Attic Fans & Ventilation
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Attic Venting
August 2008
There is an attic space right off of my bedroom that we use for storage. It is unfinished. During warm/hot weather, the attic heats up and makes the upstairs unbearable. There is currently one small exhaust fan installed but it isn't doing much. Can you recommend a service or company to vent and properly remedy the problem? Thank you. Amy
Rule of thumb is about one square foot of venting for every hundred square feet of attic. More if your shingles are black. Contact any good roofer for attic vents. I suggest Shamus Collins. Cliff
Whole House fan wanted
August 2006
After suffering through the recent heat wave, my husband and I have decided to get a whole house fan installed in our attic. These large fans draw up hot air from the house and blow it out the attic, replacing it with cooler air from outside. We are looking for a recommendation for an experienced installer and the type of fan installed. We would also like to get feedback on the fan's effectiveness. Thanks! Susan
The fan you want is the solafan. Its a solar powered unit placed in the roof to suck all the hot air out of your attic. Cooler air is replaced from below. You can purchase the fan at any builder supply, and can recommend Economy Lumber Company in Oakland as my supplier. lj
In reply to the person looking for info on whole house fans - visit BuildItGreen.Org and send an email or call the ask the expert hotline.. They'll have lots of info on whole house fans- - check out the list of Certified Green Building Professionals on their website to help install one. My friend has a whole house fan and was really impressed how it cooled down the house once the air outside was cooler than inside. Instant relief - especially for a two story home. Good choice! meri
Solar Star Attic Fan
August 2004
I wonder if anyone has installed a solar-powered Solar Star attic fan in their home and would be willing to share their experience. I looked on the archives and didn't find anything. My concern is that the fan might actually cool our Berkeley house too much during ''normal'' spring, summer, and fall days when we rely on the heat of the afternoon to warm our house after it has cooled down at night. Yet the Solar Star seems like the perfect solution to those horrible 5-10 days a year when it doesn't cool down at night and our house is unbearably hot. It's also supposed to help improve the efficiency of your heating system in the winter by keeping the attic cool and dry. Anyone who'd like more information on the Solar Star, check out www.solatube.com. Ashby Lumber carries these fans but they are not at all knowledgeable about their operation. Maria
Solar Fans - I have one installed in my house - have one fatal flaw. They only cool during daylight hours. You need to circulate cool air into the attic space once the sun goes down, or the attic remains warm through the night and the cycle starts again in the morning. Also, our fan does not move enough air to cool the attic space - I ended up using the fan motor and adding a low-voltage power supply to it to keep it running through the night. tjay