Combining an attic power vent fan with a ridge vent is usually not recommended because:
- It could reverse the natural flow of hot air out the ridge vent.
- If air is drawn in through the ridge vent while it’s raining, it might pull rainwater in with it, which could lead to leaking or mold in the attic.
Is it better to have a fan or ridge vent?
If proper ridge ventilation is possible for your roof then that is recommended over attic fans. Attic fans consume energy, and they have some downsides. If you can achieve proper attic ventilation passively by just using the vents in the attic, that is always better.
Can attic fans be used on a ridge roof?
Attic fans are cut out for any type of roof. There are many models you can choose from, and there are units specifically made for mounting on a roof or on a gable. Ridge vents on the contrary require a continuous run of ridge area. These vents are not very effective on a hip roof or a flat roof.
Should I install a ridge vent on my roof?
A roofer installs a ridge vent. Purchasing an electric or solar attic fan may not provide the savings that homeowners expect. Installing roof ridge vents and more attic insulation are better options, experts say. Adding roof ridge vents can reduce summer air conditioning costs, prevent roof mildew and rot and keep your roof in better shape longer.
What happens if you put an attic fan in the attic?
You can risk drawing in more hot air or expelling cool air out of the ridge vents instead; this will increase the temperature inside the house and make air conditioning more expensive. If the system isn’t properly designed, adding an attic fan can make ventilation worse.
Is it better to have an attic fan or ridge vent?
If you had to choose just one—and your attic has a great need for ventilation—an attic fan is your best bet. Attic fans in the $300 to $400 range can move upwards of 5,000 CFM. For lower capacity ventilation at a steep cost savings, a ridge vent might be your best choice.
Do you need an attic fan if you have a vented roof?
An attic fan isn't recommended if you have ridge vents. In this scenario, the attic fan will draw cool, conditioned air out of your house and raise your A/C bill. It could also stop hot air from exiting through the ridge vent and pull in rainwater during a storm, which can eventually make your attic leaky or moldy.
Is a ridge vent enough ventilation?
A ridge vent along with other vents that draw in colder air is enough ventilation. However, a ridge vent alone without some intake vents wouldn't do as much. We highly recommend installing soffit or gable vents along with a ridge vent or some other form of air intake.
Do whole house fans work with ridge vents?
In most homes, it is typically best to have only the ridge vent and remove the fan, as described above, they don't work well together. If you have a hip roof with very little ridge, a power fan with both a thermostat and humidistat (for both temperature and humidity) should be installed, with no ridge vent.
How do you know if you need an attic fan?
Attic ventilation fans could be effective if your home has:Attic insulation that is less than R-19.An attic floor that is thoroughly air sealed.Bountiful eave soffit ventilation space.HVAC equipment in the attic that is well-insulated and sealed.
Is an attic fan really necessary?
Attics that have adequate natural ventilation and sufficient insulation R-value don't need attic fans. The insulation will help slow the heat transfer from your hot attic to your living space below, so installing an attic fan won't significantly reduce your cooling load if you have sufficient insulation.
Do ridge vents make house colder in winter?
The unintended consequence of your recently installed roof vents is that your house got colder. In the winter months, warm attic air is vented to the outside through the ridge vents and is replaced by colder outside air sucked in through the soffit vents.
Do I need roof vents if I have a ridge vent?
Some types of air ventilation systems rely on other pieces of equipment to work properly. While roof ridge vents can work alongside box vents or soffit vents, they also do not need these other vents to operate. Ridge vents effectively release moisture from your home, greatly reducing the risk of mold or mildew.
When should you not use a ridge vent?
During heavy rains, deep snow or high winds along with rain can enter through the vent and stain the ceiling below. Most manufacturers state that a ridge vent should not be installed on a roof with a pitch (slope) of 3-1/2 in 12 or less.
Do roof ridge vents help cool house?
When you have a new home built, or you're replacing a roof, then installing a ridge vent helps to balance out the transfer of hot and cold air.
Is a ridge vent better than roof vents?
Roofing contractors consider ridge vents to be the most preferred option when ventilating the roof of any home. Ridge vents are less invasive than other vent types while remaining the most cost-effective and energy-efficient compared to other roof vent types.
Do you need soffit vents if you have a ridge vent?
A functioning ridge vent will allow the hot air to escape through the roof. The air comes in through the soffit vent, and exits through the ridge vent. It's as simple as that. A ridge vent without soffit vents won't work as intended, and vice versa.
Can you install an attic fan in a roof vent?
Installing an attic fan over an existing gable vent is easiest, but you can also install an attic fan on your roof if you don't have a vent to use. A gable vent installation will require a different kind of fan than a rooftop installation. Keep in mind that installing an attic fan on your own can be dangerous.
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.
Do attic vents help cool house?
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. In addition, attic fans have shown to help extend the life of the roof as well.
Do I need an intake and exhaust fan for attic?
Your attic needs at least 1 square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic space. That means the typical ratio of attic area to attic ventilation is 300-to-1. Half of your ventilation should be exhaust vents, and half should be intake vents.
How much air does an attic fan move?
This fan moves 1,000 or more cubic feet of air per minute , creating low pressure in your attic. Electric attic fans, however, often increase energy consumption and cancel out any savings, unless the attic is not insulated at all. Advertisement.
How to reduce humidity in attic?
To reduce humidity, the center recommends checking the building's duct system and air pressure when some doors are closed, replacing an inefficient air conditioner and turning off an attic exhaust fan. Turning off the exhaust fan reduces building pressure, causing a large decrease in the ventilation rate and indoor relative humidity, the center says. Some homeowners are attracted to solar fans because they can operate for 50 years without needing repairs. They don't use electricity and are easier to install, but can be expensive. Prices start at $500 for a 1,200 square foot home, not including installation. When the Solar Energy Center tested solar fans, however, it reported that if your attic is already well-insulated, the cost reduction is only about 6 percent, or 460 kilowatt hours each year. Since most older homes have only 3 to 6 inches of insulation, beefing up the attic's insulation might be the best solution.#N#The federal Department of Energy recommends up to R-49, or about 16 inches of fiberglass insulation, for most attics.
Why turn off exhaust fan?
Turning off the exhaust fan reduces building pressure, causing a large decrease in the ventilation rate and indoor relative humidity, the center says. Some homeowners are attracted to solar fans because they can operate for 50 years without needing repairs.
Can you use a ridge vent on a roof?
Instead of installing an attic fan, Carter recommends using ridge vents on your roof. After installing a ridge vent, a homeowner might feel a temperature change, says Jerry Alonzy, a handyman working in Canton, Connecticut. The prevailing winds and the amount of shade your house gets will also affect your results. A ridge vent installed in a very hot attic will have more effect than in a slightly cooler one. Ventilation decreases moisture year round, reducing roof mildew and rot, Alonzy says.
Can a roof vent suck air?
Air leaks. By installing more roof vents, such as a ridge vent, you increase the possibility that most attic air will come from outside, says Tim Carter, a residential contractor in Cincinnati. If you have few vents in your attic, most of the air will be drawn from inside the house. A fan may actually suck air-conditioned air from your home ...
Where is the air handler in a home?
Many Southern homes have the cooling system's air handler based in the attic, usually poorly insulated with the greatest temperature difference of any location of the cooling system. It also has the greatest negative pressures, causing leakage into the unit.
Can a leaking duct system cause negative pressure?
When the University of Central Florida's Florida Solar Energy Center tested homes, they found that air leaking from a home's duct system can cause negative pressures within the home's interior when the air handler runs.
Ridge Vent
A ridge vent is a plastic or metal vent that runs the entire ridge of a roof to allow airflow.
Attic Fan
An attic fan can be located either vertically on the home's gable or on the roof. When the fan is on the gable, the fan mechanism is entirely in the attic. When it's on the roof, it's located high on the roof, less than 24 inches from the ridge. Part of the fan is on the roof and part is located inside the attic .
Ridge Vent
A ridge vent is easier to install when the roof shingles are first installed, but ridge vents can be installed retroactively, too. Roof installers cut through the shingles and the wood roof deck but stop short of the roof rafters, creating a 2-inch wide continuous slot.
Attic Fan
An attic fan can be installed relatively easily in a house's gable. If the fan is roof-mounted, it is a bit more difficult to integrate the fan with the existing shingles and protect against leaks.
Ridge Vent
Ridge vents blend in well with the roofline. Even with added shingles, ridge vents are barely more than 1 inch high. Since they follow the roof ridge, they are not usually visible.
Attic Fan
Roof-mounted attic fans are visible and can be obtrusive, especially if more than one is installed. Gable-mounted attic fans are less visible, except when you happen to be looking at the roof from the direction of that gable.
Ridge Vent
Being passive venting devices, ridge vents are openings in your roof; they do not move. No motors are needed for operation. While ridge vents do occasionally need to be cleared of debris, there is no cost to operate them and little cost to maintain them.
Do I need attic fans or ridge vents?
If proper ridge ventilation is possible for your roof then that is recommended over attic fans. Attic fans consume energy, and they have some downsides. If you can achieve proper attic ventilation passively by just using the vents in the attic, that is always better.
What is an attic vent called?
Since attic fans work by consuming energy and since they forcibly exhaust air from the attic spaces, they are called active ventilators. Since ridge vents don’t draw energy from any sources and since they work on natural forces, they are called passive ventilators.
What is the difference between a ridge vent and an attic vent?
They work differently. Ridge vents are those exhaust ports that run along the ridge of your roof. They can be only spotted by a trained eye. They are tiny in size, but they provide ample space for hot air to exhaust from the attic.
Why isn't my attic cool?
Even though proper vents were provided initially when the house was built, these vents could be blocked overtime by insulations or other things that obstruct the free flow of air through them. Also storing a lot of items in the attic also can block the natural flow of air.
How do attic fans work?
Attic fans work on electricity or solar energy while ridge vents work by natural convection. Those attic fans that work on solar energy won’t run during the night but ridge vents work whether it is night or day. Since attic fans work by consuming energy and since they forcibly exhaust air from the attic spaces, they are called active ventilators.
Why is the attic fan used?
This is the most popular passive ventilation method for the attic. Attic fans are used to forcibly exhaust air from the attic. They are useful when there isn’t proper attic ...
What is an electric fan?
An electric fan that is used to forcibly exhaust air from the attic. Exhaust ports that run along the ridge of a roof. An active ventilation method. A passive ventilation method. Can cause a negative pressure in the attic. No chances of negative pressure in the attic. Has moving parts.
What is CertainTeed ridge vent?
The CertainTeed ridge vents – the company’s called Air Vent or the brand is called Air Vent. I think it’s AirVent.com. You’ll see that they have these metal ridge vents that have a folded edge on one side of it. That actually depressurizes the ridge and makes it more efficient, in terms of pulling air to of it.
Do ridge vents let air out?
Now, sometimes I see ridge vents that are not very open there, especially the kind that I see that are corrugated-looking like. They don’t let enough air out. So, it might be worth looking at the type of ridge vent that you have.
What vents pull air from the soffit?
Two: the highest vent will pull air from the next biggest opening below it. So if you have a ridge vent it will tend to pull air from the soffits unless you have another opening before the soffit—ie box vent, electric vent, whirly bird, or gable vent. Best solution is Electric attic roof mount with soffit vents only.
How much air does a solar vent fan move?
Since your solar vent fan only moves 500 CFM (a third to half that of a typical hardwired attic vent fan), it probably won’t move enough air to reverse the action of the ridge vent. Also, since the fan is powered by the sun, it should turn off when the sky is overcast during a storm, which will keep it from drawing rain into the attic.
What happens if air is drawn in through a ridge vent?
If air is drawn in through the ridge vent while it’s raining, it might pull rainwater in with it, which could lead to leaking or mold in the attic.
Why do you have baffles in the attic?
2.you have baffles in the attic to keep the insulation from blocking the bay.
Can you put turbine vents on a roof?
Since turbine vents don’t have much sucking power, I would think it would be okay to put them near the ridge, or you could add several of the smaller unpowered vents that are made to be installed on a roof. Good luck with your project!
Can you cool an attic with a solar fan?
So, while it’s may not the most efficient way to cool an attic, in your case I would continue using the solar vent fan. You might want to check the attic occasionally when it’s raining to see if there is any water coming in the ridge vent.
Do attic fans work?
The only effective means are more insulation (preferred) or a radiant barrier up against the inside of the roof. Attic fans suck air out of the attic to the outdoors. This means that every leak in your house allows cool, air conditioned air to be sucked into the attic.
How hot can an attic be?
With any attic ventilation system, the attic can be 20 degrees hotter than outside. Attic ventilation should protect the roof sheathing, insulation, and shingles from temperature and moisture extremes.
What factors affect the temperature of the attic?
Other factors are the geographical location, sun intensity, orientation of the primary roof plane, and amount of total ventilation.
What happens when a power vent goes off?
When the power vent goes off, it acts like a roof louver (an opening on the roof without a motor.
Does Emmons Roofing install ventilation?
If you feel your home is warmer than it should be in the summer, Emmons Roofing & Siding can install a roof ventilation system – contact us today.
Can you remove a fan from a ridge vent?
In most homes, it is typically best to have only the ridge vent and remove the fan, as described above, they don’t work well together.
How do attic vents work?
Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises, primarily utilizing two types of vents: 1 Intake vents, located at the lowest part of the roof under the eaves, allow cool air to enter the attic. 2 Hot air exhaust vents, located at the peak of the roof, allow hot air to escape.
What is ridge vent?
Ridge vents —openings that run the entire length of your roof along the ridge —are often visible only to a trained eye. Hidden in plain sight and often camoflauged by specialty ridge shingles, these are a particularly popular means of ventilation because they create no disruption to the roofline (view example on The Home Depot ). Installation of this type of attic ventilation involves leaving a gap in the sheathing along the ridge, and covering it with a perforated vent.
Where are vents in the attic?
An attic’s intake vents are most commonly installed directly in the soffit, either as individual vents spaced every few feet or as one continuous perforated soffit running the entire length of the eave. While effective at pulling in cooler air, the biggest problem posed by this type of soffit vents is their positioning: Homeowners can too easily inadvertently block them when insulating the attic. Unfortunately, blocked soffit vents are as just bad as no soffit vents, because they prevent fresh air from freely flowing into the attic.
How many sq ft of venting in attic?
In order to facilitate this exchange of warm and cool air, the general rule of thumb suggests installing at least 1 s q. ft. of vent for every 300 s q. ft. of attic floor. Building codes vary, though, ...
Why insulate your attic?
At first glance, it can seem counter-intuitive: You insulate your home to reduce temperature fluctuations and save on utility bills, but then you allow fresh air to flow through the attic no matter the time of year. The science behind attic ventilation, however, is sound. Sealed attics trap excessive heat and moisture, ...
Where are vents on a gable roof?
Houses with gable roofs may also have vents located on the side of the house as high as possible within the peak of the gable. Whether round, triangular, or rectangular, these gable vents can be painted to match either the siding or the trim work so that they add to rather than detract from the home’s exterior.
Can you heat an attic without venting?
With square-foot living space at a premium, many homeowners turn to their attics for a little extra room. When the attic becomes part of the home to be heated and cooled, open-wall gable vents and roof vents are no longer feasible, but the underside of the roof (the sheathing and rafters) can still get blazing hot without airflow.
What Are Attic Fans?
Before we tell you all about these fans, let’s talk about what they actually are.
How do attic fans work?
In the summer, a properly installed attic fan can remove excessive heat build up, providing cooling to an attic space. This helps reduce the pressure on your insulation systems, preventing unwanted heat transfer into your living space. This ultimately makes your home feel cooler, while also alleviating the work that your air conditioning system needs to put forth. In the winter, attic fans can also make a big difference by removing heat and moisture that escapes from the home. This helps prevent things like mold growth and ice damming.
Why is an attic fan important?
In general, a high-quality attic fan can provide ongoing active ventilation to protect your, support insulation systems, and help provide some cooling benefits in certain climates.
Why is moisture bad for a roof?
Moisture is the enemy of a strong roof and could lead to expensive damage. Supports your attic insulation. Excessive heat and humidity can lead to depleting your attic’s insulation. An attic fan removes hot, humid air from the attic, taking pressure off of your insulation materials. Solar fans are free to run.
Why do attic fans cost less?
Because attic fans take away some of the work that your air conditioning would be doing, you will spend less on running your air conditioning. However, running an electric fan in attics could mean the cost just goes towards the attics rather than the air conditioner.
How long does a solar attic fan last?
Your fan will run 12 months of the year without costing you a dime after installation. Read our review on the best solar attic fans.
Why is my second story not as cool as my first?
If you often find the second story just is never as cool as your first story, this could be due to heat radiating down from the attic into your living space. With proper air sealing techniques and sufficient insulation, an attic fan helps prevent that heat from entering your home, keeping your upstairs more cool and comfortable.
