Attic fans help needed!!

[joseph gerard]

Hi there,
I'm planning to fit a attic fan in my attic but I'm facing a problem that I don't have the needed knowledge about attic fans i.e. what rating and type should I use for proper ventilation in the attic which is 400 sq. ft. Also I want to know which is better Solar Attic Fan (http://chimneylinerpro.com/categories/Solar-Attic-Fans/) or an electric one. Please suggest me the right thing to do.


Joseph

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Joe,
Are you planning an exhaust fan to remove hot air from the attic area or a "whole house fan" that would be mounted in the attic and circulate air through the shop?
The "borgs" will have the exhaust type. They are thermostatically controlled. You cut a hole in the roof and mount them. Mine has run trouble and maintenance free for many years. Don't forget you need eave vents to allow for replacement air.
I wouldn't recommend the whole house type for a shop. Those draw in outside air, circulate it through the building then exhaust it through the attic vents. If it is humid outside all that moist air is drawn into the shop.
fmr

[joseph gerard]

Thanks for the suggestion sir, I look forward to it and then I'll tell you that it worked or not.

Joseph

[Jason White]

Consider forgetting about venting and have an insulation contractor spray foam to the underside of the roof decking and gable end walls, etc. That way, you won't have to vent at all. Fine Homebuilding has some good information on their website about open and closed-cell foams.

Jason



Thanks for the suggestion sir, I look forward to it and then I'll tell you that it worked or not.

Joseph

[Craig Summers]

If you have an attic, you might want to vent it the natural way, with a ridge vent and soffit (eaves) vents. I put in both, and it made a big difference.

Then you can add a power boost if you want, but natural works very well, and reduces the energy and noise you will get from a fan.

[David G Baker]

I agree with Craig S depending on where you live. If you live in the middle of the Arizona desert ridge vents and soffit vents may not be enough. Passive methods work quite well as long as the vents are large enough to accommodate the volume of air movement required to vent the size of the attic.

[Dave Wagner]

I have ridge vent and a couple turbines. I also put a large box fan in the end window on a thermostat in the summer, keeps the attic quite a bit cooler. Need to put some soffit vents, since there is none. A friend just had moisture problems, mold in their attic, since it didn't have enough venting!! ouch. The roofers only put in ridge vents, but no other vents, didn't work and said Sorry.

[Chris Padilla]

I have two solar fans in my attic space. I had a new roof put on about 2 years and had the electrics removed and the solars installed (it took longer to rip out the electrics than to install the solars!).

Anyway, they run dead quiet. So quiet that I have to pull down the attic trap door every once in a while and see if they are really running. They've yet to disappoint me...run like champs! Here are the ones I bought: Solar Attic Fan (http://www.fan-attic.com/). I think I paid around $400 each. I put one on the east side and one on the west side of the attic roof.