Based on our industry experience, the answer is, yes. Attic fans do really work. They will help to circulate air in your attic and ventilate the space so that it stays closer to the outside temperature. Attics can reach extremely high temperatures in hot, summer months and gather an excessive amount of moisture in the winter.
Do attic ventilation fans really work?
Based on our industry experience, the answer is, yes. Attic fans do really work. They will help to circulate air in your attic and ventilate the space so that it stays closer to the outside temperature. Attics can reach extremely high temperatures in hot, summer months and gather an excessive amount of moisture in the winter.
Do attic fans really cool down a house?
Attic fans do not cool down a house. They cool the occupants due to the cooling effects of the moving air. In fact, they actually heat the house due to the energy being used to turn the blades but the heating is minimal and more than offset (for the occupants) by the cooling effects.
Is it OK to vent exhaust fan into attic?
No, you should never exhaust your bathroom fan right into the attic. This is because the attic is not temperature-controlled. So, when temperatures fall, condensation can get trapped in the attic, which can collect in the rafters, drywall, and ceiling joists. When condensation gets trapped, it can lead to mold growth and even rotting.
Should an attic exhaust fan be used in the winter?
Using your attic fan in the summer seems like a no-brainer to remove heat from an attic to help lower the overall temperature in your house. It does so by bringing outside air in, which allows for ventilation that keeps your attic from trapping hot air. You can (and should) use your attic fan in the winter as well.
Do attic fans really cool the house?
An attic's fan cools and ventilates the space, bringing attics to outside temperatures instead of allowing them to warm to extreme temperatures. Therefore, your air conditioning will not need to work as hard. However, an attic fan will not cool an entire house.
How much will an attic fan cool my house?
Typical attics will reach 120-150 degrees during the summer. An attic fan can help lower that temperature by up to 50 degrees, which translates into up to a 5 degree lower temperature inside your home. Not only will it feel cooler inside, your AC will last longer as it will not need to cycle as much.
What is the best way to ventilate an attic?
5 TIPS FOR IMPROVING YOUR ATTIC VENTILATIONAssess Your Needs. Before you make any changes, it's important to determine if your attic actually needs additional ventilation, and if so, how much. ... Insert Roof Vents. ... Add Soffit Vents. ... Install Gable Vents. ... Use Fans to Improve Airflow.
Is it OK for attic fan to run all the time?
If your attic fan seems to be constantly running, it would be a good idea to bring in a professional to check it out and make sure it's still working properly. If the “switch on” temperature is set too low, you can bet that the fan will run all summer long and create a noisy disturbance.
How hot is an attic on a 80 degree day?
Attic temperatures should be as close to outdoor temperatures as possible. The attic temperature should be 10-20 degrees warmer than the outside temperature in the summer.
Should I run my attic fan in the summer?
Yes, run your attic fan in the summer if your goal is to cool off your house by removing superheated attic air. Be careful; if you run your attic fan for too long in one go, you run the risk of harming the fan motor. This often happens when a fan thermometer is set lower than the outside air temperature.
Do roofers install attic fans?
Do Roofers Install Attic Fans? Roofers do install attic fans. Actually, it's a good idea to hire a roofer to do it because the installation will require cutting a hole in the roof itself. Once the fan is installed, the area has to be sealed, and new shingles and other roofing materials may have to be added.
How much does it cost to install an attic fan?
Cost to Install an Attic Fan Attic fan installation costs an average of $597. Most homeowners can expect to pay between $369 and $877. Depending on the quality of the unit you choose, location, and add-ons, the project can run as little as $200, or as much as $1,300.
What are the three kinds of attic ventilation?
Exhaust ventilation is most efficient when it's installed at or near the highest point of your roof where hot, humid air can easily escape....Exhaust vents are divided into three common categories: static, powered, and mechanical.Static Exhaust Vents. ... Powered Exhaust Vents. ... Mechanical Exhaust Vents.
Do attic fans help in winter?
Attic ventilation fans offer mechanical ventilation, using a fan to draw in cool, outside air and force out warm, moist air. Air is drawn in through the attic fan and air is expelled through the roof vent system to keep your attic cooler and drier, preventing ice and moisture issues throughout the winter.
What temperature should I set my attic fan in the winter?
When it comes to an attic fan's temperature setting, it's best to adjust it to anywhere from 90 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Should I leave attic fan on in winter?
To combat moisture buildup, a fan in the attic is essential. It circulates the air and prevents the moisture from building up. The warm from the heat isn't the only air that collects in your attic during the winter months; the warm air from exhaust fans, doing laundry and even washing dishes rises up into the attic.
How much can an attic fan cool and attic?
When an attic fan is operating during the hottest summer days, the temperature in your attic can drop by as much as 50 degrees. This makes your whole home cooler, and could allow you to turn up your air conditioner's thermostat by as much as 10 degrees, while still maintaining your comfort.
Is an attic fan cheaper than air conditioning?
Attic fans are more energy-efficient than air conditioners, as they'll typically use no more than 10 to 15 percent of the power needed to run an air conditioner, making an attic fan a more affordable cooling option.
What are the negatives of a whole house fan?
What are the disadvantages of a whole house fan? While a whole house fan is known for saving money on the cooling bill, it can possibly lead to a higher heating bill in the winter, especially for older whole house fans. An older house fan is a perfect escape for the air you are paying to heat in the wintertime.
What size attic fan would an electrician need for a 1500 square foot home?
Most manufacturers recommend sizing an attic fan at 2 to 3 CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) per square foot of living space.
Do attic fans make a difference?
Attic fans can make a difference in a number of ways. In the summer, a properly installed attic fan can remove excessive heat build up, providing c...
Do attic fans really cool down a house?
Attic fans can help your house feel cooler on hot days. With that being said, they are not going to cool your entire house. To maximize the cooling...
Are attic fans good or bad?
Attic fans are good at what they do: removing unwanted heat and moisture from an attic. They have earned a bad reputation because of poor quality p...
Should an attic fan run all the time?
Running an attic fan all the time in theory is a good idea. You want your attic to be close to the outside temperature. However, if you have a powe...
How does an attic fan work?
An attic exhaust fan is a powered attic ventilator which is used to push out the hot air in the attic during summer times and bring in the cooler air outside. The continuous replacement of the hot air with the cool air reduces the attic temperature.
What is an attic fan?
An attic exhaust fan is a powered attic ventilator which is used to push out the hot air in the attic during summer times and bring in the cooler air outside. The continuous replacement of the hot air with the cool air reduces the attic temperature. The attic fan is mounted on either the gable of the attic or on the roof.
How much ventilation should I use for an attic fan?
By providing proper roof vents, this can be avoided but not to 100%. HVI advises a minimum of 386 square inches of soffit ventilation for an attic fan of 700CFM.
What is the R rating of an attic fan?
But you need an attic fan if the R rating is less than 14.
What temperature does the attic get?
People collect a lot of stuff, and many keep them in their attic. In hot areas like Texas and Nevada, the attic temperature rises to 150 degrees. Just imagine you going there to collect things. So in most cases, it is a matter of convenience.
Why is the heat in my attic so hot?
The logic here is that the majority of the heat in the attic, and inside the house is due to radiation from the hot roof, and it is impossible to remove radiant heat through air circulation.
Does solar attic fan reduce electricity?
And if you are using a solar attic fan it further reduces your electricity bills.
Why install an attic fan?
With the cooling effect, you get by installing an attic fan, you will be using your air conditioning unit less. This will ensure that your cost of electricity is low.
Why is it important to keep an attic fan in?
The attic is your home’s shield during the hot days. During summer or the heatwave season, the attic fan will help in reducing your home’s temperature.
Can You Run An Attic Fan with the AC on?
Yes, you can mostly run your attic fan with the AC unit if you are living in a closed room.
What Temperature Should the Attic Fan Be Set to?
An attic fan works by drawing in cool air to the attic space that pushes out the hot air through vents. In such doing, the attic fan will reduce the temperature in the attic space that in turn cools down the whole house.
How Cold Should the Attic Be in Winter?
During the winter season, it is usually very cold and there is a lot of humidity. We should be able to have a cold attic and a cold roof during the winter season. Keeping the roof cool will ensure the building materials used can breathe.
Should I Remove My Attic Fan?
Having an attic fan in the attic space seems to be a low cost and an effective way of keeping your house cool during the hot season. You may be forced to remove the attic fan in case:
How Do You Insulate a Whole House Attic Fan?
A whole house attic fan is insulated to reduce air leakages thus saving the cost used in heating and cooling. The insulating material is used to cover the fan’s louver from inside the house and you do not need to enter the attic to fix it.
How does an attic fan work, and what does it do?
An attic fan is a device installed above your living space yet under your roof that pulls air out of the space. It draws hot, moist air out of your attic and creates a slight vacuum effect that brings fresh, cool air up from your basement and lower floors through your house.
Pros and cons of attic ventilation fans
Attic fans really do work, but the pros and cons of attic ventilation fans are worth considering. On the one hand, attic fans may improve ventilation and lower temperatures. On the other, attic ventilation fans can be pricey, costing between $200 to about $1,300.
Are attic fans worth it?
The answer to that question isn’t cut and dry. Different types of houses, HVAC systems and even climates affect the efficiency and potential benefits of attic ventilation fans. For instance, if your home has continuous unobstructed soffit venting and a well-design ridge vent, you might not need an attic fan.
How does an attic fan work?
Even though an attic exhaust fan can incrementally lower the temperature of a very hot attic, using a fan does not stop the source-radiant heat. During the day, any cooler air brought in by the fan will be heated up immediately by the surrounding structure. Most fans cannot keep up. At night, after the sun’s radiation source halts, the structure will continue to be hot for some time. Any cooler air brought in from outside will eventually lower the the attic structure temperature, but that will happen VERY slowly. As soon as the sun rises in the morning, the radiant heating process will start again.
Why is the attic hotter than the exterior?
This creates a kind of hot air sandwich formed between the roof and ceiling structures. The warming of all these surfaces is why the attic interior gets so much hotter than the exterior temperature.
What to do if your attic is hot?
If you your house has a hot attic and ceilings during the summer, the solution is a system and not simply a powered attic exhaust fan or ventilator. To eliminate a hot attic you should consider a plan that includes radiant barriers and proper ventilation This is always best done when the home is under construction.
How to keep heat from migrating into the attic?
Your plan will likely require a completely sealed ceiling, a very thick layer of insulation, radiant barriers (reflective foil layers) above the insulation (preferably between the rafters) to block the radiation and isolate your hot attic from your cool house, additional ventilation openings and possibly a powered attic fan to remove warm air from the attic at the proper exchange rate.
How can I stop the heat from warming up my attic?
I believe the best solution may be a combination of radiant barrier to stop the sun’s heat from warming up the attic structure to begin with along with proper ventilation, attic exhaust fan (s), insulation and air sealing.
How does the sun heat the roof?
The roof structure of your home is like your skin. Radiation from the sun heats the surface of the roof. From there, the entire mass of the roof (roofing, roof paper, nails, sheathing, rafters) warms up through conduction. Soon the roof’s structural mass is so hot that it will radiate heat on its own (like the sun). This radiant heat passes down through the attic space and hits the material on the surface of the ceiling structure ( insulation, wood joists, drywall, ducting etc.). Very quickly the entire mass of the ceiling structure also becomes a giant heat radiator. This heat moves back up towards the roof again and will continue to radiate heat well after the sun goes down. If your ceiling is not sealed airtight and extremely well-insulated, much of this heat is going to radiate downward into your home too.
What insulation was used in the attic?
There was no other ducting or HVAC equipment in the attic. Insulation was a 6”-8” layer of blown-in fiberglass on the top of the ceiling, plus random pieces of R-19 fiberglass batts tossed askew atop the blown-in material, but not fully covering the space.
How do attic fans work?
Whole house attic fans work by drawing in cool air through the open windows in the attic. The hot air within the home is then ventilated out of the home, leaving only the cool air.
What is a whole house fan?
Whole House Attic Fans. Whole house fans are designed to keep your home cool at night by utilizing the air outside. These types of fans are best suited to areas with a dryer climate because the temperatures at night tend to be lower in these areas.
How do ventilators work?
Ventilation fans – also known as power attic ventilators – operate by pushing out the hot attic air and pulling in the cool air from outside. They differ from whole house attic fans in two ways: they rely on vents to bring in cool air and rid the attic of hot air, and they are located within the slope or gable of an attic.
Do whole house fans close when turned off?
Newer models of whole house attic fans are fairly quiet and have an automatic door that closes the opening when the fan is turned off. There are some drawbacks that need to be taken into consideration when using a whole house attic fan. First of all, they take up a significant amount of room in the attic.
What Is An Attic Fan?
Also referred to as an attic ventilator, an attic fan is an energy-efficient solution to regulating the heat level of your property’s attic, by exhausting hot air. This device can be gable mounted or roof mounted, and is controlled by a thermostat that automatically turns in off and on depending on the necessity.
How much does an attic fan do to your thermostat?
As stated above, an attic fan can enable you to turn up your AC thermostat by as much as 10 degrees. This means your air conditioner will not have to work as hard to do its job, and may even cycle on less. Overall, this saves you energy, which saves you on your monthly utility bills, too.
Why is my attic getting moldy?
If moist air is able to sit in your attic for an extended period of time, it will create mold in the insulation and wood beams. Since it is so easy for moisture to reach your attic—simply by you showering or cooking—this is not a problem to ignore.
How hot can an attic be without a fan?
Even moderate summer temperatures—let’s say the low 80s—can increase the temperature of your attic to above 150 degrees, without a properly installed and functioning attic fan. Vents do provide some passive cooling, but not enough to truly reduce your indoor temperatures.
Is it good to invest in an air conditioner in summer?
When summer hits, there’s only so much you can do to keep your home as cool as possible. Of course, investing in a high-efficiency air conditioning system is a good start, but there are steps you can, and should, take to ensure that you are getting the most from that AC system.
Does AC last longer?
Additionally, when an AC unit doesn’t have to work as hard, it lasts longer. Since it won’t be accumulating wear and tear as quickly as it would have otherwise, repairs will be less frequent and unexpected breakdowns will be less likely. Of course, this is also contingent on you scheduling regular AC maintenance.
Can a roof fan damage a roof?
Excess moisture can be particularly damaging during the winter when cold turns it to ice or frost. As that expands, it can damage your roof. Fortunately though, an attic fan will fend off this moisture before it has the chance to negatively impact your roof.
How does an attic fan work?
An attic ventilation fan works by sucking the hot air from the attic. However, the typical attic ventilation fan does not pull in cool air from the outside. It only cools off the attic and ventilates the house. But in cooling off the attic, it also cools off the rooms below by about 10 degrees. There are different types ...
What type of ventilation fan is used in the attic?
There are different types of attic ventilation fans such as: Solar attic fans that use no electricity. Electric attic fans set on a thermostat. Electric attic fans that work with a light switch. Whole house attic fans that pull in air from outside through the home’s windows.
Why is my attic vent loud?
Too Much Noise. Some people claim that the humming from the fan is too loud or irritating. However, this is usually due to some kind of faulty installation or damage. A properly installed and maintained attic ventilation fan typically runs fairly quiet, so you should barely hear it.
Why do older homes have attic fans?
Many of the older homes have attic fans because air conditioning really has not been around that long. Back in the old days, you could either put a window fan in your window or turn on the attic ventilation fan to cool off your house. But nowadays we have air conditioners in all shapes and sizes.
Why do we need a whole house fan?
The whole house fan also helps with ventilation since it brings in the air from outside and pushes out your inside air. But it will also bring in pollen and other allergens so if you are allergic, you may want to reconsider.
Can you get moisture in your attic?
When it is hot and you have your air conditioner running, the cool air from your main floor and the hot air from the attic meet, causing condensation and moisture in the attic. And since most attics are dark, moist spaces filled with wood, mold and mildew are common without plenty of ventilation. Yes, you paid good money to get insulation ...
Does an attic fan help with utility bills?
Whether you get a solar or electric attic ventilation fan, it can certainly help with your utility bills in the summertime. But let’s look at some of the other benefits.
How much air does a solar attic fan blow?
One solar attic fan is expected to push around 800 to 1200 CFM of air, and a 1000-square-feet attic needs at least 700 CFM. For attics with steep or darker roofs, the CFM requirement is 15% higher.
How much does it cost to have more than one solar fan in your attic?
So, if you are getting two, for instance, your total expenses may shoot up to $750 to $1500. Then in some jurisdictions, you might incur some extra costs due to the rules.
Is a Solar or Electric Attic Fan Better?
The better choice between solar attic fans and electric attic fans depends on the user. Electrical attic fans are better because they offer stronger cooling (they are typically rated 800 to 1600 CFM). But this comes at a price – electric attic fans consume a lot of power, so your heating and cooling bills may rise. Conversely, solar attic fans are powered by the sun, which is free to use.
How high can a solar attic fan be?
Solar attic fans usually have CFM ratings up to 1200 CFM. But a traditional attic fan such as an electric attic fan can have a rating as high as 1600 CFM. This means that solar attic fans cannot push air out of the attic, and electric attic fans can.
How much does it cost to install a solar attic fan?
Compared to alternative types of attic fans, the cost of getting a solar attic fan is high. On average, you can sell a solar attic fan for $300 to $600. Then if you cannot install it yourself, you may have to shelve out $150 to $300 for installation. In total, you may spend $450 to $900 to get a solar attic fan and install it.
What happens when you heat up the attic?
Attic Insulation. When attic insulation is not efficient, hot air will move between the home’s interior and the attic. In warmer seasons, the hot air will rise into the attic. Then in winter, it will radiate towards the house. In both cases, it will undermine the effectiveness of the solar attic fan.
Do solar attic fans use electricity?
Solar Attic Fans Come With No Energy Consumption Cost. If you are using an electricity-powered attic fan, the energy consumption will add to your total electricity bill. Since these types of attic fans have to work harder when it is hot, you may pay even more as the weather gets hotter.
