What CFM for basement fish room vent

arvind

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It is about 15'X15' basement laundry room/fish room. Have a huge corrosion issue. Planning to install a bathroom fan. What CFM should I aim for?
 

keithp

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http://kenargo.com/questionsAndAnswers/P7.html
This site has sizing guide. I think it recommends 375 cfm for you but it is only a guide. The fan will be more effective if the duct work is short and with few bends. If the room is too air tight, that will also decrease effectiveness. If you live in a humid, hot or very cold area, a dehumidifier might be another option to avoid outside air or to avoid duct installation.
 

keithp

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Covering or partially covering the tank will also make a big difference.
 

Kungpaoshizi

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+1 to the above
Dehumidifiers are best too if you have cold winters and hot summers like the Midwest. It sucks to use more energy, but you never want to have to deal with mold after times of high humidity, with a mini-ocean if your house.
 

Bdog4u2

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If your air handler or furnace is close by i would just add a return in there.
I'm a hvac contractor and i do it all the time for customers with a humid basement its cheaper on the electric bill
 

Outdrsyguy1

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If you add a return vent in the basement, PLEASE be very careful!!!! Many folks have furnaces in their basement and it's quite possible you will create a negative air pressure in the basement which will possibly suck flue gases into your furnace from the water heater or the furnace and blow it into your house (instead of the natural draft vent to outdoors). There's a reason it's against code (at least in my area) and can be very dangerous.
Most people put a separate system in the basement to handle it but if you put a decent sized supply and damper closed the return you created you "should" be okay if the basement stays positive to outdoors.
 
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arvind

arvind

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If your air handler or furnace is close by i would just add a return in there.
I'm a hvac contractor and i do it all the time for customers with a humid basement its cheaper on the electric bill

If you add a return vent in the basement, PLEASE be very careful!!!! Many folks have furnaces in their basement and it's quite possible you will create a negative air pressure in the basement which will possibly suck flue gases into your furnace from the water heater or the furnace and blow it into your house (instead of the natural draft vent to outdoors). There's a reason it's against code (at least in my area) and can be very dangerous.
Most people put a separate system in the basement to handle it but if you put a decent sized supply and damper closed the return you created you "should" be okay if the basement stays positive to outdoors.

The fish room shares the space with furnace, water heater & laundry. I am planning to install the fan in the center of the room with duct running about 6-8 feet to outside. It is not clear to me what is a return line. Can you pl. explain?
 

Bdog4u2

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Return is the big vent that sucks in air.
Some people change their filter in the return. If your furnace is vertical its the section of ductwork thats on the bottom of unit the supply is on top.
You could cut a square and add a filter rack to the return or cut a circle add a air tight and some flex duct (10 inch) and put it up high smewhere in the room. Use Google for pics
 

Bdog4u2

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If you add a return vent in the basement, PLEASE be very careful!!!! Many folks have furnaces in their basement and it's quite possible you will create a negative air pressure in the basement which will possibly suck flue gases into your furnace from the water heater or the furnace and blow it into your house (instead of the natural draft vent to outdoors). There's a reason it's against code (at least in my area) and can be very dangerous.
Most people put a separate system in the basement to handle it but if you put a decent sized supply and damper closed the return you created you "should" be okay if the basement stays positive to outdoors.
They build houses in my area with returns in basement granted not in same room unless basement is unfinished as long as you have supply registers in room it wont build up neg pressure just recycle it through furnace and when ac is on it will remove the moisture and in winter the air is dry and furnace dries it out more
 

AlexG

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I installed 110 CFM humidity sensing ventilation in my new fish room area. Once the room is finished it will be enclosed to keep the humidity trapped in a the fish room. The ceiling will be covered in plastic in that area. I am hopping to make a slight negative pressure in the fish room area to draw air into the space from the rest of the basement. The only tanks with opens tops will be the displays. I can see how a high CFM ventilation system can create a problem in a smaller basement space and that should be a consideration when adding ventilation.
 

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