How can a solar attic fan help you out in the dog days of summer?
Well, on a summer day your attic can reach temperatures of over 160°F.
Yikes.
Even though your attic is insulated, some of that heat will warm up your ceiling and raise the temperature in your living space.
The expansion of the hot air in the attic helps this warming process along and it can cause you discomfort in two ways:
1. The heat will keep you tossing and turning at night
2. The air conditioning bills will make your wallet uncomfortably empty
The main advantage of an attic fan is that it can reduce your air conditioning costs by up to 30%.
It does this by speeding up a process which is already at work in your attic.
Your home most likely already has vents in the attic that help with the circulation of air.
A fan in the attic accelerates this process and moves a lot more hot air out of your attic in a lot less time.
This keeps the heat from staying in your attic and trying to find a way into your comfortable house. This in turn allows your air conditioner to have a well-deserved break (which saves you money on your cooling bills).
Another advantage of a solar attic fan is that it can extend the life of the shingles on your roof. It does this by keeping your roof cooler all summer and not allowing the shingles to crack due to extreme heat.
Installing a solar powered fan has an advantage over a traditional attic fan because you don't have to worry about getting an electrician to run wire around your attic. You can choose the best spot for the fan and install it yourself in a day.
This can save money on labor as well as on all the extra wire.
There is quite a wide range of prices when it comes to solar attic fans and they can be a little more expensive than a traditional attic fan. You should easily make up for this extra cost with lower installation and electricity bills.
Also, you may want to look into purchasing an attic fan thermostat if you face cold winter temperatures. A thermostat will allow the fan to automatically shut off when it gets cool.
