Is there such a thing like a bathroom vent fan that pulls air in instead of exhausting out?

1 points · submitted Jun 2018 by u/marktastic · archived

What I'm looking to do is run some insulated duct from a cold part of my house (essentially the basement) to what used to be an attached garage that's now been converted to a living space by the previous owners.

It's a thermally separate space. The main part of the house has forced air heat/AC and this new space has baseboard heating only. As hot as it's getting now, I want to get some of that luxuriously frigid air out here. But in addition to the ducting, I need something that blows air instead of sucks air out here. Having something like a bathroom fan inside the house blowing air through the duct would not be ideal because I don't want the extra noise there.

I'm not looking to touch any of the existing ducting, I just want to be sucking air from the general space with a grill in the wall.

Does this type of thing exist?

8 comments · 57% upvoted · other discussions

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doctordanieldoom 4 points · Jun 2018

You’re looking for a duct fan.

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marktastic [OP] 1 points · Jun 2018

Thanks for the suggestion. These look pretty good actually, and relatively lower cost. But the only thing is I'm not sure where or how I'd put an on/off switch since it looks like they just plug in. I'll have to think about this.

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Brnplwmn 1 points · Jun 2018

My last house had a duct fan than ran off a relay that was tied into the circuit board of the heater. Might be an option, I’m not in HVAC so I couldn’t tell you how to do it though. Hell, I might be way off base with what I saw too but I don’t think I am.

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doctordanieldoom 1 points · Jun 2018

You can get a low voltage to connect to a thermostat or just use a timer

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trekkerscout 2 points · Jun 2018

Search for room to room ventilation fans or wall transfer fans. There are many options available.

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DesolationRobot 2 points · Jun 2018

Transfer fans are easy to get and you can hook one up to ducting.

But there's more to HVAC then just putting in a duct and a fan. You need return air and at least somewhat balanced pressure in the lines.

You'd be better off installing an in-wall or in-window AC or a small ductless AC in the separate space, as that doesn't then alter the main house's HVAC math. It can operate on its own thermostat, too.