Kool-a-Matic replacement

[gotopless]

Want to replace my Kool-a-Matic with a Fantastic Fan. Have read that Kool Matic is a standard 14 x 14 opening. I removed the ceiling grate and see that from the inside, it appears to be 14 x 14. However, after removing the roof fan shroud, the flashing is about 21 x 21 and would appear to be covering a much larger cutout. thoughts???

[Randy Dupree]

the flange is huge,but the fantastic fits just fine.go for it.
You will have some extra holes,where the house fan was screwed down.

[Randy Dupree]

Save that old fan,Robert Britton is looking for one.

[Robert Britton]

Originally Posted by Randy Dupree

Save that old fan,Robert Britton is looking for one.

Thanks for thinking of me Randy...no longer in the market.

[peteaeonix]

I was able to repair my Kool-o-matic by replacing the motor. Small electric motors of sufficient strength are available from a variety of sources, such as NAPA and Granger. Models vary over time ... key factor is to match the output shaft diameter, to simplify the installation of the fan. (I had to shim the shaft on the motor I obtained from Granger -- a complication that could have been avoided, if I had been more careful to match the specifications of the old motor.)

The obvious advantage of the Kool-O-matic is that it operated during inclement weather, while a Fantastic Vent will need a supplemental cover (offered by various vendors) to do the same.

An advantage of a Fantastic Vent is that it will seal up tighter, which is helpful while traveling over the road (see the discussion of poor AC performance while driving) and with an insulating 'plug' on the bottom, will have less heat loss during the winter.

[rrueckwald]

Man, I wouldn't get rid of the Kool-O-Matic. I love that thing. I'd repair/rebuild, or whatever is necessary to keep it. It pulls air out of the coach real fast and right now. Our has a slide that BB installed over the bottom to seal it off. That would be a big improvement if the older models didn't have it.

[OldGrandad]

Good info here....not sure how current it is, though:

http://www.beamalarm.com/Documents/k...matic-fan.html

[gotopless]

Thanks everyone for the quick answers. The Kool fan motor still works, but it seems to turn slow, not move much air, and gets pretty hot....read some similar posts and concerns about these old Kool motors and wiring being a fire hazard. Sure I could probably get the motor rebuilt with little difficulty, but the shroud has seen better days, and after spending the last 3 hours scrubbing out the dirt daubers, I am thinking Fantastic is the way to go. Already replaced the front ceiling fan with a Fantastic and matching cover. Plus, I don't seem to have a thermostat on my Kool, so I could get that benefit with Fantastic.

Now, back to the roof to get the dirt daubers out of the A/C's.

[Frank W.]

Likely you already know this...but, just in case:

Does your Kool-O-Matic have either a knob or a 1/2" round hole in the metal interior vent screen?

If so...there may be a 4 position switch and resistor; should have hi/med/lo and off.

The thermostat that controls your front gas heating furnace...also controls the KOM. Set to Auto & Cool as I recall.

On high...that fan should be moving some serious air...like raise your hair when you walk under it.

[Stephen]

trim the flange and bend it into in the hole
the is what the people at fantastic fan did on my bmc