Attic Ventilation Fan

An attic ventilation fan is among the unsung heroes of your home. If you do not have an attic ventilation fan, though, you will definitely feel the ill effects of extra hot or supremely cold temperatures in your home. You may see what looks like a metal chef's hat sticking on the top of some homes, or huge fan ventilation slats on the gables at the very top level of other homes. These are both styles of attic fan that provides much needed ventilation that plays an integral role in the optimal heating and cooling of a home.

These devices are not to be confused with the whole house fan, which also helps to keep a house in optimal temperatures as well. For starters, there is nothing wrong with using the air conditioning and the heating systems that are in your home. Though, the truth is that if you are not utilizing ventilation in the attic, you are over-working your air conditioning and heating systems throughout the year. This will cause premature wear and tear on such expensive systems. In addition, you will unnecessarily increase your heating and cooling systems as well.

Easy Ways to Cool Off

Thus, both the attic ventilation fan and the whole house fan, which connects the main house to the attic along with the attic ladder, help decrease the temperatures or humidity (in cold weather) within your home. This expelling of hot air can decrease the attic by as much as fifty degrees. For instance, on a 90 to 100 degree day, the attic can easily reach 150 degrees. To decrease the stress that this causes on your hard-working central air or heat pump, look to the attic ventilation fan and the whole house fan.

The whole house fan is optimal when the outside temperature is at least cooler than the interior of the attic. This will allow the ventilation of the extremely hot air into the surrounding exterior of the home. Then, the soffits, and the attic ventilation fan, and the whole house ventilation can all work together to bring in cooler air. This will decrease the temperature of your home overall. It is particularly important to pay attention to such items as the attic ventilation fan if you live in Alaska. These can eliminate the need for air conditioning there all together.

In other regions of the U.S. the attic ventilation fan can play a significant role in dramatically decreasing the homeowners' reliance on the heating and cooling systems. The degree to which ventilation can decrease cooling bills is relative to the area of the nation in which you live. For instance, in Georgia, many homeowners could save twenty-five percent off of their costs to cool their home. But, in Florida that number may be significantly lower.

Choosing Among the Options

When you are in the market for an attic ventilation fan, there will be a couple of models. Again, they are either positioned in the gables, or on the roof top. Beyond that you have the solar powered variety, which are very effective, or the on-grid version that runs solely on electricity pumped in from your home. Either way, these devices stand to save you a great deal of money. In addition, they promise to vastly increase the comfort levels in your home.

It is important to note that there is a wide variety of price points among these units. Depending upon your own handiness and mechanical ability, you may or may not want to install this yourself. Some homeowners are easily able to perform the work themselves. Other homeowners may instead prefer to hire an electrician. In particular, the gable units can be a bit more involved to install, especially if it also involves carpentry skills that can ensure a properly framed unit for optimal performance. In addition, it is vitally important that it is installed properly to avoid creating a fire hazard as well.

In many cases it can help tremendously to read customer reviews about the different types of products that are available for your home. Just because a product costs more or costs far less than its competitors does not make it necessarily better or worse. In particular, find out how loud or quiet the mechanisms are. Also look into the prospect of having a thermostat on the device to have it kick in when it is hot or humid.

In addition, you may purchase a variety that will automatically shut down if temperatures become so high that it suggests that a fire is about to envelope your home. This is to prevent encouraging the flames to increase. An attic ventilation fan can save you a great deal of money. As prices increase to heat and cool your home, you may want to incorporate this device into your house. It will save you money, and make your home more comfortable.