Attic air for heating shop in winter?

[bczoom]

I was thinking of putting a fan through the ceiling of my shop into the attic (blowing from the attic to the shop).
When the roof is snow free and the sun beats on it, the attic should be relatively warm compared to ambient temp.
Turn the fan on and pull that attic air into the shop to warm it up.

Anything wrong with this idea?

 

[FrancSevin]

We had one hanging gas heater in my 12,000 Square foot building. Gas was on only in cold winter days. However, the fan ran all year.
It kept the building air in circulation and more comfortable summer or winter.

 

[PGBC]

I was thinking of putting a fan through the ceiling of my shop into the attic (blowing from the attic to the shop).
When the roof is snow free and the sun beats on it, the attic should be relatively warm compared to ambient temp.
Turn the fan on and pull that attic air into the shop to warm it up.

Anything wrong with this idea?

Sounds good in theory, so worth a try.

 

[bczoom]

We had one hanging gas heater in my 12,000 Square foot building. Gas was on only in cold winter days. However, the fan ran all year.
It kept the building air in circulation and more comfortable summer or winter.

I have a couple gas heaters like that but running fan only causes too much circulation. I have a ceiling fan like you use in your house to pull the heat down in the winter.
The hope/plan is to get enough heat pulled down from the attic (when possible) so the shop area doesn't freeze as that's where I keep items that don't like getting frozen.

 

[bczoom]

A follow-up. I installed the duct and blower a couple months ago. I don't think the sun has shined since so it's not doing anything for me... yet. I do think the 65CFM blower I installed may be too small.
Waiting for sunny days to see if it actually does anything.

 

[FrancSevin]

A follow-up. I installed the duct and blower a couple months ago. I don't think the sun has shined since so it's not doing anything for me... yet. I do think the 65CFM blower I installed may be too small.
Waiting for sunny days to see if it actually does anything.

Given the limited amount of heat produced in the attic, 65 CFM will likely be sufficient.
How big, in Cubic feet, is the shop?
How big, in cubic feet, is the attic?
Is the roof insulated or the ceiling?

 

[bczoom]

Shop is a tad over 4000 cu/ft.
Attic is 32x48 (1500 sq/ft) on a 3/12 or 4/12 pitch so I guess that's around 3000 cu/ft.
Ceiling is insulated on around 900 sq/ft of the 1500 sq/ft attic. Rest is open down to the floor. The insulated portion covers (2) separate shop areas, each at the aforementioned 4000 cu/ft. I only have the 65cfm blower going into one of the shop areas.
No roof insulation.

 

[Melensdad]

Properly done you would need 2 fans.

One that sucks air from the attic and blows it into the workshop.
Another that sucks air (preferably from floor level) from the workshop and blows it into the attic.

That would recirculate the semi-warm workshop air into the warmer attic, heat it and then blow it back down into the workshop. Just sucking air from the attic would bring in OUTSIDE colder air into the attic. You would end up achieving minimal to no real heat gain in the workshop doing that.

At very least, if you don't blow air up into the attic then you at least need to have a hole in the ceiling to allow heat to recirculate from the workshop up into the attic. But somehow you need to circulate it. With a 65cfm fan sucking the heat from the attic, I would recommend a similar size fan blowing air up into the attic.

 

[FrancSevin]

What he said!
I am betting you have an access panel to the attic space. Or a suspended ceiling panel.
An access panel would suffice so just open it.

All that said, a cold air return should be drawing from floor level. Put a fan in that

 

[Melensdad]

What he said!

hmmm

This changes my whole life

The lovely Mrs_Bob said all men are idiots and I am their king

Yet you imply I might be correct

Now I’m confused

 

[FrancSevin]

Sorry. My bad.

We men are all idiots because women tend to make us so. A fact you must simply accept.

and sadly... WE LIKE IT!

There is nothing you can do about it.so,,,,
Enjoy

 

[bczoom]

At very least, if you don't blow air up into the attic then you at least need to have a hole in the ceiling to allow heat to recirculate from the workshop up into the attic. But somehow you need to circulate it. With a 65cfm fan sucking the heat from the attic, I would recommend a similar size fan blowing air up into the attic.

I don't have a blower on the return (cold air) side. I do have an attic opening on the far side of the shop (as far away as you can get from the blower).
I'm figuring the over-pressure caused by the blower running will force the air out the attic return opening.
I also have a ceiling fan to circulate the air (draw the warm are from the ceiling downwards).

 

[tommu56]

We had blowers on about every other column they discharged about 1 foot from the floor in one of out 40' high 1 acer warehouse in the winter it made a miserable shift in to teashirt weather unless you were on our dock area same gas heaters as before just redustributed heat down to the floor.