The purpose of an attic fan is to vent warm house air through the attic and replace it with cooler outside air. Therefore, the best time to run an attic fan is at night, after sunset, and ideally when the outside temperature is below 70F. Thermostatically controlled fans require adjustments a couple of times a year. During the summer, the fan should operate at any time when the attic temperature is above the desired comfort level for indoor living quarters.
For example, if the air conditioner thermostat is set to 74 degrees, the attic fan could be set to 75 degrees. During winter, the attic fan thermostat should be adjusted below freezing point to prevent ice from building up on the roof.
Attic fans
work best at night, when the outside temperature cools and air enters your warm home to cool it down. What is an attic fan? AT.An attic fan or electric attic fan is a fan specially designed to blow warm air out of the attic space. The fan is normally mounted on top of the roof itself, drawing the warmer air out first while drawing in cool air from strategically placed intake vents. Will an attic fan look weird on the roof? AT. No, the fan housing is only 8″ tall and 22″ in diameter.
Can only be seen from one side of the house, usually the back. How much energy does an attic fan consume? AT. Very little, just like 2 or 3 bulbs, 250 watts. Much, much less energy than an air conditioner uses to cool the effect of warm attic air.
How do you operate an attic fan? AT. An attic fan is usually automatic. An adjustable thermostat, which is included, turns the fan on and off depending on the temperature. If you have a humidistat installed, also turn the fan on and off according to humidity.
Will the attic fan draw air from inside my house? AT. No, air is taken from the outside through the attic vents. The already cooled air inside the house is intact. When does the attic fan work? AT.
We set the adjustable thermostat to turn on the attic fan at 100°F and turn it off at 90°F. If you have a humidistat, the attic fan turns on at 70% humidity. What is a humidistat and why would I need one? AT. In certain areas, an attic can become very humid.
Moisture in the attic can condense and cause attic leaks. With more than 70% humidity, the humidistat turns on the attic fan to vent moisture no matter the season. Where is the best place to locate an attic fan in the attic? AT. The exact location of the fan doesn't matter at all.
The important thing is the location of the entrance grilles. Ventilation grilles should cause as much cross-flow through the attic as possible. What color do attic fans come in? AT. Jet Fan Attic fans come in natural aluminum color.
Feel free to paint the dome to match your home. Will the roof leak after installation? AT. No, the fan has a one-piece heavy metal flash. The flashing fits under the roof tiles and is placed over the tiles below.
Attic frame beams are only 15″ (or any gap) apart, will the attic fan fit? AT. A Jet Fan attic fan is installed in the ceiling and does not go into the attic. The hole cut out for the attic fan is usually between the rafters. How much money can I expect to save? AT.
The exact savings depend on the style of the house. In general, the more roof area directly under the attic a house has, the more you can save. Savings after fan cost will be realized in any home in one or two seasons along with increased comfort. What is a whole-house fan? AT.
Sometimes fans throughout the house are called fans. However, the whole-house fan is a completely different concept. Fans throughout the house draw air through the windows of the house and blow warm air out of the house through the attic. Of course, a whole-house fan would never be used concurrently with an air conditioner.
I have a fan for the whole house, do I need an attic fan? AT. We recommend this, since you do not operate the fan in the whole house during very hot days, when you just need to turn on the air conditioner and keep all the windows closed to prevent the hot summer air from entering. Your attic will still heat up, so venting the extremely hot attic air will need to be vented. Do not use the whole-house fan, as it will blow cold air from your home into the attic.
Also, you should NEVER run the whole-house fan without opening the windows to feed the need for whole-house fan airflow. An HVAC technician will typically clean the fan shutters, lubricate the oil ports, and flush the fan blades as part of this process, and inspect the unit for any problems. Running attic fans on the right schedule improves the efficiency of the ventilation system by providing a more comfortable and energy efficient home. Attic fans (also called whole-house fans) are specifically designed to cool your home using outside air.
Attic Projects' team of professionals offers several attic services that increase the comfort and energy efficiency of your home. However, you can calculate a much more accurate time by dividing the power of your fan by the volume of the attic space. However, as a child, I was happily unaware of the potential problems that could arise from running an attic fan. When you turn on the fan and open the windows of the house, the outside air enters through the windows and goes up the attic, where the warm indoor air leaves the house.
This could be a good idea even if you can find the strength of your fan, as it is rare for a fan to pull the CFM as advertised. However, it is important to set the fan warmer than the ambient outside temperature to prevent the fan motor from burning. If ice buildup is not a problem for you (which shouldn't be in a well-insulated attic), then there are fewer reasons to run the attic fan in winter. Mention this in the quote, as the gable mounted attic fan will have a high quality Dayton shutter instead of a dome and is more complex to install.
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