Attic venting keeps your attic cooler in summer and prevents moisture problems and ice dams from forming during the winter months.
An attic fan is an affordable upgrade to your home that can reduce your air-conditioning costs in the summer by as much as 40 percent, according to the EPA.
PROPER ATTIC VENTING
Good attic ventilation requires both intake and exhaust vents. An attic fan is a powered exhaust fan that rapidly exhausts air from your attic, at the same time drawing fresh air in from intake vents installed at the soffit of the roof.
Learn more about roof and attic venting here>
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT ATTIC FAN
Attic fans are categorized by CFM (cubic foot per minute), a measure of how much air can be moved per foot, per minute. The size of your attic will determine the CFM required for proper air exhaust.
To determine your attic size, multiply the width by the length of the attic floor and multiply the two. Example: 20’ wide by 50’ long (20 x 50= 1,000 square feet).
ATTIC FAN PLACEMENT
An attic fan is typically installed on the backside of the home, centrally located, 20 inches below the roof peak.
INTAKE AIR VENTS
Intake vents are required at the soffit of the roof and must be open and clear of debris. Intake vents allow fresh outdoor in to displace hot or moist air otherwise trapped in the attic. The average attic needs 600 square inches of net free air space to create proper cross ventilation
ATTIC FAN SETTINGS
In the Midwest, the attic fan thermostat should be set to activate at 90° F. Humidity controls are optionally available to help with high humidity and moisture in attics during winter and should be set at 85% humidity.
THE ATTIC EXPERTS
We offer turn-key attic fan installations. Interested in an attic fan? Consider The Attic Experts. We have installed thousands of attic fans in Chicago and all suburbs. We offer free attic inspections. Call us today at 630.941.3800