feel depends on the wind speed from the fan. Larger wind speeds increase the cooling effect and vice versa. A garage fan should be able to create this wind chill effect to make the people in the garage comfortable. However, there is no definite method to calculate wind speed. There are different calculators available online, but they all show different values. However, the comparison of values from the same calculator gives you an idea of how much more or less wind speed a fan delivers compared to another. So using a calculator by Hansenwholesale, here is the comparison of wind speeds for the above listed garage ceiling fans; Fan ModelWind SpeedHunter Fan Company Builder Elite2.89 Miles Per HourHunter Fan Company 59262 Cassius collection3.2 Miles Per HourEmerson Loft3.39 Miles Per HourBig Ass Fans i64.36 Miles Per HourCasa Vieja Domain2.51 Miles Per HourCasa Vieja Predator2.21 Miles Per HourMonte Carlo Maverick3.34 Miles Per HourTurbina XL2.61 Miles Per HourComparison of wind speeds of different garage ceiling fans As you can see from the above table, Emerson Loft and Monte Carlo Maverick fans produce the most wind speed. Casa Vieja Predator produces the lowest chilling effect. For your reference, it is just above 2 miles per hour speed that people start to feel a breeze. Comparison of energy efficiency The energy efficiency of a fan is said in terms of airflow efficiency. Airflow efficiency is the cubic feet volume of air a fan can move by expending one Watt of power. Here is a comparison of the energy efficiencies of the fans listed above. Fan ModelAirflow EfficiencyBlade SpanHunter Fan Company Builder Elite94 CFM/W52 inchHunter Fan Company 59262 Cassius collection98 CFM/W52 inchEmerson Loft115 CFM/W60 inchBig Ass Fans i6248 CFM/W60 inchCasa Vieja Domain254 CFM/W72 inchCasa Vieja Predator229 CFM/W72 inchMonte Carlo Maverick380 CFM/W88 inchTurbina XL110 CFM/W84 inchComparison of energy efficiencies of different garage ceiling fans As you can see from the list above, the airflow efficiency rating is the highest for Monte Carlo Maverick and the lowest for Hunter Fan Company Builder Elite. However, the energy efficiency of the fan also takes into account the blade span of the fan. Therefore, a large fan should have a larger airflow efficiency rating to qualify for an Energy Star certificate. Given below is a graph between airflow efficiency and blade span plotting the efficiency requirement for Energy Star rating; Airflow efficiency requirement for Energy Star rating Source As you can see from the above table, the fan Turbina XL does not qualify for the Energy Star rating even though its airflow efficiency is higher than that of the Builder Elite fan.