Solar Fan for the garage

[RedChariot]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

[CarlR33]

From the posts I have seen in the past when I was interested in the subject it will be a yes and no answers. One such example.
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/garage-fan-351074/?highlight=Solar+fans

[JohnN]

I had Solar Guys install an electric garage fan (not solar, sorry).
They cut 2 ventilation panels in the garage door and the fan is installed in the garage ceiling.
It uses minimal electricity, keep the garage extremely cool (not a/c cool)
Keep the attic ventilated so the attic is cooler too.
Doesn't depend on the sun, and you can turn it on or off whenever you want.

Either way you go, you know as well as I do that Solar Guys does great work. Good luck.

[tophcfa]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

I can’t answer your question about a garage solar fan, but I would highly recommend an overhead garage screen door. We had one installed by cool breeze and really like it. We hardly ever use the garage door anymore, just the screen. It opens and closes with a remote clicker just like a garage door. The garage is much cooler when using the screen and we can see out, but people outside can’t see in unless it’s dark outside and there is a light on in the garage.

[Pondboy]

I’d recommend stopping that heat from getting into your garage in the first place.

Insulating the doors and applying window film are your best and least expensive options.

As far as attic fans, there’s a very lengthy return on investment for those.

Lots of threads on this forum about insulation and fans.

[Altavia]

Agree with Pondboy.

They just draw the heat in from your driveway so no real benefit.

[asianthree]

So every one year inspection (4) from Frank any improvement on solar fan in garage. Nada since 2010, so not putting one in this house. Our garage faces south, so screen would not help. Their recommendation insulate the garage door, which we did.

[rjm1cc]

Will the fan work in the evening when the outside air is cooler than inside the garage? In short does it include a battery to run it when the sun goes down?

[jrref]

If you think you are going to cool down your garage with any kind of fan, you are mistaken. If you want cool then you will need to install a mini-split A/C unit.

Any garage fan are going to draw the hot air from outside into the garage so if it's 90+ degrees out then your garage will be 90+ degrees.

The problem is if you have the sun beating on your garage door, it's going to act like a radiator and heat your garage. The garage door temperature can reach 125-150 degrees on a very hot day. Also, the attic can superheat and you will get heat gain from that as well.

So the real answer is to insulate your garage door, put insulation in your garage attic and install a solar attic fan near your garage roof.

Many will say don't get an attic fan but the truth is unless you already have very good ventillation, the attic fan, solar or electric will prevent your attic from superheating. My attic used to superheat to about 150 degrees on very hot days. Not it doesn't go above 115 degrees and I've had the solar fans for the past two years.

The solar guys can do all this work.

I've done all this and I can tell you 100% my garage is about 5 degrees cooler than the outside air with the doors closes. With the doors open it will be a couple degrees cooler or the same temperature as the outside air but I don't get that heat gain from the attic any more.

Do not make these upgrades as investments. You will never recoup the cost unless you live in your home for a long time. You make these improvements for your comfort. Also, you get a 30% tax CREDIT for the cost of the insulation.

Hope this helps.

[JRcorvette]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

We have one that was in the house when we bought it. The garage is still an Oven. Better to insulate the door and see how that works.

[MSGirl]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

We had a solar fan installed in our attic to keep the attic from getting extremely hot. We did not install to cool down the garage. By keeping the attic from getting so hot, we felt it would neutralize the house as well.. we have a block house. So far so good.

[Buckeye Bill]

Hi guys, several years ago we had the solar guys put a vent fan (electric) in the garage. Included in the price was insulation installed on the door and a thermostat that controls the fan. Please understand that it will NOT cool the garage but it will keep the garage at ambient temp. It also forces air into the attic which in turn will curb the spikes during the day.
I’ve been very pleased with the work that the Solar Guys have done and would recommend them any time.
…….Happy New Year……and to all a good night

[MandoMan]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

Solar Guys do great work, and I loved the three solar tubes they installed for me. However, the electric garage to attic fan didn’t help very much. Note that there are Solatube solar attic fans available, but these don’t suck out all that much air. The garage to attic ventilation fan is NOT solar, and it’s a lot more powerful and makes more noise. (The running fan is quiet, but sucking out several hundred square feet per minute makes noise from the airflow.) Powerful electric fans like that use quite a bit of electricity when they are working. How much, I don’t know because I couldn’t find any info online about that. The ad on the Solar Guys web site says it saves compared to running several attic fans or a garage air conditioner.

I had mine installed in a two car garage in The Villages. I sold that house in two years and bought another one. However, I found that I rarely used the fan.

So what is the problem? The garage attic was not insulated, so the heat in the attic percolated down through the ceiling drywall. The garage door faced south, so the garage door and the driveway got very hot in the mornings. The air being sucked in through the vents installed in the garage door was even hotter than the general air temperature. So, the fun sucked air through, but it was hot, humid air, and it didn’t seem to lower the temperature very much. If I parked my hot car in the garage, I might as well have parked a hot iron there—it really heated up the garage a lot.

These fans work best when the outside temperature is much lower than the garage temperature. But in the summer, the outside low at night may be 74° and humid. Run the fan all night, and your temp in the garage is nearly that low, but in the day it will quickly heat up from ceiling heat and garage door heat. Add a hot car and that increases.

I’d recommend that you first have about ten inches of insulation blown into the attic and double insulate your garage door. Then have the fan installed and use it at night. If you drive your car, park it in the driveway until night. Will your garage then be cool? No.

[retiredguy123]

If you have a hot space adjacent to a cooler space, heat energy will flow from the hot space to the cooler space until both spaces become the same temperature. Adding insulation between these spaces will slow down, but not prevent, the heat transfer process. So, adding insulation anywhere will not provide any lasting cooling effect. That is why builders do not add insulation to a garage ceiling. Also, blowing 90+ degree air into any space will not cool the space any lower than 90 degrees.

[jrref]

If you have a hot space adjacent to a cooler space, heat energy will flow from the hot space to the cooler space until both spaces become the same temperature. Adding insulation between these spaces will slow down, but not prevent, the heat transfer process. So, adding insulation anywhere will not provide any lasting cooling effect. That is why builders do not add insulation to a garage ceiling. Also, blowing 90+ degree air into any space will not cool the space any lower than 90 degrees.

This is a little misleading. True energy will flow from hot to cold but when the attic superheats the garage ceiling is like a radiator for a very long time. I thought like you but I gave in and insulated my attic. The result was a noticable reduction in temperature in my garage.

Regardless of the theory, all I can tell you is what I experienced.

BTW the reason why the builder doesn't insulate the garage ceiling is because it's non-living space. Same reasoning with the Lanai. It saves them money.

[DAVES]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

If, I understand the post, you've had it done. You are not going to undo it. Solar tubes, I believe are for light-not fans.

In terms of attic venting, we all know hot air rises. That is the reason they use ridge vents-highest point of the roof. An attic fan. You need to be sure you have adequate venting to allow air to get in. If it is not adequate, the fan first of all will not move as much air as it is claimed to and it will suck cooled and or heated air from your home. Sort of like drinking soda from a bottle and not allowing air in to replace the liquid you are drinking.

We just got a new roof due to hurricane damage. They extended the roof vent. Does it matter?
Truth, I have no way to HONESTLY know.

[SkylightRoofing]

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Do they make a difference? Yes, in a very large way. Feel free to contact us at any time for an honest review (See attached):

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Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.

[retiredguy123]

This is a little misleading. True energy will flow from hot to cold but when the attic superheats the garage ceiling is like a radiator for a very long time. I thought like you but I gave in and insulated my attic. The result was a noticable reduction in temperature in my garage.

Regardless of the theory, all I can tell you is what I experienced.

BTW the reason why the builder doesn't insulate the garage ceiling is because it's non-living space. Same reasoning with the Lanai. It saves them money.
I would just add that it is really not the builder's decision to not insulate the garage ceiling. Architects who design houses don't include the insulation, so the builder is just following the architect's design. Also, my garage temperature rarely exceeds the outside air temperature, even on hot summer days. I have no insulation whatsoever in my garage. I would suggest that proper ventilation of the attic is important, as long as you don't suck conditioned air through the roof.

[MrFlorida]

Best option is to insulate the garage door, bringing hot humid air in from outside will do nothing. Insulate attic and install a mini split.

[retiredguy123]

Best option is to insulate the garage door, bringing hot humid air in from outside will do nothing. Insulate attic and install a mini split.
Yes, a mini-split and insulation will cool your garage. Installing insulation and/or a fan alone will provide a minimal benefit at best.

[Jhrath7@gmail.com]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.
Don’t know if it keeps garage any cooler, but, has reduced my electric bill

[kingofbeer]

I had Solar Guys install an electric garage fan (not solar, sorry).
They cut 2 ventilation panels in the garage door and the fan is installed in the garage ceiling.
It uses minimal electricity, keep the garage extremely cool (not a/c cool)
Keep the attic ventilated so the attic is cooler too.
Doesn't depend on the sun, and you can turn it on or off whenever you want.

Either way you go, you know as well as I do that Solar Guys does great work. Good luck.
I think the money spent is a total waste of time and money. I lived in Florida for many years. The builder here does not insulate the garage walls or the attic above the garage as far as I know. Never had a garage this hot before. My house is tilt wall. Touch the garage walls on the inside and the outside in the heat of summer and you will see how hot they are. The heat radiates onto the inside walls. So insulating your garage door will not fix this. Save your money and leave it alone!

[kcrazorbackfan]

I had Solar Guys install an electric garage fan (not solar, sorry).
They cut 2 ventilation panels in the garage door and the fan is installed in the garage ceiling.
It uses minimal electricity, keep the garage extremely cool (not a/c cool)
Keep the attic ventilated so the attic is cooler too.
Doesn't depend on the sun, and you can turn it on or off whenever you want.

Either way you go, you know as well as I do that Solar Guys does great work. Good luck.

Had the same fan put in the ceiling of our garage. I have 2 vents in the big garage door and 1 in the smaller. Same as you, it does keep the garage somewhat cooler and pushes hot air out of the attic.

[LianneMigiano]

I'm one of those who had an attic fan installed. I can't notice any difference in temperature since we did it several years ago. It was a waste of money in my opinion. I've seen videos that showed people using Styrofoam panels glued to the interior of the garage door that people insist really worked - and was MUCH, MUCH less expensive than the attic fan.

[retiredguy123]

Had the same fan put in the ceiling of our garage. I have 2 vents in the big garage door and 1 in the smaller. Same as you, it does keep the garage somewhat cooler and pushes hot air out of the attic.
I have a neighbor who had an attic fan and two vents installed in the garage door about 7 years ago. He used it for about a week or so, and has never used it since. The fan is huge and loud, but the vents near the bottom of the garage door are way too small to move any air through the garage. A very bad design.

[rsmurano]

If I was to do anything, I would have either closed cell or open cell foam insulation installed. I’m thinking of getting a quote to do our whole house.
Never heard of it, check it out. We built a custom house in Georgia 9 years ago and had the whole house, walls and attic insulated with this insulation. My attic looked like an igloo, you couldn’t see the trusses, all spray foam. 5500 sq ft house. You could walk in the attic (attic peaks were over 10’ high), in the middle of the summer the attic was 70 degrees, same in the winter.
This spray foam made our house air tight, no soffit holes, no vents, no ridge vents, and no builders gap that let bugs in. My buddy in Georgia had someone blow in closed cell spray foam after he built his house, no walls just attic, and his attic was 74 degrees year round. I can’t remember but I think he paid $15,000 to do his attic about 7 years ago.
When the house is this tight, you will need a heat exchanger of some sort, maybe not for your garage because your doors aren’t sealed, but for the living part of the house you will

[biker1]

We also had a custom home built in Georgia with closed cell spray foam insulation on the underside of the roof sheathing. The attic, where the air handler and ducts were located, did stay cool. The exterior walls were ICF construction. I agree that spray foam is a good way to go. However, it is probably best done during the initial construction. It isn't clear to me that there will be a payback in a reasonable amount of time with a retrofit. There is a development just outside The Villages (Green Key Villages) that uses spray foam so there is local installation knowledge. The only issues I see with spray foam is the installers must make sure the equipment is functioning correctly when the two components are mixed at the spray handle otherwise you could wind up with an unlivable house. Also, with closed cell, if you have a roof leak you may not know about it for sometime.

If I was to do anything, I would have either classes cell or open cell foam insulation installed. I’m thinking of getting a quote to do our whole house.
Never heard of it, check it out. We built a custom house in Georgia 9 years ago and had the whole house, walls and attic insulated with this insulation. My attic looked like an igloo, you couldn’t see the trusses, all spray foam. 5500 sq ft so decent size house. You could walk in the attic (attic peaks were over 10’ high) in the middle of the summer and the attic was 70 degrees, same in the winter.
This spray foam made your house air tight, no soffit holes, no vents, no ridge vents, and no builders gap that let bugs in. My buddy in Georgia had someone blow in closed cell spray foam after he built his house, no walls just attic, and his attic was 74 degrees year round. I can’t remember but I think he paid $15,000 to do his attic about 7 years ago.
When the house is this tight, you will need a heat exchanger of some sort, maybe not for your garage because your doors aren’t sealed, but for the living part of the house you will

[rsmurano]

Correct about the closed cell insulation, you get a leak and a small leak could cause a huge problem because you might be leaking for a long time. But closed cell is more costly and is better than open cell for insulating. My friend who retrofitted his attic had a large opening that was 8-10’ tall opening since a couple of his furnaces were up there. Here in Florida, you don’t have that much space to move around in so it might be much more difficult to install. Plus every vent, soffit/ridge/roof, will have to be removed or plugged since you can’t have any air leaks of air making in to the attic

[Battlebasset]

Pulling not as hot air into an area of hotter air isn't going to change things that much. The best you are ever going to get in your garage without air conditioning is whatever the outside temp is.

Also, if you have a ridge vent, putting an attic fan in is going to mess with the process of the not so hot air being naturally pulled into the attic by the simple fact that hotter air rises, which then pulls in the not so hot air via the soffit vents. So you won't gain anything, and you might make it worse.

If you really want a garage that can be used as a living space, you need to fully insulate and AC it. And as soon as you open the garage door to pull a car in/out, you get to start the cool down process all over again.

I installed a ceiling fan in mine to move the air around, makes it a little easier to be out there. I also have a rolling portable AC unit that I had up north. If I plan to be in the closed garage for an extended period of time, I set it up and let it run. Pulls out some of the humidity, makes things a little cooler, and I can go stand in front of it when I want a cool breeze. You can get one for about $300. Probably the most cost effective somewhat of a solution there is. But you will need a window in your garage to exhaust it.

[wade@amfund.org]

It helps tremendously in attic over garage, not so much in the garage itself.

[jrref]

Pulling not as hot air into an area of hotter air isn't going to change things that much. The best you are ever going to get in your garage without air conditioning is whatever the outside temp is.

Also, if you have a ridge vent, putting an attic fan in is going to mess with the process of the not so hot air being naturally pulled into the attic by the simple fact that hotter air rises, which then pulls in the not so hot air via the soffit vents. So you won't gain anything, and you might make it worse.

If you really want a garage that can be used as a living space, you need to fully insulate and AC it. And as soon as you open the garage door to pull a car in/out, you get to start the cool down process all over again.

I installed a ceiling fan in mine to move the air around, makes it a little easier to be out there. I also have a rolling portable AC unit that I had up north. If I plan to be in the closed garage for an extended period of time, I set it up and let it run. Pulls out some of the humidity, makes things a little cooler, and I can go stand in front of it when I want a cool breeze. You can get one for about $300. Probably the most cost effective somewhat of a solution there is. But you will need a window in your garage to exhaust it.

From what I understand speaking with some home inspectors is, many homes here in the Villages do not have adequate venting in the attic. Not sure why this is the case. That said, If your soffit vents are open and an attic fan is installed correctly, it will help actively pull hot air out of the attic faster than just from the hot air rising through the roof vents. You don't need a super powerful fan, just one with enough air flow to actively move the hot air out faster. Also, If you have a lanai, generally there is an open space from your main attic to the lanai attic where there are even more soffit vents. Since most lanai's are not insulated, the vents should be wide open. Sometimes the soffit vents get clogged with insulation or are just covered which causes most of the problems.

All I can say is in my specific home, my attic and garage are noticably and measurably cooler with the Solar Guys attic fan than without. Your experience may vary depending on the orientation of your home to the sun and how good or bad your attic ventilation is.

[czarbo]

Those of you that have put in a solar fan in the garage, was it worth it? Does it reduce the heat in the garage? We have had the Solar guys install 2 solar tubes without incident and are happy with the results. Your thoughts.
We had the solar guys install a solar fan in the garage. Honestly, we barely used it because we would have to wait for the outside temperature to be cooler than the garage temperature. The following year we put in garage door screens. That was worth it and one of the best things we did.
Kept the garage cooler!

[gorillarick]

If you have a hot space adjacent to a cooler space, heat energy will flow from the hot space to the cooler space until both spaces become the same temperature. Adding insulation between these spaces will slow down, but not prevent, the heat transfer process. So, adding insulation anywhere will not provide any lasting cooling effect. That is why builders do not add insulation to a garage ceiling. Also, blowing 90+ degree air into any space will not cool the space any lower than 90 degrees.
Sounds like a mechanical engineer. Good reply.