[jrref]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

Sounds like a mechanical engineer. Good reply.