Do You Need to Have an Attic Fan in the Winter?

Your attic fan is vital during the summer. It prevents the buildup of heat and moisture in your attic and saves you and your home from uncomfortable heat leeching into the rest of your home and preventable damages.

Also, if you ever need to go into your attic during the summer, it can save you from having to endure the unbearable summer heat that can accumulate in an unventilated attic.

But what about the winter season? Should you just close up your attic fan and leave it until the warm weather returns? It can’t possibly be a good idea to run the attic fan in the cold winter, right? Wrong. Below, we’ll explain why running your attic fan in the winter can provide some unique advantages.

Wet Insulation
Moisture accumulates in your attic during the wintertime as well. Moisture from cooking, showers, plants, and human life can build up in the attic during the winter. When it comes into contact with cold surfaces, it will condense.

Condensation on the insulation in your attic will reduce its thermal resistance, forcing your heater (and wallet) to work extra hard.

Rot, Mildew, & Mold
Moisture doesn’t stop there. Condensation in your attic can also cause the wood to rot and mildew and mold to start growing. Over time, this will eat through the structure of your attic and eventually require significant repairs.

Ice Dams
If you want to have a happy, healthy roof that’s structurally sound and doesn’t require repairs, you want to avoid ice dams at all costs.

Ice dams are pockets of ice that prevent melting snow, ice, and rain from running down a roof. As warm air builds up in your attic during the winter, it will start to heat up the ceiling and parts of the roof. If there’s any snow on your roof, pockets of it will begin to melt. Before all of the water can flow away, it freezes as it meets the unmelted snow, creating dams of ice that trap water onto your roof.

Pockets of ice and water on your roof are bad news and the best way to prevent it is by ventilating your attic with an attic fan.

The Attic Fan: The Best Option
We’ve seen what happens when you don’t use an attic fan in the winter. Turn it on throughout the season to prevent the buildup of heat and moisture.

Searching for the perfect attic fan for your home? Check out our collection here.