In the heat of summer, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to find themselves searching for ways to cool their homes without running up their energy bills. Some will install ceiling fans in every room; others will invest in a whole-house fan. But one cooling solution is often overlooked: the attic fan.
Attic fans are designed to expel hot air from your attic, making your home more comfortable and preventing heat damage to your roof and attic insulation. We have prepared to answer your questions about how attic fans work and why they’re such an effective cooling solution.
How Attic Fans Work
Attic fans work by drawing hot air out of the attic and replacing it with cooler air from outside. This process helps to keep the temperature in the attic at a manageable level and can even help to extend the life of your roof by preventing heat damage.
Whole-house fans and gable-mounted fans are the two popular types of attic fans. Whole-house fans are installed in the ceiling of your attic and draw air through the house, while gable-mounted fans are mounted on the gable wall of your attic and draw air directly from outside. Both fans are effective at cooling attics, but gable-mounted fans are typically more powerful and efficient.
The Benefits of Attic Fans
There are several benefits to using an attic fan, including the following:
Reduced Energy Bills
During the summer months, your air conditioner has to work overtime to keep your home cool. This means that your air conditioner has to work even harder to cool down your living space.
An attic fan can help to remove some of that hot air, making it easier for your AC unit to do its job and keeping your energy bills lower as a result.
Improved Indoor Air Quality
Not only does an attic fan help to keep your home cooler, but it can also improve the air quality inside your home. By circulating the air in your attic, an attic fan helps to remove any musty odors that may be present. This can lead to fresher, cleaner air throughout your entire home.
Extended Roof Life
In addition to keeping your home cooler and improving indoor air quality, an attic fan can also help extend your roof’s life. When heat builds up in your attic, it can cause damage to shingles and other roofing materials.
An attic fan can help prevent this damage by removing excess heat from the area, leading to a longer lifespan for your roof.
Cons of Attic Fans
Increased Energy Usage
While an attic fan can help reduce your overall energy usage, it will also increase your energy usage when running. Attic fans typically use a lot of electricity, so you’ll need to factor that into your decision.
Additionally, if you live in an area with high electricity rates, the increased usage could offset any savings you would see on your cooling costs.
Noise Pollution
One downside of having an attic fan is that it can be pretty noisy. The fan’s noise could disrupt your sleep if you have a bedroom near your attic. Additionally, if you entertain often or have small children in the home, the noise from the fan could be disruptive to them.
Potential Fire Hazard
If an attic fan is not installed correctly, it could create a fire hazard. Make sure that you have a qualified electrician install your attic fan to minimize the risk of fire.
How to Install Attic Fans
Installing an attic fan is a relatively easy project that most homeowners can do themselves. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to install an attic fan, so you can enjoy all the benefits of having one in your home.
Choose the Right Location
The most crucial factor in choosing a location for your attic fan is ensuring that it can ventilate the entire area of your attic. You’ll also want to ensure that the location is close to an electrical outlet, as most attic fans require electricity.
Cut a Hole for the Exhaust Vent
Once you’ve chosen a location for your attic fan, use a drill to create a hole large enough for the exhaust vent. The size of the hole will depend on the size of your exhaust vent.
Install the Exhaust Vent
Once you’ve cut the hole, installing the exhaust vent is time. Begin by attaching the provided collar around the hole using screws or nails. Then, insert the exhaust vent into the collar and secure it using more screws or nails.
Install the Motor Assembly
The next step is to install the motor assembly onto the exhaust vent. First, align the motor assembly with the opening at the top of the exhaust vent. Then, use screws or nails to secure it in place.
Hang the Blades and Attach Them to the Motor Shaft
The final step is to hang the blades and attach them to the motor shaft. Most attic fans come with pre-assembled blades that must be hung on the motor shaft. If yours does not come with pre-assembled blades, follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer for properly attaching them before proceeding.
Do Attic Fans Work?
The answer is yes, but only under certain conditions. If your attic is well-ventilated and adequately insulated, then an attic fan can help keep your home cool during summer. However, if either of those things is not valid, then an attic fan is likely to do more harm than good.
Why Should You Consider Getting an Attic Fan?
An attic fan can significantly affect comfort and energy efficiency if your home is enduring a hot climate or your attic is not well-ventilated. By circulating air and keeping the temperature in the attic at a manageable level, attic fans can help to prevent heat build-up, which can lead to higher energy bills as your AC works overtime to cool your home.
Additionally, adequately cooled attics can help extend your roof’s life by preventing heat damage.
Conclusion
An attic fan is an excellent solution if you want to cool your house without spending too much money on air conditioning. Attic fans are effective at combating hot roofs and keeping living spaces comfortable.
They’re also energy-efficient, so they’ll help you save money on your cooling costs each month. An attic fan is a wise investment whether you live in a hot climate or want to be prepared for summer weather.
Mybrighthaus has developed a new line of attic fans designed to be quieter and more efficient than traditional models. The fans use a unique blade design that reduces noise and vibration and is also more energy-efficient.
As a result, Mybrighthaus attic fans can make your home comfortable without creating excess noise or vibration.
