Fan for Inside Wall Between Studs?

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DoubleClutch

Member
Jan 23, 2007
102
Virginia coast
Hello, all, I did a search but came up dry.

I want to cut out the paneling, plaster and lath in between the studs of a wall and make a "duct" from one room to the next near the ceiling, maybe 6 inches by 14 inches, and cover the holes on both sides with some sort of grating, and install a 120V fan inside the wall to blow the warm air from the woodstove room into the (cooler) next room. Then the cool air on the floor of the next room could come back and be warmed in the woodstove room.

I would like to hard-wire the fan on a circuit with a wall switch, and the exhaust and intake sides of the fan would be in-line (i.e., rather than at 90° like with a squirrel cage fan), and I don't want to pay a lot of money for this puppy.

Can anyone recommend any fan types and/or models and/or vendors?

Thanks for any help.
 
I thought about doing that, but I put a pocket door in, instead. That way I can use a box fan to blow cold air at the stove. And I have easier access to the stove from the room I'm adding heat to.

If you local home center doesn't have suitable fans, you could go to grainger.com or the like. Bigger and variable speed is probably quieter.

Good luck.
 
Also - what you describe can be very dangerous in the event of a fire (not contained).
It opens an easy path for smoke, fire and CO to spread quickly - and is against code in most places.
Perhaps the use of a register that has a fusible link that shuts down at high temp would make this safer.
I would be particularly concerned if the room it leads to is a bedroom.
Stay safe. Good luck.
 
wow offroad u right never thought about the fire safty .
I was think about thru wall fans , but now I 'm rethinking thankyou . GOOD POST !
 
offroadaudio said:
Also - what you describe can be very dangerous in the event of a fire (not contained).
It opens an easy path for smoke, fire and CO to spread quickly.

Thanks, offroad, but I live in a 215-year-old balloon-framed farmhouse, and in the event of a "not contained" fire, I figure I have about 15 seconds to get out before the rocket engines between the wall studs develop full thrust and "we have liftoff." (Balloon-framed houses generally light off like the Space Shuttle.) Thanks, though – I appreciate the advice.
 
Yep - that generally is a problem.
Keep fresh batteries in those smoke detectors, and if/when you remodel - block those wall chimneys off!
 
If the room you are heating is small, 100 - 200 CFM might work. Otherwise it will be mangling the wall for not much heat.
 
You might want to find an old Computer power supply and take the fan out of it. If it is a old supply it will be a 120v fan. I mounted mine in the corner of the room divider/door way and it is quite and really helps moving the heat.
Don
 
N6crv
Please post a pic of your computer powersupply fan
Thats neat sounding
I have a room to room fan works fantatic Broan 510 thru the wall fan
Take care all
Jean
 
Yeah room to room thru the wall fans are so fantastic. Seriously We have been using the Broan 510 for years at Lake house basement guest area for years now
Now we have two there. Another one just received via internet sale going fri LR to bathroom so it will soon be three.
Now going to put one here. It just arrived today. Got a cheapo consignment store find fan here now
Just my humble opinion and two cents worth of advise and experience
Jean
 
To get some of the heat out of my family room and into the rest of the house, without having to open the windows and door when it's like 20F outside, I cut a hole in my family room ceiling between the joist and upstairs about 5ft over between the same joist I cut a hole in the floor. For a ceiling grate I used roughly a 14x14 wall grate and upstairs I used a standard 12x12 floor grate strong enough to stand on. In-between the joist I mounted a motor with an eight inch blade. The motor and blade I chose moves 400cfm. I made a shroud around the blade to cut down on back-draft. I bought the motor at Grainger. To keep the cost of running it very low I use a motor that is around 0.7amps, continuous duty. The motor and blade together cost me around $28. The grates were around another $20. I have an open stair case and that works well to allow cool air to move downstairs. We leave the bedroom doors open to the landing upstairs where the floor opening is and it heats the bedrooms not as warm as downstairs but well enough. My furnace doesn't even turn on until it's about 20-25F outside. My highest gas bill during the winter has been $150 with gas water, cooking stove and clothes dryer and a wife and two teenage daughters and one son-14. My neighbors heat bills can hit $400mth. Our houses are around 2000-2500sq. ft.
 
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