Random exhaust fans in stores

[fan-of-fans]

I remember a number of years ago seeing exhaust fans in the ceiing of our Kmart. Some were over the fitting rooms and they looked like 5 bladed units maybe 10" or 12" in diameter. The others, were up in a square vent with vents around its perimeter. I know this store has A/C and heat packaged units with vents like these in the ceiling, but these must have been exhaust fans I guess because they had big four bladed fans up in the middle big square vent. It was hard to see up there but I could see light from outside shining in them. The fans were not turning.

Another store I remember seeing exhaust fans in was the entry vestibule in what I seem to recall was a Belk, but I can't remember where it was. My local Belk doesn't have any exhaust fans in the entry. Anyway, these were in a 24" x 24" perforated metal screen and I think there were two with five blades.

I don't see exhaust fans in any other stores. Most big box stores just seem to have the big HVAC units hanging from the roof similar to those at Kmart, but no exhaust fans that I can tell.

Another thing I've sometimes wondered is how big the blowers must be in the older ducted systems that have the big round diffusers. You don't see these that much anymore, but the ducts must be at least 20" or so in diameter. It's hard to tell how big they are from the floor, but I would guess the vents are at least 3 feet diameter judging by the ceiling tiles.

 

[gusherb]

On my local Kmart you can see the RTU's on the roof, they are massive and there's 6 of them. I'd imagine 20-30 tons (capacity) each. I think there's one diffuser per RTU. Down the street at Menards there is 6 or 8 of those style diffusers and if you go near the mechanical room you can hear the air handler roaring away, it appears there is only one for the whole store so it must be half the size of that room. After they replaced the chiller and cooling tower about 7 years ago that store can stay an ice cube on the hottest days if whomever controls it wants it to be.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Oh yes, I remember our Kmart had its units replaced a few years ago, they were maybe 20 years old at the time. The old units were sitting on the ground at the parking lot. I don't remember the brand but they were big, kind of a greenish color. I want to say York possibly.

The only stores near me with the large round diffusers are Bealls Outlet and Winn Dixie. Plus the new Taco Bell has then but slightly smaller and exposed ducting. Back in the day Scotty's Hardware had them and they were even bigger. Loud whooosh when the system was on, the square ones do that too in some cases. The rest of the stores have the 2x2 square vents. My old Publix atone time had some from the early 60s with one big circle in the middle. But some smaller stores in that plaza still have the small round diffusers.

 

[Chetlaham]

Kmart sure had a funny way of doing it- those massive vents- Yikes! Those used to freak me out as a kid- creepiest thing ever. So it was only one unit per vent?

 

[cfz2882]

old cafe s

I remember some old cafés that had a fan mounted over the door-often really old~'teens,twenties era ILG,Robbins&Meyers,ETC.As a kid, I liked big belt driven fans in shops,quonsit huts and the like

 

[neptunebob]

Are you talking about the rest rooms?

There often is a large fan in an aluminum shell on the roof that is an exhaust fan for usually more than one restrooms in stores and buildings like these. Creates a slight negative pressure to keep odors from seeping out of the restrooms and exhausts odors outside. Usually it is just a grille on the inside, usually above the toilets.