The one exception was a New Zealand made 200 mm Mistral ceiling exhaust fan with an enclosed motor and a
very efficient 8-blade fan. Although dearer at around $52 this proved to be a very effective choice.
The box itself is made from 13mm chipboard I had in the scrap box, screwed and glued together with
all joints sealed with silicone. The internal dimensions are 430mm wide X 300mm high at the front, a depth of 355mm and a rear panel 300mm square. An appropriately sized hole was first cut in the rear panel to take the fan with the
supplied fan fixing bolts and flanges being rejected in favour of 3 plastic electrical saddles screwed against the fan flange from inside the booth. (Refer photo 1)
To reduce the projecting larger diameter rear of the fan to the 160mm rainwater tubing I simply used a
95c plastic bucket with a 160mm hole cut out of the base with the flange of the bucket siliconed and screwed to the back of the rear board. (Refer photo 2)
By sliding the booth with fan and bucket towards the piping previously positioned in the floor, I was
then able to fix the piping to the wall with a suitable bracket. (Refer photo 2) This also meant that I could simply withdraw the unit for maintenance (unlikely) or to access adjoining magazine storage.
A 20-watt fluorescent tube located directly in front of the unit took care of lighting.
In use, I have found the setup to be very quiet and efficient. I did initially use an air conditioner
filter in front of the fan but found that it impeded the flow enough to result in some kickback of fumes.
Now, when Toni transits the room between garage and entry hall, it is rarely that she asks if I have
been painting. That's how well this set-up has worked out. |