ventilation in cellar

[adammm]

Recently we found mould in our rarely used and small cellar. The room is about 5ft x 5ft. We had the mould cleaned and the guy who cleaned it suggested we put a fan on the ventilation duct that's located just below ceiling level as well as either leaving the cellar door open or cutting an opening in the door and putting a vent on it so that air can flow through and gets pulled outside.

The duct is 4" in diameter, but is a little squished (from improper installation), so the smallest section is about 3.5" in diameter.

Any suggestions on what kind of fan I can get for the ventilation duct?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Generally you can rely on external conditions ie wind around the property to provide ventilation if you have 2 vents to the outside. So try an additional vent in the door first, if you still get mould consider a fan at that stage.

 

[adammm]

Thanks for the reply. I will definitely do that first. But if the time comes where I need the fan, what should I get?

 

[foxhole]

You could use a standard 4 inch fan [standard in the UK] and mount on a frame infront of the joist timber in front of vent and pull flexi pipe forward and down to meet it.

 

[adammm]

Thanks. That makes sense. Any suggestion on fan models? I found something like this:
http://www.vent-axia.com/range/clone-silhouette-100-axial-bathroom-fanstoilet-fans.html

Unfortunately none of the hardware stores in my area (home depot or Rona) have these type of low profile fans. They only have large boxy ones (like 1ft x 1ft x 6inches). The only place I can seem to find one of the fans linked above is eBay. And shipping is not cheap.

Any suggestions?

 

[foxhole]

You could use large fan attached to cellar ceiling then extend hose to it.
Or you could go for a simple solution, low voltage [12volt] computer fan wired to transformer, they are available in many sizes , even small enough to fit inside existing pipe with a suitable sized timber frame to keep in place.No pretty but then it's only a cellar and they are suitable to run 24/7/365 at very little cost.

 

[adammm]

See I was thinking about using a computer fan but I wasn't sure if it would be strong enough and I don't know how I would connect it to an outlet. I also would prefer the fan to have a moisture sensor so it can turn on/off when needed.

 

[foxhole]

In a cellar it would be best left running 24/7, cost a few dollars a year.

 

[adammm]

That still doesn't answer my question about HOW to connect a computer fan to a normal outlet.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Surely anyone in their right mind from Canada would find a Canadian or at least American forum rather than a UK one?

 

[foxhole]

That still doesn't answer my question about HOW to connect a computer fan to a normal outlet.

Plug it in
http://www.gateopenersunlimited.com..._14_Volt_AC_Operator_Only_PRO_1000_1200_.html

 

[ToolbeltDandy]

I think you should get a switched mode power supply which would be cheaper to run (there's not much price difference, if any).

E.g. something equivalent to this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-DC-RE...2?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item415f751eaa#ht_892wt_655

and then you'd just need to cut off the end and solder it to the leads on the fan. This wouldn't have a moisture sensor though. Perhaps a timer could suffice and you'd need to experiment with a hygrometer?

 

[foxhole]

I think you should get a switched mode power supply which would be cheaper to run (there's not much price difference, if any).

E.g. something equivalent to this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-DC-RE...2?pt=UK_CCTV&hash=item415f751eaa#ht_892wt_655

and then you'd just need to cut off the end and solder it to the leads on the fan. This wouldn't have a moisture sensor though. Perhaps a timer could suffice and you'd need to experiment with a hygrometer?

He is in C A N A D A.

 

[adammm]

yeah I know the plug is different but the concept is the same. No worries. Although I still think its overkill. From what I can tell, the wall fans are inexpensive (about $20-30) and I can save myself the time and ugliness of splicing wires and concocting weird contraptions. I just have to find a place to buy these fans in canada.

 

[foxhole]

http://m.homedepot.ca/product/ProductDetails.aspx?productid=995921&lang=EN

http://www.smarthome.com/3016/4-In-110VAC-80CFM-In-Line-Duct-Fan-DB204/p.aspx


http://compare.ebay.com/like/160632452339?_lwgsi=y&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar