Category: Blog

Try holding your breath for any amount of time. You’ll start feeling like your lungs are going to burst after thirty seconds.

A room needs to breathe like our bodies. Whether it’s a restaurant, a manufacturing area, or an office, they’ll all need adequate ventilation. Bad air has to get out to let fresh air in.

Otherwise, the room will suffer just like your lungs did. You can’t ignore unwanted odors, but they are probably the least of your problems. Moisture levels will increase and that will lead to molds, mildew, and other nasty stuff.

Choosing the best exhaust fan for your needs guarantees that your facility can breathe easy. How do you know if you’re buying the correct one? Here’s what our experts say.

Consider the Airflow Demand of the Room

Calculating the desired volume of air that goes through your ventilation system will determine how much power your fan will need to deliver. This is the airflow rate and it’s expressed as cubic feet per minute (CFM). All exhaust fans will have a cfm rating.

The rate of airflow required depends on several factors. You can consult your local building and safety codes for ventilation regulations.

Occupancy and Area

For commercial buildings, cfm rates vary by type of occupancy. You can have a rate per unit area and a rate per person taking up space.

These are numbers from ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers Inc) Standard 62.1-2010 commercial building code provisions for indoor air quality: a classroom (with children age 5 and up) will need 10 cfm per person and an additional 0.12 cfm per square-foot.

An office requires 5 cfm per person and an extra 0.06 cfm for every square-foot. ASHRAE also provided a default value of 17 cfm per person in the office. They used the default occupant density of 5 persons in a 1000 square-feet area to come up with that value.

Air Change

Some spaces have a variable number of occupants at any given time. Assembly halls, gymnasiums, and theaters are some examples. The air change method of calculating the cfm is more useful in these situations.

For the air change method, you need the following data. First is the total cubic feet of airspace. You can calculate this by multiplying the dimensions (length, width, and height) of the room.

The second number is the minutes per change (min/chg). This is the amount of time in minutes that one cycle of air goes through the room and ventilation system.

To get the cfm, you divide the total airspace by the minutes per change. For example, a theater has a suggested min/chg of 2 to 10.

You’d want the lower number of min/chg if you want the air to change quickly. For spaces with low ceilings, in hot climates, or with heavy occupancy relative to the size, use the lower number.

You can use the higher range for comfort cooling.

Heat Removal

If the temperature inside a structure is higher than the outside air temperature, your ventilation system can provide some degree of cooling. To illustrate this principle but on a smaller scale, look at your desktop pc. The pc chassis has fans installed with intake and exhaust for optimal airflow and cooling.

To calculate the cfm using the heat removal method, you’re gonna need some numbers. First is the amount of heat to remove in BTU (British thermal unit) per hour. Next are the average outdoor temperature and the desired indoor temperature.

The formula is CFM = BTU/(Delta T x 1.08) where Delta T is the difference between the outdoor and indoor temperature.

Determine the Static Pressure

All flowing systems encounter resistance. For example, the flow of blood through your body is hindered by an increase in blood pressure. For airflow systems, this is the static pressure or system air resistance.

Figuring out the static pressure is important because your exhaust fan has to overcome this resistance for sufficient airflow. The traditional measurement for static pressure is in inches of water.

There are a lot of factors that contribute to an increase in static pressure. You have to add them all up to calculate the total external static pressure.

One of the biggest contributors to static pressure is the length of the ducts and how many twists and turns they have. Other factors are friction loss from filters, supply grille, and air washer.

Where Will the Fan Be Installed?

There are three places where commercial exhaust fans are commonly installed. These are the rooftop, the wall, or in the duct. Some laws require you to install the exhaust fan at a specific location. If you’re working with chemicals or flammable substances, a roof exhaust fan may be the best option.

Where the fan will get mounted will also decide the fan housing and accessories, such as wall caps, vents, and shutters.

Acceptable Noise Level

The spinning blades of a fan will always generate sound. The noise level is the sone rating. You should check out the sone levels of the exhaust fan model before purchase.

The sone levels correlate with the cfm of the fan. You should, therefore, pick a balance between how powerful the fan is and how much noise you can tolerate.

For conference rooms, where you need to hear people talking, the suggested sone levels are between 1.7 to 5. For factories operating heavy machinery, sone levels can be as high as 25 to 60.

The Best Exhaust Fan Must Be Energy Efficient

You need ventilation fans to meet the guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. To earn an energy star rating, the exhaust fan must pass minimum efficacy levels, performance, and allowable noise.

An energy efficient fan will save you money from utility bills. Also, you should feel good that you’re reducing your carbon footprint by choosing an energy efficient product.

Taking It All In

You have to research and be diligent to choose the best exhaust fan for your needs. While all this data may be intimidating at first, we hope that understanding what they mean will help you make the correct purchase.

While we haven’t tackled the different types of commercial exhaust fans, you can read more about them here. For more information about exhaust fans in general, please visit our blog.

When you’re trying to improve ventilation in your commercial space, sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start.

You’ll need to think about your air pressure, the quality of the air in your space, and even where you’d like for the air to go.

You’ve read about the benefits of a centrifugal fan, and you’re ready to learn more about what they can do.

In this post, we’ll tell you everything that you need to know about centrifugal blower fans.

From how they work to what makes them the best choice for your commercial space, read on to get your questions answered.

What Is a Centrifugal Fan?

Before we get into the benefits of having a centrifugal fan, let’s first make sure you’re clear on what it is.

Also known as centrifugal blowers, these fans help to move air and gases in industrial and even larger commercial spaces.

It’s made of up a fan blade, a motor, and an enclosure surrounding it — though the motor size and the fan blade shape can vary according to the specifics of the design.

You’re also able to select the direction in which the blades of the fan rotate.

Essentially, these blower fans work by creating low pressure in the blade’s center, which vacuums the air into the fan. The edges of the blade are areas of high pressure, and they also work to push out kinetic energy.

That air is then pushed outside of the fan’s enclosure.

Their strength and power make them especially helpful in air pollution control, ventilation in an area where a pressure drop is present, and chemical processing units, among other things.

These expert air blower options also help with dust collection, keeping air clean thanks to their drawing power.

They’re also used in agricultural settings to help with controlling the overall temperature of the air. They can quickly dry farming chemicals, grains, and much more.

Many businesses rely on centrifugal fans because they can work with a wide variety of different materials. They can stand up to sawdust, wood chips, scraps of metal, and even alloys.

Finally, the ability to customize these fans to the specific needs of your space also makes them a popular option.

Now, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of these blower fans.

They’re Low Maintenance

One of the best things about a centrifugal air blower is how low maintenance it is.

Especially if you already have to spend thousands of dollars per year having your larger pieces of equipment inspected and maintained, you want to save on operating costs where you can.

So, while period cleaning is important, as too much dirt and dust accumulating on the blades can lead to overheating and early motor failure?

You’ll find you don’t have to clean them as often as you might think. You can even use a small vacuum to clean the motor surface and ventilation openings.

In some cases, you may even be able to find blower fans that have self-cleaning features. This will make your job all the easier.

They’re Energy Efficient

Just like your cleaning and maintenance bills, we know that you’re also looking for ways to keep your energy bills under control.

A centrifugal fan can certainly help with that.

This is all thanks to their constant airflow, which keeps energy efficiency levels high.

They Can Handle Different Airflows

Whether you need a fan for a commercial building or an industrial factory, one thing is clear: they need to be able to handle different airflows and pressure.

Centrifugal fans can stand up to almost any challenge you put in front of them. They can process clean air, dirty air, and even wet air.

They’re Durable

When you make an investment in any kind of equipment for your business, you want to be certain that it can stand the test of time.

Centrifugal fans certainly can, thanks to their high levels of durability.

Even if you need to put the fans in an environment where they’ll need to deal with corrosive elements, they’ll still be able to work well.

They Can Prevent Overloading

The last thing you want to have to deal with is a fan whose motor frequently shuts off without warning.

Not only is an overloaded fan potentially dangerous, but it can also seriously slow down your workflow and shorten the fan’s overall lifespan.

Luckily, you can shop for a centrifugal fan that comes with horsepower curves. This will prevent the motor from overloading and shutting down if conditions suddenly change or if it reaches maximum capacity.

They’re Customizable

Last but not least, the popularity of centrifugal fans is due in no small part to the ability you have to customize it.

These fans come in lots of different sizes so that they can help in all sorts of spaces within your building.

Ready to Invest in a Centrifugal Fan?

We hope that this post has helped you to better understand not only what a centrifugal fan is, but also why getting one for your business is a smart idea.

Remember that, depending on the specific needs of your space and your airflow, you can easily customize a fan so that it’s the perfect fit.

Of course, in order to get all of the benefits mentioned in this post, you’ll need to ensure you’re getting the highest quality of fans possible.

That’s where we want to help you.

We invite you to browse through the inventory on our site to find the right fan for your needs. Keep checking back with our blog for more invaluable advice on how to keep the air circulation going strong in your space.

Heat rises and, when you couple that fact with direct sunlight and poor ventilation, it’s no surprise that your attic can be an incredibly hot space.

Having a hot attic may seem ordinary and subsequently like no cause for alarm. But, all that excess heat and moisture could be increasing your air conditioning costs and could even be causing damage to your roof.

Fortunately, overheated attics have a simple fix–attic fans.

Having an attic fan installed in your home could be the solution to several issues that come from a poorly ventilated attic.

If you’re considering having an attic fan installed, but aren’t sure whether it would be right for you and your home, we can help.

Here is everything you need to know about how an attic fan works and how having one installed can benefit you and your home.

How Attic Fans Work

As we said before, heat rises, and when it does it carries humidity that comes from everyday activities like cooking and showering.

On top of that, sunlight hitting your roof can cause the already warm interior of your attic to become even hotter. This extra heat can make the living areas of your home warmer.

If you have a poorly ventilated attic, this warm and moist air becomes trapped.

This humid air can cause damage to any items you have stored in that space, air conditioning units you have installed, or even to the roof itself.

Moist air can bring about mold and mildew and can lead to ice damming on your roof in the winter.

An attic fan works by pulling this hot and humid air up and out of your attic.

Once the warm air is out, intake vents pull cool and dry air from your living space into the attic. This action cools the area down and gets rid of any excess humidity.

The Benefits of an Attic Fan

Installing an attic fan improve ventilation in your home, which creates all sorts of benefits. It can help cut down on moisture in your attic and even lower the temperature throughout your entire home.

Here are a few of the perks you can expect when you add an attic fan to your house.

Keep Your Attic Moisture Free

Excess moisture is never a good thing when it comes to your home. And, it can be especially damaging and even dangerous in your attic.

Moisture in your attic can lead to several minor issues. These small issues can and will become costly, big issues if you don’t take the necessary steps to deal with and prevent them.

Humid air can lead to mold and mildew–something that can be particularly disastrous in an attic.

Mold can lead to allergic reactions and even severe respiratory issues if left untreated. And, because most people don’t spend an awful lot of time in their attics, these infestations can go unnoticed for months.

Depending on where the mold grows, once you find it, it can be costly and time-consuming to clean up.

Additionally, excess moisture in your attic can lead to severe structural damage. And, any sort of damage to the structure of your home can also be expensive and difficult to repair.

Extend the Life of Your Roof

The roof is the most vital feature of any house.

It is also the part of your house that takes the brunt of whatever mother nature decides to throw at you. Because of this, you must do whatever you can to protect your roof.

The heat and moisture that can accumulate in your attic can be damaging to the very structure of your roof. And, over time, this damage can lead to roof failure and costly repairs and even replacements.

By eliminating the extra moisture through the use of an attic fan, you can prolong the life of your roof.

The health of your roof is essential to the well-being of your home. So, protecting it from moisture by installing an attic fan seems like a no-brainer.

Lower Room Temperatures

Your attic may seem separate from the areas where you and your family live. But, as the hottest room in your house, it could be raising the temperature throughout your entire home.

A fact that is especially true in the warmer months.

Because your attic tends to trap heat from the outside as well as the lower floors of your home, the weather outside can affect how hot your attic gets.

If the outdoor temperature rises above 80 degrees, the temperature in your attic could wind up reaching temperatures as high as 150 degrees.

If you have an attic fan, you can reduce the temperature which will, in turn, cool down the rest of your home.

The best part of this is that there is no need to run your fan all day to reap these benefits.

If you run your attic fan only during the hottest part of the afternoon, you can lower the heat in your attic by as much as 50 degrees. And, in doing this, you can reduce the temperature throughout the rest of your house by 10 degrees.

Reduce Your Power Costs

During the warmer months, our air conditioners become a necessity. Unfortunately, running them can wreak havoc on your power bill.

You can likely attribute a lot of the excess heat on the lower floors of your home to poor ventilation in your attic. And, trying to compensate for this extra heat with your AC can lead to you wasting a lot of electricity.

Installing an attic fan can lower the overall temperature of your home. If your home is naturally colder, you won’t have to rely as heavily upon your air conditioner, which could reduce your power bill.

Improving ventilation in your attic will allow air to flow more freely through your home. This improved circulation can lower the temperature, giving your AC a much-needed break.

Installing an Attic Fan

Your home can benefit from the addition of an attic fan all year long.

It can help you stay more comfortable in the Summer to preventing dangerous ice buildup in the winter. An attic fan can even help cut down on your electric bill.

And those are just a few of the perks that come with improving the ventilation in your attic.

If you’re ready to install an attic fan in your home, we can help. Contact us today to get started.

“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” is a lovely song by The Platters, but is not the ideal theme song for your patrons. Getting the steam, smoke and smells out of your restaurant kitchen is a priority, but how? A commercial kitchen exhaust fan is a different beast than a small home model.

In addition to considering airflow and safety systems, you need to think about several things in your workspace. Let our experts guide you before you invest in this vital piece of kitchen equipment. Read on to learn 6 things you should consider before making your big decision.

Which Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Fan Is Right for My Space?

A commercial kitchen exhaust fan is essential to operating your restaurant, bakery or catering kitchen. Most municipalities legally require them. All fans do the same basic thing, move air from inside your building to outside. However, your kitchen exhaust fan must move hot, dirty, greasy air through your hood system and vent it outside.

Consider these five things when choosing your commercial exhaust fan: placement, air flow rate, static pressure, energy efficiency and type of drive. Balancing your needs with cost is always a question, but your ventilation professional can help you with answers.

Where Do You Want the Fan to Be?

Where you place the fan is one of your first considerations. Most models of commercial fans are designed for one of three placements: inline (in the duct), on the wall, or on the roof. Where the fan is placed affects the housing, accessories and often the cost associated with installation.

Fan placement is often dictated by the space available or fire codes. Often, you must vent cooking odors away from occupied space. This can add costs if you must draw air upward several stories.

Fan placement also dictates other considerations like appearance, noise, and size.

How Much Air Do You Need to Move?

Simply put, the air volume flow rate is the measurement of air movement through your duct. It is expressed in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The type of cooking equipment you use and the amount of cooking you do changes your needs. For example, a large open flame grill used for meat roasting requires more ventilation than a pancake griddle. A high volume french fry line needs more air exchange than a convection oven.

The hood system you purchase will dictate the CFM needed. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sets the standard for air removal volume. Most municipal codes meet or exceed these guidelines. Again, your ventilation professional can guide you.

In general, the minimum velocity (speed) through the duct is 500 feet per minute and the volume must be sufficient to capture and remove grease-laden cooking vapors. A lower volume is permissible during no-load conditions as long as it is sufficient to remove flue gases and residual vapors.

How Much Resistance in the System?

Static pressure is the resistance against the air traveling through the ventilation system. It is also known as friction loss or system air resistance. Static pressure relates to the balance of air intake and exhaust.

The unit of measurement is non-intuitive. It is measured in inches of water per linear foot of ductwork. The inches of water refer to an old-fashioned method of measuring pressure by comparing to an inch of water in a column. Online calculators now make this calculation much less tedious.

Static pressure must be optimized to prevent poor air distribution or energy waste. Balancing static pressure requires knowledge of all system components. This means making allowances for the duct material and texture, the length of the duct, system design and volume.

Selecting a proper commercial kitchen exhaust fan depends on getting the math right. CFM too low for your space results in poor performance and circulation. CFM too high and you are venting your expensive heated or air-conditioned air outside. Air resistance too high and you risk burning out your fan motor pushing air through grease filters and such. 

How to Determine Energy Efficiency?

Fans generally give motor horsepower. Horsepower isn’t about the volume of air moved by the motor, although fans with a higher horsepower are likely to have a higher CFM. For a kitchen exhaust fan, it reflects the amount of power from the motor needed to move the blades at a certain speed. 

Look at the CFM of a fan at the expected maximum air resistance (static pressure). Exhaust fans with a higher CFM need to be more energy efficient. Find the horsepower rating to give you the most energy efficient operation.

An underpowered motor will wear out too quickly and requires too frequent maintenance. An overpowered motor wastes energy.

What’s the Difference Between a Belt Drive and Direct Drive?

The amount of air you need to move largely determines this choice. Other considerations are the air temperature and static pressure. The major difference between belt drive and direct drive fans is whether the motor is in the air stream.

A belt and pulley system attached to the motor shaft drives a belt drive fan. In contrast, a direct drive fan has the fan blades or wheels connected directly to the shaft.

Obviously, a direct connection is more mechanically efficient. There is less vibration and there are fewer moving parts to maintain. Direct drive fans are compact and the power from the motor is transmitted directly to the fan blades.

Direct drive fans are less adaptable to changing condition, expose the motor to heated and dirty air and have a higher initial cost that belt drive fans. Belt drive fans are best for applications where the exhaust is more than 122F.

Belt drive exhaust fans use stronger and higher speed motors and can adjust to variable speeds. The motor operates outside the air stream. Maintenance of a belt drive system is more complex than a direct drive system.

So Which Fan Is Right for You?

Selecting the right commercial kitchen exhaust fan is part of your overall ventilation system. There are many calculations and considerations to get to the right answer. Our professionals are always ready to help you. Feel free to contact us with your questions.

For decades, residential and commercial buildings worked to optimize the energy efficiency and insulation in buildings without ever considering it could be bad.

Indoor air quality was overlooked, with attic ventilation only added for practical reasons. It turns out that proper ventilation is essential for health and wellness as well as to ensure the longevity and integrity of buildings.

Here are 4 common myths that are told about attic and roof ventilation.

1. “I’m Losing Warm Air Through My Attic Vents”

While it’s true that heat rises, you shouldn’t blame general laws of thermodynamics on roof vents. If you’re losing heated air during the winter through your roof, you’ve got to boil it down to the real culprit. Having roof vents isn’t the reason you’ve got high heating bills.

How well insulated in your attic or upstairs space? If you have windows, direct sunlight could help to warm your attic space and allow you to retain heat better. If you make the effort to insulate that sunny upstairs space, you’ll keep the warm air in your home.

Your attic doesn’t need to be heated by your furnace. If you’ve got it insulated and are allowing sunlight in, it will stay warm on its own.

One reason to ensure your attic is well insulated is to keep out humid or moisture-laden air. That air could get into your roof, form condensation, and lead your insulation or even wood to deteriorate.

To be sure that you don’t have air leaking out, measure the temperature in your attic at night. It should be similar to the temperature outside.

2. “I Read That They’re Not Effective Online”

The internet gives us exceptional access to research that’s done around the world. There are lots of studies online that assess the effectiveness of roof ventilation and different types of roof vents. However, these laboratory or even real-world regional tests aren’t always applicable.

The regional differences between homes in the Massachusetts Bay area and the effectiveness of rooftop ventilation will be different if you measure in Phoenix. Heat, humidity, and precipitation differences mean that different roof ventilation tactics are needed in different regions.

Roof ventilation is both an art and a science, because of regional, landscaping, or even structural differences. Installing your own roof vents can be like treating your own illness based on something you saw online. Without a trusted and experienced specialist to look at your roof, you could be taking a shot in the dark.

Get some feedback from a roofing professional before you make any decisions about what the ideal set up is for your home.

3. “More Ventilation is Better”

This is a broad generalization that takes into account none of what makes your home and your region unique. When you’re first configuring your furnace or air conditioning, you need to ensure you have the right amount of ventilation. Otherwise, you could be allowing too much moisture during the winter or poor energy efficiency during the summer.

Your roof vents give your roof a point of penetration that could make it vulnerable to leakage. They’re a necessary part of your roof, but if you aren’t careful about how much ventilation you allow, you could end up leaving your home vulnerable.

If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, you could experience blowouts. In regions with wildfires, stray sparks could fly into your vents and set your house ablaze. While these might seem like extreme cases, as climate change upsets the condition of the environment around us, we need to consider extreme cases.

The best way to know how much attic ventilation to have is to speak to an attic ventilation specialist. If you talk to a professional, they can help you get that ration of about one vent per every 300 square feet. They can also help you to determine the best options to keep your attic pest and moisture free while giving you those necessary levels of true ventilation.

4. “Attic Ventilation is For Warmer Climates”

Energy efficiency can be improved with the right ventilation. This is a concept that, while true, is overemphasized in conversations about roof ventilation.

Other factors that could help determine how cool your attic is are your shingle color, the amount of sun exposure you get, and your insulation. There is a cocktail of complex intricacies that compose an energy efficient roof and attic. Installing attic vents can let out some hot air in the summer, but they aren’t always the most low-risk and cost-effective solutions for the job.

Attic ventilation is vital for year-round indoor air quality. Without ventilation, odors, stale air, and allergens will settle in your home with nowhere to go. In colder climates, you need natural airflow to complement your heated air.

Without new air to circulate with your furnace, you could end up with dry, stale air that leads to respiratory irritation.

The colder your climate is, the more your home could benefit from attic ventilation. The biggest challenge is to ensure that it’s well insulated so that you don’t deal with unnecessary condensation. Keep condensation from your roof sheathing by creating a thermal barrier along the line of your roof.

Attic Ventilation Is Good For Quality of Life

To ensure that your building is a comfortable and safe place for your family or your residents, you need to take attic ventilation seriously.

Ventilation can provide better quality air without doing any harm to the overall energy efficiency of your home. By speaking with a roof and attic ventilation professional, you’ll maintain clean, breathable air while controlling pests, moisture, and heated or cooled air.

If you’re about to install your own exhaust fans at home, be sure to check out our DIY guide to do the job right.

Who would’ve thought that in the middle of the New York concrete jungle sits 115 acres of greenhouse land?

Amazing, right?

But that’s not all! These facilities generate a whopping $27 million worth of greenhouse produce!

In fact, with 435 greenhouse growers/producers, New York ranks second in terms of having the largest number of greenhouse veggie growers.

Now, who wouldn’t want to tap into that kind of greener pasture?

The thing is, a successful greenhouse needs more than a green thumb. The facility itself requires specialized engineering practices.

For instance, “Does a greenhouse have an exhaust fan?” is one of the most important engineering-related questions you need to know the answer to. By the way, the answer to that is a resounding “yes!”

But why exactly?

Don’t worry. That’s what we’re going to share with you today.

So, keep reading to learn more!

Why Does a Well-Designed Greenhouse Have an Exhaust Fan?

For the simple reason that an exhaust fan for greenhouse plays a critical role in proper building ventilation.

It’s for this reason that you first need to understand the basics of ventilation. This way, you’ll recognize the importance installing an exhaust fan in your facility.

There are four main functions of ventilation (we’ll give you a more detailed explanation of each below):

• Temperature regulation
• A continuous flow of fresh air
• Pest control and prevention
• Pollination

Exhaust fans have a part to play in all four, making them an obvious must-have for greenhouses. Without these fans, your plants won’t grow. They’ll wilt away and you’ll end up with a jungle of a brown mess.

Let’s take a closer look at how they help each of the four ventilation processes.

Keeping Things Cool with Improved Temperature Regulation

Optimal greenhouse temperatures vary, although the range should stay within 50-68 degrees Fahrenheit. More than this, and your greenhouse can become one giant oven.

Not only will excess heat stump your plants’ growth; it’ll also lead to wilting and ultimately, the death of your greens.

This is why you need proper ventilation in your greenhouse. Especially during the summer season, when July hits as high as 76 degrees Fahrenheit on average.

Many plants, such as tomatoes, have high heat sensitivity. This means that when the temperatures increase beyond their limits, they’ll stop growing, wilt, and die. That’s because the best temperature for plants to achieve optimum photosynthesis is only between 70 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

With vents in strategic installation points, you can maintain even temperatures throughout the greenhouse. But this isn’t enough a solution, as the vents can only let so much excess heat escape through them.

Exhaust fans boost the amount of heat allowed to escape through the ventilation. As they push stale air out of your facility, they also let cool, fresh air to enter.

Also, during much hotter days, consider an evaporative cooler. This equipment working side by side your exhaust fans helps make bringing down the temp faster and more effective.

Constant Supply of Fresh Air for Your Greens

Did you know that a greenhouse measuring 30′ x 100′ houses a whopping 1 to 1.5 tons of air? Even if you have a smaller facility, there’s still a lot of air present in it (about a pound for every square foot).

The thing is, you need to make sure this air moves on a constant basis, seeing as your plants require even temperature. There’s also the fact that continuous supply of fresh air means delivering adequate carbon dioxide to your greens.

Without good air flow, your flora won’t have any source of CO2 for sugar production. Without sugar, which they use as food, you can expect them to starve and die.

Again, proper ventilation lets fresh air enter your greenhouse. But to keep the air moving about, it’s best you have exhaust fans that push and pull the air in and out of the structure. With the right exhaust fan size (which you should base on the size of your greenhouse), you can ensure air circulates throughout the space to reach all your plants.

To ensure exhaust fan efficiency, the fan’s capacity should be twice as large as your greenhouse’s floor area. So, for a 30′ x 100′ greenhouse, you need only to multiply it by two. That means you should get a fan with a capacity of 6,000 cubic feet per minute.

Keeping Pests (and Diseases) Out

Boosting ventilation in your greenhouse with exhaust fans helps protect your greens from plant-killing diseases and pests. That’s because aside from keeping optimal temperatures, exhaust fans also aid in proper humidity management.

Controlling humidity is key to plant disease management. In fact, excess humidity is the number one cause of disease in plants.

It’s for this reason you need to keep plant canopy dry. Allow your plants’ leaves to cool down too much, and condensation will already occur.

Once this happens, disease-harboring organisms can start attacking your plants. Think fungi, whitefly, blight, canker, and rotting.

To further improve ventilation and exhaust efficacy, consider investing in a humidity-measuring device. From there, you can better manage humidity based on temperature.

More Efficient Pollination and Reproduction

Outdoors, wind allows for natural plant pollination. But since greenhouses don’t have this wind, you need to look for ideal substitutes for it. That’s what exhaust fans are for.

The fans’ air-moving properties gently shake the plants, letting them pollinate like in a typical outdoor setting. This is particularly crucial for self-pollinating plants, such as tomatoes.

As such, if you’re having problems with your plants not bearing fruit, take this as a sign you need to bring air flow rate up. Besides, the gentle movements caused by the fans’ airflow also promote the strengthening of the plants’ stems and roots.

Ready to Reap More of What You Sow?

Now that you know the answer to the question” Does a successful greenhouse have an exhaust fan?” it’s time to get some for your own facility!

Know that we can help you choose and install the right exhaust and ventilation fan systems. Connect with us now so we can aid you in improving the health, quality, and quantity of your greenhouse produce!

For many, the kitchen is the complicated palace where beautiful meals and great conversations take place. But this fantastic process has some downsides: odor, moisture, and grease.

The ideal kitchen ventilation system can work wonders on those fat drops and get rid of smells throughout your home.

Its the glamorous part of redoing your kitchen, but should be one of the central decisions to make. Before your explore what type of kitchen vent ducting to go for and what a hood fan looks like, take a step back.

Look over the technical considerations.

An island fan makes quite a statement in the core of the space but could draw attention away from from the chandeliers and pendants. On the other side, a downdraft fan system allows you install a cooktop in front of a window.

So here’s a guide to help you find the perfect hood fan for you.

The Ideal Kitchen Ventilation: Cubic Feet Per Minute

The first thing to think about is how much power you want your kitchen exhaust system to have. A hood’s range performance is in cubic feet per minute (CFM). The higher the CFM number, the more air the range hood can take away at a moment’s notice.

Your CFM depends on the size and kind of range top or range as well as how often your cook in the kitchen. For instance, an extensive six burner gas range needs more CFMs then a 30-inch wide electric cooktop.

The specifications for an electric stove is 300-450 CFMS, where a gas range depends on 600-1,200. This number was put together by the name of BTUs (British Thermal Units aka the gas appliance performance measurement.) divided by 100.

The Cooking Vent: Sones

Kitchen fans can be noisy, and many people don’t use them because of that fact. Don’t let that be a reason for you as you design your ideal kitchen. A fan’s sound is by sones aka an internationally recognized loudness measurement heard by the human ear.

Some manufacturers give you that information in decibels (dB) instead of in sones. Kitchen exhaust systems usually have 3-6 speeds. The low setting is often around the number 3 about the same as the noise of the refrigerator running. The highest setting goes to 7 sones equal to traffic noise on the road.

Use seven only for short, extreme periods of cooking. A fan’s soles are hard to find as many American manufacturers don’t have rules as to the distance measurement of the source of the noise. Instead of entirely relying on the written test result, you could be in better shape standing next to the appliance and turning on the stove.

The filter is another crucial element in your kitchen vent ducting that creates noise. Vent-A-Hood a company behind the Magic Lung, a system that uses centrifugal action instead of filters each has a unit of 300 CFM rating. This power can be put together to obtain the correct classification for your house.

Exhaust Hood System: Blower Options

Here is another way to knock out that fan noise. The blower aspect of the fan is in 3 separate areas. It can sit on the body or the actual carcass of the appliance itself and is the version that allows for the most noise.

Also, there is also an inline blower that sits halfway in the duct run. The inline is located either in the ceiling joists or the attic of the fan and if your duct installation is involved, either because it has a lot of turns or is long.

You can also add an inline blower to the main blower to increase its power. If you have the budget for a more pricey product, then look over an external fan. This device will cut down big time on potential noise.

External blowers combine the compatible fan product to create a total custom kitchen ventilation system. Think about the location of the exterior blower. You can mount the unit of any roof or exterior wall, you don’t want it to be close to living spaces or often-used pathways.

Exhaust Hood System: Make-Up Air

Don’t understate the value for a make-up system in your HVAC system, especially if you go with the active hood fan. High-powered hood fans use large volumes of air. If the wind is not filling at the rate, it’s lost, this results in more substantial air pressure outside than inside.

A make-up air system fills the air that’s missing by building the kitchen exhaust system, making sure it works well and supplies the conditioning replacement air.

The air can be dehumidified, humified, cooled and heated to suit your ideal living space. Based on your local building codes, your municipality could insist on the installation of a make-up air device. This type of setup could add more zeros to your construction budget.

Make sure to keep that in mind especially if your a renovator as new builds include a budget for an HVAC system.

Kitchen Ventilation Ideas: Mounting Height

Mounting Height is the term for the height of the appliance aka the distance between the range hood and the filter and the burners on the range below.

The usual gap between a hood and a countertop is 30-36 inches. Some of the microwave/hood combinations and undercabinet models are put together at a lower height.

The further away the fan is from the wall, the more it will be right in your face. Not mention the downsides to being tall and hitting your head. In other words, always remember to design the kitchen unit to you.

But also know that the venting power goes down as the hood is installed higher up the wall. Pick a fan with the ideal control and mull over the noise it will make and if its worth it.

Get That Kitchen Going!

Finding the ideal kitchen ventilation system can be a hassle. But with this information and a more thorough understanding what you want in in a kitchen exhaust system and your kitchen, you should be in good shape.

For more information, check out this article here.

Mold is one of the most common problems in the bathroom where there’s a lot of moisture. One way to prevent that is through proper ventilation.

Look around your bathroom and other rooms. Do they have proper ventilation?

If not, then consider installing an exhaust fan to circulate the air and prevent moisture. It’s also useful in the kitchen where you’ll have to deal with smoke.

You can make this into a DIY project for your next day-off. Yes, you can install the fan yourself.

Installing a through-the-wall fan is not as difficult as it sounds. Sure, there’s the fan type, the power source, the vents, the cutting, and much more to think of. But the process is not actually that complicated with this guide.

Let us show you how to easily tackle this procedure!

Things You’ll Need

First off, make sure you have the following items on hand before you take on this project:

• Stud Finder
• Fish Tape
• Drill
• Marker/Pencil
• Handsaw
• Cutter
• Eye Goggles
• Gloves
• Exhaust Fan
• Fan Cover
• Venting Materials
• Screwdriver
• Wood for Frame (if needed)

If you’re putting it in your bathroom, consider choosing an exhaust fan with a moisture sensor. On average, it needs to run for about 10 minutes after showering for it to remove all moisture. If you get one with a sensor or a timer, you can simply leave it be after you step out of the bathroom.

There’s also the CFM, which pertains to the air volume exchanged per minute, that you need to consider. Refer to your local building codes to get the suggested CFM depending on the room you’re putting it in.

You also need to take note of the noise level and energy efficiency. In the fan industry, you need to look at the sone, which is a common unit of measurement for sound level. You want a fan within the range 1.3 to 4.0 sones for private homes.

Locate and Prepare the Site

The first thing to do is to cut off the electricity. Depending on the type of the exhaust fan you get, you may have to connect it to a power source.

Next is to prepare yourself. Wear goggles and gloves as you’ll be dealing with sharp and pointy tools in this project. The goggles will also protect your eyes from the dust when you start drilling and cutting.

You may already have a room in mind, so the next step is finding that perfect spot on the wall that faces outside. You want to install it in the top-most part of the wall. But do make sure that nothing obstructs it from the outside like sloping roofs.

Use a stud finder to find studs or knock around to see which spot is empty. Drill a small hole and use a fish tape and insert it horizontally until it comes in contact with a stud.

Mark where the studs are using a pencil and measure the area to make sure your fan fits in there. You may also make a template with the dimensions of the vent and the fan and trace it onto the wall.

Cut the Hole

It’s now time to cut into the hole. Use a cutter to cut through the first layer, the drywall.

In this step, there’s no need to be overly critical of your handiwork. You can make do with rough edges that don’t go too far from the template because the fan cover will cover it anyway.

After which, you’ll run into insulation layers as you make your way to the outside layer using a handsaw. If you ordered the vent separately and it hasn’t arrived yet, don’t cut the paneling yet.

Depending on the type of fan you get, you may have to seal the top and bottom of the hole using wood pieces. This is to prevent the fan from blowing air into your wall. This step is optional as you may have to instead use ducts or the exhaust housing, which may be an inclusion in the fan you bought.

Next, mark the edges of the hole you need for the outside wall using a drill. This will ensure that the hole outside will line up with the hole inside. Finally, go outside and trace the drill holes before you cut a hole with a handsaw.

Skip this step if you’re using ducts anyway. If you are, simply cut a hole the size of your duct outside.

Attach the Vent and the Exhaust Fan

Now that everything is ready, you can now install the system piece by piece. Start with the vents by screwing it into place.

The next step is to connect the ducts and housing. Use the fasteners to secure the housing and to reduce vibration as well.

You’ll have to tinker with wires at this point to connect your system to a power source. If you’re not sure what to do in this step, ask an electrician or refer to the manufacturer’s diagram. Again, this step may be optional for you. Some fans only have to plug into an outlet to work.

Then it’s finally time to attach your exhaust fan. After making sure that the wiring is good, secure the fan and the cover in place. Confirm that you’re putting in the right way, though!

At some point, you may find that you need to attach a frame either outside or inside. Outside, you need to make sure that water won’t get in. If you installed the frame in a way that water won’t get in or you bought the type that doesn’t need it, you don’t need to worry about placing a frame.

Get It Running

After patting yourself on the back for what looks like a job well done, turn the electricity back on to check if it actually works. Turn on the switch and see if it runs.

You may also create some smoke (don’t actually put anything on fire, though) to see if the exhaust fan works as intended. If it sucks the smoke in, then congratulations, you put it the right way. Also, check the vents to see if the smoke is going out and not into your walls!

Get an Exhaust Fan Now

Interested to start this project? Get an exhaust fan first by browsing through our various models. Contact us for any inquiries and we’ll gladly help you through the process.

Also, check out our blog for everything you need to know about fans!

Industrial exhaust fans are absolutely essential for the health and safety of employees in some workplaces.

These fans stir up the stale air in enclosed spaces and replace it with fresh clean air.

This means they can reduce moistures levels in the air, which can prevent mold growth in places like bathrooms, locker rooms, or greenhouses. It also keeps guests comfortable for their visit to the spa.

Buildings that get hot and smelly, like gymnasiums, need industrial fans for proper ventilation. The fans keep the air cool and help disperse any odor.

But more important than any of these uses, industrial fans remove harmful materials from the air, like chemicals, bacteria, gasses, dust, and other debris particles. In businesses that revolve around medical health, chemicals, mining, agriculture, food processing, and automotive construction or repair need industrial fans to ensure their employees’ safety.

How Do These Fans Keep Employees Safe?

Industrial exhaust fans force old air out of the building and replace it with new air. That means any contaminants are getting sucked out of the building along with the air.

Because the fan also fills the building with fresh air, employees don’t have to breathe in harmful chemicals or gasses. The fans protect employees and keep the workplace safe so they can stay focused and get their jobs done.

What Happens When an Industrial Fan Stops Working?

If your industrial fan isn’t working, it’s no longer sucking those harmful contaminants out of the air. That means your workplace is no longer a safe environment for your employees.

But an industrial fan doesn’t have to break completely to make your workplace hazardous. Even fans that are starting to slow down aren’t functioning the way they should and aren’t cleaning the air as quickly or thoroughly as before.

You may not notice when you industrial fan starts to slow down at first because the slow down could be very gradual. As soon as you think something might not be running smoothly, you should call a professional to get your fan repaired.

Most workplaces can’t afford to be without industrial fans for very long. Working without a fan could result in serious health problems.

What Makes an Industrial Fan Break?

In some cases, residue could build up inside the fan, which will make it slow down and eventually stop if left unaddressed. Something inside the fan could have broken from wear. If you have problems with your fan soon after it’s been installed, it may be malfunctioning because it was installed incorrectly.

There are a few ways to recognize problems with your industrial exhaust fans.

• Poor air performance
• Loud noise
• Shaking or vibrating (you may only hear a vibrating sound)
• Sounds like grinding or metal scraping against metal
• System overheating

If you notice any of these signs, something isn’t working quite right inside your fan.

What Can I Do About It?

When your fan shows any of those symptoms, you don’t have any other choice but to repair it immediately. Repairs can be a hassle, and they can take money your business would benefit from if invested in other places.

And if you don’t take care of your fan, you could end up needing these repairs more than you’d like. If the situation is bad enough, you may even have to get the whole system replaced.

So the best way to make sure your industrial exhaust fans don’t malfunction and need repairs is to prevent any possible issues in the first place.

How to Prevent Industrial Fan Issues

This all comes down to good installation and proper maintenance. If either of these is messed up or ignored, you’ll end up with fans that don’t last.

Getting the Right Installation

Make sure the person installing your industrial fans know what they’re doing. This part could be hard to control, but you can start by finding a reputable company to handle the process.

Look at their reviews and, if possible, ask past clients how their industrial fans have worked and held up. The company may provide a reference list if you ask for one. Spend time talking to different companies before you make your final choice so you pick one that will fit your needs and get the job done well.

Scheduling Industrial Fan Maintenance

You should also ask how often your fans will need maintenance. After the system’s been installed, schedule those maintenance visits. If you can’t schedule them in advance, at least know the general time of year they should happen.

During maintenance, make sure all of the following parts get checked and, if needed, cleaned:

• Bearings
• Belts
• Blades
• Louvers and dampers
• Motors
• Inlets, shafts, main drive, outlets, and access ports

Keeping these parts clean and functional extend the life of your industrial exhaust fans and keep the workplace safe and secure for your employees.

Things You Can Do on Your Own

If you ever have to store your industrial fans before they can be installed, make sure they are stored in a place they won’t be damaged. If the fan gets damaged before it’s installed, you may end up needing a new one.

Depending on how long you need to store your fan, you should remove the belt tensions. You may not need to do this if you’re only storing your fan for a short time, but anything longer than a few weeks warrants taking those tensions off. This will keep them in good condition so they can function for longer periods once installed.

You should also rotate the fan wheel at least once a week (though it doesn’t hurt to do it more often). This keeps the shaft from setting and redistributes the bearing grease.

Preventing Problems with Your Industrial Exhaust Fans

It’s always better to catch a problem before it starts, and that’s even truer when that problem could create an unsafe workplace for your employees. The best way to prevent issues with your industrial fans is to make sure they are installed correctly and well maintained afterward.

Need some industrial exhaust fans for your workplace? Take a look at some of our products.

With restaurant jobs up nearly 40% in recent years due to more businesses being opened, there is a greater demand for service on equipment. Business owners with a commercial exhaust fan know that this equipment is vital to restaurant operations.

Unfortunately, many restaurants don’t take the proper steps to ensure the cleaning of their commercial exhaust fan. With restaurants typically running on a 5% margin owners often try and cut costs.

But proper fan cleaning allows for passing inspections and also decreases the costs of repairing equipment.

Make sure you get the most from your commercial fans by following these tips for cleaning:

Perform Regularly

In order to maintain your commercial exhaust fan properly, it is important to clean on a regular basis. While each manufacturer will offer different recommendations a good guideline is quarterly or semi-annually.

Part of the preventative maintenance tasks for fans should be these regular cleaning tasks. This does not always need to include other maintenance duties but should involve removing dust and debris.

If you wait until there is an issue in the kitchen the mess will be harder to mitigate. Regular cleaning also has the benefit of making tasks easier. Without messy clogs and grease buildup, you will find that your service provider or trusted staff can handle this cleaning in a short amount of time.

Stay Safe With Your Commercial Exhaust Fan

Many businesses aren’t aware of all the regulations required for performing work safely. This is especially true for restaurants sometimes.

They often use non-technical resources to perform specialized tasks. But this is a mistake because the workers are not trained in safe work processes.

OSHA offers guidelines for the safe work processes of nearly every work task. A quality service provider will be trained in these processes and stay safe.

Don’t risk the safety of your employees and customers. Instead, make sure electrical guidelines and safe work processes are followed.

Working on a commercial exhaust fan without the right safety equipment and training can lead to injury. Make sure you stay safe.

Change the Filter

A big part of maintaining a commercial exhaust fan is keeping the filter clean. As with cleaning schedules, this should be done regularly.

A clean filter will catch debris and dust and work to improve the operations of the fan. While you may find that a quarterly cleaning of fans doesn’t always require a new filter it is wise to keep one on hand.

You can perform a routine clean of the filter if there isn’t too much accumulation. However, when in doubt it is better to not risk it.

A clean filter will help your fan run better and keep the kitchen operating correctly.

Watch for Smells

If you don’t clean your commercial exhaust fan regularly you might be in for quite a stink. The clogs of grease and debris can cause high heats and unbearable working conditions for your kitchen staff.

But this lack of proper ventilation can also trap odors in your kitchen. These might linger and spread throughout the restaurant.

Unless you perform regular maintenance of your kitchen fans your employees and guests may go elsewhere.

There is nothing worse than being greeted with bad odors when opening the front door to a restaurant. Make sure you keep your customers coming back for more with regular fan cleaning.

Ports and Outlets

Many restaurant owners see a commercial exhaust fan as simply a fan. But with commercial and industrial fans there are quite a few components to check during a cleaning project.

Routine maintenance and cleaning involve the fan blades, ports, outlets, and other machinery of the fan. Taking proper care to clean and inspect all of these elements will keep the fan running properly.

Without a regular cleaning grease and debris can accumulate and clog the fan motor. When cleaning the fan it is essential to disconnect power to perform the tasks safely.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Another benefit of regular cleaning is it helps perform an inspection of your equipment. What could be worse than a fan grinding to a halt during your busiest day of the year?

Regular cleaning doesn’t just let you keep the fan clean. You will also need to keep an eye out for electrical and mechanical issues as you perform the work.

This type of preventative maintenance will head off issues before they become major problems. Check for frayed wires, other mechanical issues, and repairs that have been left undone.

The cost you will save by performing inspections will be a greater value than the minimal expense for cleaning tasks. You may even avoid the major cost of purchasing an entirely new fan!

Trust the Experts

For many businesses, the best practice is to hire an expert for commercial fan cleaning. Depending on if you own or lease space this service may be included in your property management agreement.

It’s often a mistake to trust your kitchen staff and restaurant staff with the tasks required for commercial cleaning of equipment. Even if they can handle the job it is a safety risk and will likely not be as effective as trusting a professional.

One of the best ways to retain the value of your industrial equipment is for regular preventative maintenance and technical service. Trusting the experts rather than doing the work on your own is a great way to save money down the road.

Get the Best

Once you know the benefits of cleaning your commercial exhaust fan it’s important to know who to trust. Unfortunately, there are a lot of service companies who offer service that isn’t the best for your business.

For businesses in the New York metro area, there is a clear choice in exhaust fan service. Brooklyn Fan & Blower services virtually every made and model of commercial fans.

Our customers love us because we offer expert technical service and get the job done right the first time.

Don’t risk the health of your business and commercial kitchen by using a service provider with a less than stellar track record.

Contact us today for all the service you need.