Understanding Attic Fans: What Are They?

Have you ever heard a friend or family member talking about using an attic fan to help keep their house cool in the summer? If you’re not familiar with this handy house accessory, it’s time to take a look at what you’re missing. What is an attic fan?
Many homeowners think, “No one uses the attic, so why should I buy a fan to cool it off?” You might be surprised to learn that the temperature of your attic can negatively affect the temperature in the rest of your home. If you’re spending money to run your air conditioner while the attic stays scorching hot, your A/C must work overtime to continue to cool the rest of the house. So exactly what does an attic fan do? Read on to learn more about the benefits of these fans and why you might want to consider installing one in your home.

How Does an Attic Fan Work?

If you’re considering an attic fan for your home, you’re probably wondering, “How does an attic fan work?” The basic principle of these fans is that they push hot air out of attic spaces. An attic fan is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a fan installed on the ceiling of your attic. It works by drawing hot, humid air out of your attic and pushing it outside. This provides much-needed ventilation and is a powerful addition to your HVAC system.

Did you know that during the hot summer months, attic temperatures can exceed 160 degrees? Imagine the impact that has on the temperature of your home. So what does an attic fan do once it pushes hot air out? It also pulls air into the attic from the outdoors using the air vents you should already have installed in the eaves, soffits, or fascia. As the fan draws outdoor air into the attic, it vents hot, stale air out through attached dormers. In this way, the fan replaces the stifling air with fresh air, cooling the attic and, in turn, your living space below.

Benefits of Installing an Attic Fan

If your air conditioner and ceiling fans aren’t enough to keep your home cool during the summer months, or if you don’t want to keep your air conditioner on 24/7, it’s time to look at the many attic fan benefits you could enjoy.

So what does an attic fan do for you? Here are some of the benefits you can enjoy:

• Increased energy efficiency: Attic fans are incredibly efficient. They use a fraction of the electricity your air conditioning system uses. They also decrease your need for constant air conditioning. Both of these things can significantly lower your monthly utility bills, saving you money all year.
• Lower temperatures in your home: By removing the hot air that sits at the top of your house, an attic fan lowers the temperature in the rooms below, which then keeps the temperature lower throughout your home.
• Extended life of your roof: If you’ve ever climbed up into your attic during the summer, you know that’s where all the heat and humidity get stuck, which is the number one contributor to mold growth. Your roof will last significantly longer with improved ventilation and reduced humidity from attic fan use.
• Having a backup to your air conditioner: What will you do if your A/C breaks down during the summer? An attic fan can do some of the heavy lifting until a repair or replacement is made. If the unthinkable happens this summer and you’re without air conditioning, take a look at this blog for other tips to get by in the interim.

Are There Any Downsides to Attic Fans?

So what is an attic fan’s downside? While there aren’t any significant downsides to these fans as long as they are installed correctly, there are a few challenges that come with any large fan system running in your home. Those can include:

• Costs: The truth is that attic fans cost money, both to install and to run. However, any cooling device, including ceiling fans, box fans, house fans, and air conditioning units, comes with these costs. From the initial purchase and installation cost to the cost of the energy used to run them, cooling your home costs money. However, only you can decide what costs you can justify to keep your home cooler. As costs go, attic fans are on the lower end.
• Maintenance and Repairs: Anything mechanical requires both maintenance and repairs over time. That said, with regular maintenance, it will be less likely to need repairs. An attic fan is a fairly simple mechanism, but there will be some costs associated with maintaining it.
• Noise: Any cooling device will need to move air around, and that makes noise. Most attic fans do make noise, but because they’re up in the attic, that noise is typically fairly muffled and shouldn’t be any more significant than a house fan or air conditioner. If you find that your fan is making a lot of noise, it likely needs maintenance.

If an attic fan is not installed correctly, there can be problems, including roof leaks or incorrect air movement. The solution for this is to make sure you hire qualified professionals to install and maintain your fan. As long as you do that, you can enjoy a variety of attic fan benefits.

How to Know If An Attic Fan Is Right For Your Home

What is an attic fan going to need in order to work properly? To do its job correctly—that is, venting hot air out and bringing cool air in—there are several different factors to consider regarding installing a fan in your attic. Let’s take a look at some questions you can ask yourself to help you decide whether this type of fan is right for you and your home.

• Do you have the right climate? In order for an attic fan to work properly, you need cooler (and hopefully drier) air outside at night. In some climates, the temperature simply doesn’t drop enough for these fans to be effective.
• Do you have proper attic ventilation? To cycle air properly, you need an air intake located in the right place. Usually, these air intakes are located in the eaves, the fascia areas beneath the roof, or in the soffit. This air intake allows fresh, cool air to be drawn in when the hot air is pushed out.
• Do you find the upper levels of your house get too hot or cold? If your upper levels get stifling in the summer or freezing cold in the winter, an attic fan can help solve that problem. This can prevent the upper levels of your home from feeling uninhabitable in the hotter months, and it can also help prevent ice dams on your roof in the winter months.
• Do you wish your HVAC system was more efficient? An attic fan can compliment your HVAC system. It can help by supporting your air conditioning so it doesn’t have to work as hard to cool and by dispersing heat more efficiently through each level of your home.

If you’re still not sure whether an attic fan is right for you, speak with an HVAC professional. They can go through your home with you and help you determine whether this type of fan can offer the benefits you want in your home.

Choose Aire Serv For Attic Fan Installation Services

So, what is an attic fan going to do for you? Aire Serv^® can install an efficient attic fan in your home when you’re ready to take advantage of this powerful HVAC add-on and all the benefits that come with it. You can trust that we’ll install it correctly, too, because the Neighborly Done Right Promise^™ backs all of our services.

We’re your go-to source for all the things to help you keep cool this summer. Call or request an appointment online with one of our local experts, and you’ll be on the way to comfort. Breathe easier with Aire Serv.