Adding an attic fan may help to lower the ambient temperature in the attic but it s not an ideal solution.
How much does an attic fan help.
They can cool your home in less than an hour.
Of course if the attic fan isn t working correctly and is running all year long that would be a significant problem.
If the attic fan keeps the house cool enough so that the owners leave the ac off there is almost certainly an energy benefit.
However if your attic has blocked soffit vents and is not well sealed from the rest of the house attic fans will suck cool conditioned air up out of the house and into the attic.
An attic fan works by drawing in cool air to the attic space that pushes out the hot air through vents.
One better option for you is to seal and well insulate the ductwork and the unit itself check the owners manual for clearances needed especially for gas units.
Because you ll usually need two fans to create the results you want instead of a single traditional product your expenses are going to double.
The attic fans are fitted with thermostats that will switch on and off the fan depending on the homeowner s preference.
Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents soffit and gable and pushing hot air to the outside.
A typical fan can t do both the work of an attic and the whole house fan but a whole house fan does both.
An attic s intake vents are most commonly installed directly in the soffit either as individual vents spaced every few feet or as one continuous perforated soffit running the entire length of.
Just make sure you have the right climate to use one.
As stated above an attic fan can enable you to turn up your ac thermostat by as much as 10 degrees.
How does an attic fan work.
If the attic fan increases the comfort level of the house it may be worth it.
They can cool your home in less than an hour.
Attic ventilation fans help cool air your attic by pushing out the stifling hot air from inside the attic and bringing in cool air from outside.
This prevents hot air from seeping into your home and driving up the temperature in the living space which reduces the load on your air conditioner.
An attic fan may not reduce your air conditioning costs but a whole house fan is a different story.