How Do Attic Fans Cool?

Homeowners today need every edge you can get over high energy bills. Throughout much of the country, including California, summertime can throw some wicked temperatures in your direction. That’s why it’s so important to consider the benefit of installing attic fans in your home or replacing older attic fans that may not be as effective, quiet, or energy efficient as newer models available.

Why are Attic Fans Important?

Attic fans are best known for knocking down attic temperatures by a good 30-40 degrees during the hottest hours of the day. Most people don’t realize the “trickle-down” benefit this action has on budgets and keeping homes cool.

The air inside the average attic has nowhere to go. When the sun is beating down on California rooftops, the attic becomes an oven with hot air trapped between sizzling hot shingles above and a thick layer of insulation below. It sits, and steams, and bakes the shingles even more. This hot attic leads to an increased frequency for roof replacements.

Current estimates are thatreducing the living area temperature in your home by 10 degrees can net a 30 percent reduction in cooling costs for your home. Of course, this assumes you have proper insulation and venting in your home to help draw the hot air out without bringing the cold, air conditioned air into your attic. Homeowners who install solar-powered attic fans enjoy even greater energy savings.

Another, almost unintended benefit, of attic fans help with ventilation to help draw moisture out of the attic. This prevents mold and mildew from forming in your attic, and any items stored in your attic, and helps to extend the life of your roof.

But How Do Attic Fans Keep Things Cool?

Attic fans are powerful fans that operate by expelling the hot air from inside your attic through vents leading to the air outside your home. The attic fan itself does not cool the entire home on its own. It contributes to the process by drawing air from outside the home, which is typically cooler than the air inside the attic, into the home and pushing out air that is much hotter.

A whole house fan pulls a greater amount of air from all areas of the home and pushes the warmer air out. Whole house fans require homeowners to open windows in order to be effective and are excellent sources for bringing fresh air into the home while eliminating pollutants and staleness in the air inside the home.

Whether you choose to buy an attic fan, a whole house fan, or both, the cooling benefits each one provides can help drive the temperatures lower in your home throughout the summer months while providing many other benefits to your home, your family, and your health.

Looking to purchase an attic fan to keep your attic and home cool? Check out the QuietCool AFG ES-1500 Attic Fan!