# Advice - Solar Attic Vent Fans !



## sandy2982 (Apr 9, 2008)

My roof gets direct sun from noon through late afternoon and I imagine this is making the house hotter. I have some attic ventilation, but I thought about installing a solar attic vent fan. Will it do much?


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## CraigFL (Apr 9, 2008)

My personal opinion is that ridge vents work best and they are cheap and easy to install-- unless of course you have an expensive roof like tile, slate or metal.


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## sandy2982 (Apr 15, 2008)

You're right Mr Craig but I have a tiled roof so I guess its gonna work out expensive.Do you have any suggestions which could help me out finish this task in a lower budget ???


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## guyod (Apr 15, 2008)

first you need to determine the size of roof you have and what existing venting you have.

Then research fans. they will tell you what size roof they will vent and or the amount of air they move. compare this with solar and wired and see what will work for your roof.


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## glennjanie (Apr 16, 2008)

A continious soffit vent 1" wide and large gable vents would do a wonderful job and would continue to work naturally. No need to have any fans or whirlybirds.
Glenn


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## GarryVernne (Apr 16, 2008)

Don't most roofs have the soffits and gable vents in the first place?


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## Square Eye (Apr 16, 2008)

You'd be surprised how many older houses have no attic venting at all.


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## Positive (May 2, 2008)

A solar attic fan is an easy thing to install if the problem is really a hot attic.  If your problem is a hot house, go with a whole house fan.

Good luck,
Positive-energy.com


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## mtcone (Jun 13, 2008)

sandy2982 said:


> My roof gets direct sun from noon through late afternoon and I imagine this is making the house hotter. I have some attic ventilation, but I thought about installing a solar attic vent fan. Will it do much?




Yeah. As long as your solar attic fan has a flow rate in CFM = (attic volume x 10)/60

It will increase your AC Unit(s) efficiency and prevent ice dams in your eaves in the winter


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## inspectorD (Jun 13, 2008)

The more ventilation ,the happier the roof and attic.


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## solaratticfansource (Oct 12, 2009)

You may also want to look at a thermal switch for your solar attic fan so it won't turn on during the winter.


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## joecaption (Jan 14, 2011)

Soffit vents do not "vent" a roof there there so the higher vents can draw outside air up over the underside of the sheathing to keep the air from condensing on the under side of it. Without soffit vents it would be like trying to suck through a straw with your finger over the end of it.
With a tile roof your going to have to have gable vents. They make electric powered gable vent fan with thermostates on them.
Those solor fans do not run fast enough to be much good.
An attic is suppost to be the same temperture as the outside air. If there the same temp. No condinsation can form.
How much insulation is is the attic now? It's far more important to have as much as possible since it were about 50 % of your heat and cooling is lost.
Recommended Levels of Insulation : ENERGY STAR


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