AirScape 3.5E User manual

ORDER # ____________
S/N:___________________
MAC: ____________________
3.5E/3.5E XR AND 4.4E/4.4E XR
WHOLE HOUSE FAN
INSTALLATION AND OPERATION MANUAL
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | AIRSCAPE INC.
Congratulations on your AirScape Whole House an purchase. This fan is designed to
provide you with quiet, natural, energy-efficient cooling for many years.
Please take a few minutes to read over this manual to make sure you are prepared for the
installation. The building owner/occupant should read the "Theory of Operation" insert so that
the 3.5e/4.4e WH will be correctly located to maximize effectiveness and efficiency of
operation. Attic venting recommendations and calculations are also included in that insert.
If you (or your installer) have any questions regarding the installation, operation, or
maintenance of this fan, please call 1.866.448.4187 or email e [email protected].
Airscape 3.5e/4.4e WHF I stallatio Ma ual 07/14 Page 1

WHAT’S INCLUDED
Prior to beginning installation, please verify that you received all the accessories with the
whole house fan. The packages should include:
•BOX 1 of 3: damper door enclosure with damper assembly kit, grille, IOM, metal and
wood screws, collar screws, S-hooks, eye bolts and hanging hardware, and the 2nd
Generation Control Package - including 1 hard wired wall control, 1 wall mounting
bracket, and 1 red 50' CAT5 cable.
•BOX 2 of 3: fan assembly, chain, duct tape
•BOX 3 of 3: 20” diameter insulated acoustical flex duct
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
•flat head screwdriver
•scissors or knife
•hammer
•pliers
•cordless screwdriver w/ Philips head and misc drill bits
•lumber matching dimensions of the attic joists
•high quality latex caulk
SAFETY INFORMATION
Not So Obvious - Please Read:
•NEVER operate your whole house fan without a window or door open.
•This fan is meant for general ventilation. It has NOT been designed to vent particle
laden and/or explosive mixtures of air.
•NOT for use in kitchens.
•NEVER force open the damper doors. Always use the yellow clutch releases located on
the actuators before attempting to manually open or close damper doors.
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UNIT PARTS & DIMENSIONS
Parts & Dime sio s
DAMPER BOX ASSEMBLY
The damper box should be assembled before it is moved into the attic. 37 damper screws, 8
plastic rivets, 12 collar screws and 2 inch foil tape are included in the damper assembly kit
that came with your unit.
We recommend installing wireless remotes before putting the unit in the attic – see page 12
All part identification labels (A through E) will be facing the interior of the damper box. Once
assembled, you should not see any of the labels.
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1. Pull out all sections of damper box until you have the base. Set all pieces off to the side
with the label identifying their assembly order facing up. Position base so that the
electrical box and actuators are facing you.
2. Slide both the side panels labeled A into the base as shown. Be sure panels slide into
the locking tabs on the base. The “A” label must be facing the interior of the damper on
both sides.
3. Attach the bottom seams of side panels to the base using the provided screws (5 per
side). Do not over torque. NOTE: We recommended using a manual flat head
screwdriver instead of a cordless screwdriver to avoid over-tightening & stripping.
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4. Slide back panel B onto base, making sure the panel fits securely into the locking tabs
of the base. The B label must face the interior of the unit. The flanges of the side
panels are placed to the inside of the back panel so that they are not seen once the
back panel is in position.
5. Attach the bottom seam of back panel to the base using 5 of the provided screws.
6. Insert 2 plastic rivets along each side seam. Press rivets in by hand, then use a
hammer to completely set each rivet shaft as shown below.
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7. Slide front panel C onto base and into the locking tabs of the base. Make sure the C
label faces inward and the warning and model stickers face outward. The front panel
should sit outside the flanges of the side panel once in position.
8. Insert 2 plastic rivets along each side seam. Use a hammer to set as before. Remove
the electrical box cover and attach the front panel to base using 2 of the provided
screws at pre-drilled holes located inside the electrical box.
9. Using the provided 2 inch wide foil tape, firmly tape along the bottom seam and all 4
side seams on the interior of the unit. Make sure tape is securely attached and will not
interfere with the operation of the damper doors when they open.
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10. Set the top panel D onto the sides on the unit, making sure that the flange sits outside
the side panels and all side panels fit securely into the locking tabs of the top panel.
Attach the top using 20 of the provided screws (5 per side).
11. Place the damper Collar E over the opening on top of the damper and align the screw
holes. Attach the collar using the 12 provided collar screws.
Use the remaining 2 inch foil tape to tape around the outside of the upper seam of the
box and around the base of the damper collar.
Airscape 3.5e/4.4e WHF I stallatio Ma ual 07/14 Page 7

INSTALLATION – CARPENTRY
The 3.5e/4.4e WH has been designed to fit a 22½" x 26½" wall or ceiling opening, which
corresponds to 24” on-center (O/C) framing. With a few extra steps, the 3.5e/4.4e WH can
be installed in situations with 16" O/C framing.
The first step is to construct a simple "box" with inside dimensions of 22½" x 26½". The
3.5e/4.4e WH damper enclosure can be mounted in any orientation, so the following
directions can apply to both ceiling and wall mounting.
For 24" o -ce ter frami g:
The first example below shows the framing using 2x8 joists. The joists are 24" O/C and have
a net space between them of 22½". Two 2x8's, 22½" long have been nailed in place to form
the box. If your joists or trusses are 2x4, 2x6, 2x10, etc., please substitute the appropriate
depth pieces.
For 16" o -ce ter frami g:
The second example below shows the framing using 2x8 joists. The joists are 16" O/C and
have a net space between them of 14½". 2x8's (4 qty @ 14½" long, 1 qty @ 26½" long) have
been nailed in place to form the box. If your joists or trusses are 2x4, 2x6, 2x10, etc., please
substitute the appropriate depth pieces. Note that you will end up with a box with inside
dimensions of 22½" x 26½" with a joist running through it. The "extra" joist will not significantly
disturb the airflow.
Frami g
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Use a stud finder to locate the studs from below or drill pilot holes from above to outline the
grille opening in the drywall ceiling. Cut the opening with a drywall cutter. The opening should
be 22½" x 26½".
Position the 3.5e/4.4e WH damper enclosure on top of the joists. Rotate the enclosure as
required so that there is easy access to the electrical box and so that the damper doors are
centered over the opening (this can be checked from below by depressing the yellow clutch
releases located on the side of the actuators and opening the damper doors manually). The
actuator end of the damper box has two keyholes which are used to attach the damper box to
the joists. Mark the location of the keyholes on the joists by placing the damper box over the
rough opening.
Remove the damper box and fasten two of the provided wood screws so that the screw head
is slightly above the joist. Position damper box over the keyholes and slide to lock into
position.
Use the remaining wood screws to finish attaching the damper box to the joists. or vertical
installations, we advise using longer wood screws than those provided to hold the unit
securely in place.
rom the living area use a good quality latex caulk to seal all wood-to-wood and wood-to-
metal joints to create an airtight enclosure. This is important to ensure that all air drawn in by
the fan will be from inside the house.
Attach the interior grille to the joists with the included white head screws. We advise pre-
drilling these holes. If you have 16" O/C framing, you may need to trim or cut a small section
of the grille flange to accommodate the middle stud.
Grille Notch – 16” O/C I stallatio s ONLY.
Airscape 3.5e/4.4e WHF I stallatio Ma ual 07/14 Page 9

FAN AND DUCT INSTALLATION
Attach provided eye bolts to four locations on attic rafters. The eye bolts should be attached
as close to the center of the width of the rafter as possible.
Attach 4 S-hooks to 4 of the D-rings attached on the fan housing. Hang the fan from the eye
bolts placed on the attic rafters using 4 lengths of the supplied chain. The 4 lengths of chain
are used to support the weight of the fan and to eliminate any swaying motion. Once the fan is
balanced and secure, use pliers to close all S-hooks to ensure stability. Tape down any
unused D-hooks to avoid excess rattling.
Ha gi g the fa
Slide one end of the flexible duct over the damper box collar and fasten with 4 sheet metal
screws (see image below).
Attach the other end of the flexible duct to the fan collar using the remaining sheet metal
screws.
inish by wrapping the damper/duct and fan/duct connections with the provided tape to make
the seams airtight.
The duct should be gently bent 90 degrees for maximum sound attenuation and airflow.
Avoid sharp bends in the duct or contact with metal fixtures, pipes, or conduits. The duct
section immediately before the fan should be as straight as possible to ensure smooth airflow
to the fan. The duct can be supported under the bend if desired using extra chain wrapped
with a protective material.
Airscape 3.5e/4.4e WHF I stallatio Ma ual 07/14 Page 10