How to Install A Solar Fan In Your Garage

With the rising cost of electric, having an electric fan running all day in my garage didn't really sound like a good idea. I have a gable vent in the garage but that wasn't really helping that much in cooling the garage down on those really hot days.
While shopping at The Home Depot I noticed a solar fan in the clearance aisle... I thought this might be a good idea, so I bought it. Here's how I installed it...

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Solar Panel & Fan
• Drill
• Screwdrivers
• Ladder
• Caulk

1. Gable Vent

   Most garages have a gable vent already installed. It's located at the peak of the outside wall of the garage. If you don't have one, you'll have to cut a hole in the exterior wall. In this article, I'll assume you have one. Be careful! (This is a favorite spot for bees and wasps to build nests)

2. Fan Assembly

   Position your fan over the vent and screw the fan assembly into the wall. I choose to use 8 drywall screws.

3. Garage Roof

   Next we need to locate a spot for our solar panel. Find a place that is in direct sunlight for most of the day. The back of my garage faces south and has direct sunlight beating down on it for most of the day, so I decided to mount the solar panel on the roof of the garage.

4. Drill A Hole

   After choosing the location, we'll need to drill a hole in the roof. This hole is for the two wires that will power the fan. I drilled a 3/8" hole. This was the perfect size to accommodate the two wires. Remember to drill this hole under where the solar panel will be close to the connections on the back of the panel.

5. Feed The Wires Into The Hole

   Go back to the fan. Feed the two wires from the fan into the hole you drilled in the previous step.

6. Wire The Solar Panel

   Back to the roof! Attach the two wires to the back of the solar panel. Red wire to the positive, and the black wire to the negative. Leave about 12 inches of wire under the panel and the outside. My panel is adjustable, so I'll have the option to move it vertically.

7. Cailk The Hole

   Caulk the hole. You don't want any water leaking into your garage so be generous and fill the hole around the wires with caulk.

8. Caulk The Screw Holes

   Next we'll mount the solar panel. Apply some caulk on the underside of the panel where each of the screw holes are. This will help to seal the bracket to the roof when screwing it down.

9. Solar Panel Mounted on The Roof

   Make sure that the solar panel is straight and screw it into the roof. Head back into the garage and take a look at the fan... If it's sunny out, the fan should be spinning!

10. After you verified the fan was working properly... You're done! Enjoy the cooling effects of a venting fan in your garage without paying the high cost of electric!

Tips & Warnings

• Always be careful when working on the roof of your house!

• Remember... When you hook the solar panel up to the fan, the blades of the fan will start to spin so keep your fingers (and any other body parts clear!)