Solar Attic Fans
 

I am looking to have a solar attic fan installed. I've heard of two companies, Elite and Solar Guys. Elite will do the house with one larger fan and Solar Guys two fans and more money. I understand the concept of you get what you pay for. Has anyone used these or other companies that can be recommended? I am specifically concerned to lower the temp in my garage where I spend much of my time. Thanks in advance

Solar Guys are the best.

Honestly no need for a solar fan-get an electric fan/the cost of running a fan is really small & if anything goes wrong, it can be repaired from inside the attic.also it has a much greater CFM than any solar powered fan--finally you can buy a good one and any reputable roofer,electrical contractor can install it

IMHO, the cost of a solar fan-is a real loser -most people in the villages will never live long enough to justify the cost

When I was an electrical contractor-my company installed thousands of electric attic fans

I prefer an electric attic fan. They will have a temperature setting at the fan for when it should turn on and off. Some have a humidity setting also. I wired a switch to mine up North so if it was going to be an especially hot day I could manually turn it on before the heat built up in the attic. Open the attic stair access 6 or 8 inches and crack a window or gragage door to draw the heat out of the garage. I am wondering if an electrical device on the roof of my house will act as a lightning rod. A third alternative is a whole house fan in the garage ceiling exhausting into the attic which is probably a bad idea because if it is too powerful it could force air out the soffitt vents and potentually clog then with insulation.

If you are sold on a solar fan, Solar Guys is really the place to go.

When we lived in NJ we had a 42" Chelsea fan mounted in the gable with an electric vent controlled in tandem- when the fan came on our drapes would swing inside the house , if we used our a/c twice a year it was a lot this was a 4200 sq ft house in Chester Twp, NJ , I could not remember --the fan was amazing

Solar fans
 

Hi, this is my take on that. Here is what I did and it works well, since you want to be working in the garage.
I insulated the garage doors well, I had radiant barrier put in the attic through the ENTIRE HOUSE AND GARAGE, I opened the gable vents in each gable.
I found that this outfit does not insulate the garages, they do not have the gable vents installed, most of those are cosmetic! I am retired, we have had 10 homes in several states. I have never had a home without gable vents, NEVER. When they do a solar fan, they go through the roof, there is now a possible leak PATH.!!!!!! We had previously gotten close to an offer on a new home here, I wanted them to insulate the garage and open the end gable vents, they refused, so we did not buy that house. OK there is a firm called Gable Insulators, Bill McKenzie, a real great guy in Ocala, he will do the work for you and he understands the problems of heat transfer. For what is worth, my specialty in teaching in Mechanical Engineering was Heat Transfer. Once you open those gable vents then if you want, you can add a fan to circulate. You can screen the opening going to the attic if you have a pull down ladder, consider the flow there for winter and summer which is different. I have a piece of PVC pipe (15in.) used to hold the ladder panel open during the summer. This did a major reduction in our home temps, and our electric bills. You may find some here who will disagree with this, that is fine with me, I have heard all of that. More info if you like.
tedfloren35@yahoo.com bbbbbb :thumbup:

I installed a 120 vac power attic fan from the garage to the attic. Removed the glass in the garage door windows, and added screened vents. Fan is on a thermostat, only comes on when necessary, and RUNS AFTER DARK if necessary. Total cost under $250, works great. No roof penetrations, and the fan (1100 cfm) forces hot air OUT all of the existing roof vents and soffits.
I would be glad to show you my installation if interested, send me a PM.

VillageTinker, I'm interested in your setup. Is there any fire or building code against using your setup of a ventilation fan in the ceiling of the garage and venting to the attic? I see the Solar Guys have a model they sell that has a fused link that shuts some off the air flow if a certain temperature is reached. Your method would save a lot of $$ as long as it meets code.

Does your fan have a fire damper on it?

No fusible link, but that is a great idea, and I will probably add it. No damper, as right next to the fan is the 1/4 inch plywood for the attic stairs, which may also be considered a weak point for fire. I see the Solar Guys have a similar setup (above), I would suggest going with them.

Thanks, VT. Ill check out the system you installed. I know my next door neighbor had Solar Guys install Solar Attic fans. They recommended that he leave his attic stairs cracked open, as well as the garage window left slightly open as well. I don't like either of those recommendations.

I thought attic air is supposed to exit thru the ridge vents, with fresh air being drawn from the soffits. Does adding an electric fan change the intended direction of air flow?

When the fan is on, I am sure that I am moving a lot more air then the soffit/ridge vents and roof vents normally handle, so yes the flow on the soffit flow reverses, all other flows are the same but at a higher rate (higher heat removal).

Thanks VT. Why do you need more ventilation, to cool the attic, the house or the garage, all three?