How To Properly Use Attic Exhaust Fan

Most fans cannot keep up.

How to properly use attic exhaust fan.

These fans may be controlled by a switch or a thermostat which detects heat build up in the attic space and automatically exhausts the attic space. 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 attic. Check the box your attic fan came in to see if the manufacturer included a pre cut circle that s the same size as the fan s b. In the summer hot air is pushed out of gable vents or roof vents by the fans and relatively cooler air from the outside is in turn drawn into the attic through the soffit or gable vents.

Attic fan ventilation 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. Attic ventilation works on the principle that heated air naturally rises primarily utilizing two types of vents. Don t include the fan s mounting bracket in the circle you draw. Fans and vents may be installed on the roof system that will draw the air out of the attic space and exhaust it to the exterior.

Whole house fans work on the principle of removing the hot and humid air out of the house. Blades spin within the unit to expel air from the attic until the right temperature or moisture level is reached at which point it will automatically shut off. During the day any cooler air brought in by the fan will be heated up immediately by the surrounding structure. A powered exhaust vent is much like a roof mounted exhaust fan.

Bathroom exhaust fans perform an important function by removing excess moisture from your home. Make sure the circle isn t bigger than the actual fan or the fan won t mount properly in the plywood. It can be controlled by a thermostat or moisture monitor. The whole house fan is installed inside the attic between the living space and ceiling.

When venting a bathroom exhaust fan make sure to vent the air to the outside rather than into your attic where it can cause mold and mildew to form. Even though an attic exhaust fan can incrementally lower the temperature of a very hot attic using a fan does not stop the source radiant heat. The warm air escapes through the attic and to the attic vents allowing the circulation of chilly air from the windows. How to use maintain an attic fan.

Whole house fans powered attic fans. An electric attic fan or whole house fan is a valuable alternative to air conditioning if you don t want the expense of running your air conditioning unit all. Proper soffit and or gable ventilation is needed to prevent pressure differences from building up in the attic when using solar attic fans.