Reasons You Need an Attic Fan in the Winter

Although when you think of buying an attic fan, it’s something that you may generally equate with needing in the summer months, it’s important to note that these pieces of equipment are just as important in the cold, winter months, if not even more so.

In the summer, you’ll need an attic fan to disperse hot air so it doesn’t accumulate and overheat your home. In winter, due to the accumulation of moisture as a result of huge variations in temperature, you could find that this is just as damaging to your property as the summer heat. The winter months can spell conditions such as wood rot, insulation damage, fungus and mold growth, as well as leaks coming into your home.

Thankfully, an attic fan is designed to both reduce summer heat, as well as reducing winter moisture issues. Let’s take a look at the dangers of moisture build up in your home, as well as how an attic fan can help prevent problems from arising.

Prevent Ice Dam Damage
In addition to the concerns already mentioned, if you live in a cold and snowy climate, ice dams are a common concern. These are created when hot air rises into the peak of your attic. Snow on the roof will then melt, and the water then flows downward towards the gutter and eaves, and consequently refreezes.

Over days, this can accumulate into a sizeable ice pile, subsequently creating a blockage that will prevent water from draining. As a result, water will get under the shingles, and can cause damage to your roof, ceilings, insulation, and walls.

Prevent Condensation
Throughout the winter months, heated indoors air collects the water vapor that’s created from washing dishes, cooking, doing laundry, and bathing. This moist air will then travel into your drier, and colder attic.

Even if your home has a vapor barrier, this air can get through any openings around your light fixtures, as well as attic entrances and bathroom exhaust fans into the top of your home’s structure.

This warm, moist air will eventually collect as frost or water droplets, and condensation will in time drip down onto the insulation below, rendering it far less effective. Due to this, loss of heat increases, the temperature decreases, and your entire living space will get colder, resulting in the need to increase your heating, which will make your energy bills higher.

An attic fan will equalize indoor and outdoor temperatures, preventing condensation build up. Buying one is also far more affordable than paying out for high home repair bills from doing nothing to protect your home in the winter.

Here at WholeHouseFan.com we offer both the QuietCool AFG ES-1500 Attic Fan and Attic Gable Fan QuietCool AFG PRO-3.0 3013 CFM, both of which are backed by a money-back guarantee.