Do Solar Attic Fans Work

You will probably need two solar attic fans to get the results you want.

Do solar attic fans work.

A great roofer will cut the shingles and lace the fan housing into the shingles so that rain will stay outdoors where it belongs. However the utility of attic ventilation fans is actually quite a controversial topic. When installed properly on a roof with standard asphalt shingles solar powered attic fans do not require caulk roofing cement or any other product to prevent leaks. Whole house fans work on the principle of removing the hot and humid air out of the house.

An attic fan is installed on the slanted side of your roof or on one of the gable sides of your attic. Depending on what your utility charges that s about 40 per year. Attic ventilation fans whether hard wired or powered by their own solar panels seem like a low cost and effective way to help keep your house cool. That means you will need to double up your investment in this area.

But they re much easier to install since no wiring is needed. These fans are designed to remove excess heat from your attic which in theory is supposed to lessen the load on the air conditioning in your home. Because solar attic fans operate with a lower power output they are unable to move as much air as some of the other options that are available. The downside of attic ventilation fans.

How an attic fan works. For the attic fans to work at peak efficiency they need to be on a south facing roof slope if you live in the northern hemisphere. Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents soffit and gable and pushing hot air to the outside. Even if you install it yourself and take the tax credit it could still take you 15 years or.

Attic fans exhaust hot air from your attic to the outside. This pressure balance improvement and the cooling provided by the air flow are most significant in the case of a leaky. The warm air escapes through the attic and to the attic vents allowing the circulation of chilly air from the windows. It helps to cool your home temperatures and the attic by approximately 30 degrees.

Solar powered attic vent fans usually don t move as many cubic feet of air per minute cfm as hardwired fans. However if your attic has blocked soffit vents and is not well sealed from the rest of the house attic fans will suck cool conditioned air up out of the house and into the. Good insulation reduces fan effectiveness. If a cloud blocks the sunlight the fans slow or stop.

To determine the number of cubic feet per minute needed for a power vent fan multiply the number of square feet in your attic by 0 7.