Attic Ventilation Fans Pros and Cons (Stop Overpaying Bills)

What do you use to burn your house’s furnace and heat your water? Is it propane (natural gas)? Well, getting an attic ventilation fan could put you at risk of being poisoned by carbon monoxide.

HICSI (Home Improvement Contractors of Staten Island) says that your powered attic fan could create a negative (or unfavorable) pressure inside the home. A negative air pressure means that the gases –those that get combusted to heat your water or burn your furnace – can get pulled into the house’s interior. One of the gases is carbon monoxide, and when inhaled, it could lead to a fatality.

So, how can you know whether your home is a negative-air-pressure zone? While the attic ventilation fan is running, open your window. If air is getting pulled towards the inside of the house, that is a sign of negative pressure.

There is no need to worry, though. You can mitigate this poisonous risk by following what the manufacturer directs. Importantly, make sure CO (carbon monoxide) detectors are installed. Each of the items needs to be fitted in each of the home’s levels. This should be your move to make if your garage is attached to the house or gas-burning appliances.

You don’t have to worry regarding the warning with the turbine-powered or solar-powered fans because they use less power.

Well, this downside comes about when the installation is done improperly. Since the fan requires you to make an opening in the roof, spaces left uncovered will invite unwanted items. I’m talking about rodents, snakes, insects, and even water intrusion.

A FEMA report captures the effects of a hurricane on a roof whose off-ridge vents got installed unprofessionally. If your attic fan is not fitted correctly, it can get flipped up. This will allow lots of water to enter your house. Too much water may make you incur damage to your carpet, kitchen cabinet, and gypsum boards.

This is an argument advanced against the idea of attic ventilation fans being energy efficient. Authors of a particular study say that although the unit may be energy-saving, thermostat attic fans’ operation may offset the gains. An attic fan with a thermostat may pull conditioned air away from the home’s interior.

In a report, an argument advanced by the National Bureau of Standards notes that attic fans do not save energy, mostly during hot temperatures. This is because, during the summer, the fan requires more energy to operate when the attic is quite heated.

It also takes too long to regain the money used in buying and installing the attic ventilation fan. I’m talking about 30 years of waiting.

This one applies to solar attic fans, which are dependent on the weather of the day. Most solar-powered attic fans do not support AC power sourcing, and so, they are solely reliant on the sun’s shine. An all-cloudy day means that the blades of the fan will stop spinning.

A heavily fat energy utility bill gets you scratching the back of your head way too hard. But, that won’t happen if you have installed a fan in your attic. As the unit vents humidly warm air in the house and replaces it with cooler air from outside, it saves you some money – mostly if you use air conditioners.

An attic fan will use around 75% of the power you need to run an air conditioner. This stat should tell you that a fan is a cooling option more affordable than an AC.

A special report by the Department of Commerce (US) and the National Bureau of Standards appraises the idea of saving with attic fans. Attic fans reduce the ceiling heat influx better than air conditioners, as they consume less power by the day compared to air conditioners.

If you have an AC, consider getting an attic fan. It will help you improve the longevity of the AC. How so? An AC works hard if you have a too-hot attic. The air conditioner will run more often, dramatically increasing your energy costs. The AC may not even last its average life expectancy of 15 years. But, you can ensure this happens by fixing an attic fan.

So, as you run your fan after sunset and watch a drop in those degrees, be sure to get a lighter bill.

This is one of the biggest, little-known tweaks of getting an attic fan. A house’s roof is an essential item, and knowing that your roof will last for a long time is a fulfilling thing.

If your house has asphalt roofing, you can prevent it from aging prematurely by getting attic fans. If the heat is unbearable in the attic, the color of the asphalt shingles will fade.
Asphalt is a material derived from crude oil. Without an attic fan, the overly-hot temperature will cook the roof’s shingles.

The US Department of Energy, through a scientific journal, acknowledges that ultraviolet radiation can alter the chemicals that make asphalt shingles. Some energy items from the sun break the chemical bonds. This breakage opens up a process called oxidation, which takes away the deep color of the shingles.

Imagine having a 20-year old roof that looks like it’s barely a toddler. You can only make this possible once you get an attic ventilation fan. Apart from fully-colored shingles, the wood sheathings will stay intact. In turn, this will prevent shingle ridging and bucking.

The US Department of Energy accedes, in a post, that fans provide comfort during the summer for many families.

You know how it works – a hot attic means that the rooms get warm. Sometimes, it may get too warm that you feel like you teleported to Miami. First, the sun heats the top of the roof. Then, the heat gets conducted through the woodwork into the attic. Even after the sun sets, the temperature will still seep under the sheets and torment your sleep.

If your attic is poorly ventilated, the walls of your attic may get vegetated by mold. And this could happen whether its winter or summer.

During hot summer, your AC will blow out cold air into the interior. When that happens, hot air forms in the attic. A meeting of these different degreed temperatures invites the chemical change known as condensation. Thus, the moisture and mustiness invite fungus growth, which feeds on the wooden parts in the attic.

So, how long will the attic even stand without an attic ventilation fan?

In a brief guide, the EPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) notes that mold can cause many health problems, such as allergic reactions. Also, the mold can produce irritants and other substances that are potentially toxic (mycotoxins).

By reducing moisture in the room below the roof, mold growth will get inhibited, thanks to an attic fan. The unit will make your house stand for longer.

Let me give you some pointers on ice damming, which happens during winter:

Ice damming is one strange phenomenon, but you can prevent it by getting an attic ventilation fan.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory expands the discussion on ice damming in a study. The building science issue brings about rot and mold. Also, the danger of a falling block of ice can lead to a severe injury. Also, the service life of many roofing component and material get dented by ice damming.

So, what does this ‘dam’ do? It causes the roof sheathing to get damaged by water. Also, the home’s walls – drywall, wood joists, et cetera – may get destroyed. By now, you know that water is an enemy, and mold-mildew is its weapon.

This pointer speaks specifically to attic fans that are powered by solar energy. You and I know that the sun is in abundance, and taking advantage will make you the greenest person.

Take yourself off the electrical grid and jump into renewable energy. Buying a solar attic fan will put you ahead all the time, especially when you do the cost-saving math.

The think tank REN21 reported in 2017 that around 19% of the global energy consumption depends on renewable energy such as solar power. More people are moving under the solar umbrella because it is not only cheaper but very efficient.

With the fan, you take a chance to contribute to a better planet by reducing your carbon footprint.

An attic fan can cools down your living space whenever the outside air outside is cooler than your home’s temperature. Some attic fans have thermostats, which only turn on when the air inside reaches a set temperature.

Depending on the level humidity, some fans may only run for a limited time, like 30 minutes, while others can stay on for more extended periods.

It would be best if you tried to open the windows before operating the fan to prevent putting stress on the fan motor. To avoid any long-term damage or wear, turn it off when you’re done, or let it turn itself off if it’s automatically set to shut off at a particular time.

If the fan comes with a thermostat, you can simply set it only to activate when the temperature hits a certain level.

All attic fans have their specified requirements for efficient attic ventilation to create the right balance of intake and exhaust air. So you should always make sure that your attic has adequate ventilation outlets for your fan.

If you aren’t sure if your attic is well ventilated for your fan to work effectively, then call in a roofing contractor in your area. They will check to determine that you have the proper amount of attic ventilation that is required.