Posts Tagged ‘Attics’

Solar power vents attics benefits

Solar powered attic vents can be used to control heat and moisture. Today there are alternatives to roof louvers that are smart and effective. The solar varieties work of the principal of solar energy. These collect the energy from the rays of the sun during your day when your attic is at its warmest. Using this energy, it generates electricity. This electricity is used to operate an extremely high energy efficient motor that is placed inside the power vent. So what does this mean to you?

You are generating free electricity and getting free power! You are not only reducing the total usage of electricity in your house but you are also using a source of energy that is renewable and works without leaving waste.There are many types. The roof mounted is one of them. This has a durable high quality two piece construction. This utilizes a solar panel that will collect the rays from the sun and convert it into electricity.

This unit will     be used to operate a 24 volt DC motor that is housed in the inside of the power vent. These units are rust resistant and a have a steel dome that is galvanized. These are pretty low profile too. The solar panels are usually located in a separated location from the dome or the roof. There is no separate electrical outlet or installation that is required. Also this will work from sunrise to sunset without costing you any money.
The next type is the gable mounted type. This type is used in conjunction with the solar gable attic fans.

The best part about these solar vents is that the installation of them is really simple. There is no electrical hookup required. This will save you all the trouble from finding a low priced electrician because there are no complicated wirings that you would have to deal with.  All that you need to do is secure the solar panel and the fan. After they are secure, all that is required is the connection of a simple plug from one to another. These systems can be conveniently mounted on your home’s gable and hidden behind a decorative shutter. Also the solar panel will come with brackets. You can use these brackets to mount it on the roof easily.     The solar panels will absorb the incoming rays of the sun and convert it into electricity.

The main advantage of using solar vents is that you can save tons on the electricity that you would otherwise use on cooling or heating your home. You are not only conserving energy but also you are making use of a renewable source of energy that does not leave any waste behind. Also these will help to prevent moisture damage to your attic. Normally moisture would enter your attic through daily activities like laundry cooking or bathing. This moisture would get into your attic and cause damage. Using such a setup would prevent such damage by preventing them moisture to accumulate in the first place.

Aaffordable Insulators & Services offers you various insulators like Attic Insulation, solar power attic vent installers solar roof ventilation and also it provide you the details about the installation & removal of those insulators.For More details Visit www.aaffordableinsulators.com & contact 832-236-4046 E-mail id affordableinsulators@yahoo.com .

Shingles, Framing and Siding Affected by Attic Ventilation

An estimated 90 percent of North American homes have improper attic ventilation. One reason for this is that most homeowners are unaware of its importance. During the summertime, improper ventilation causes temperatures in the attic to build up beyond 160 degrees F. This very hot air eventually passes through the home’s insulation into the living area beneath it. While the homeowner may recognize that the attic is hot, they may not know just how hot it can become.

Excess heat can damage a home in a variety of ways, including damage to both exterior and interior paint. Other items that can be affected are wallpaper and exterior siding. Wood framing may warp, crack or break down. This can also result in what have been dubbed fried shingles, or the premature aging of a home’s roofing system.

When properly ventilated, there is continual airflow from the outside through the attic. The air intake is balanced between the soffits, or eaves, and the air exhaust, which is found at or near the roof’s ridge. This protects the insulation’s efficiency and helps to lower the living space temperature in the area below.

An attic with proper ventilation helps to reduce energy costs by lowering the load on a home’s air conditioning unit. The vents move the air out of the attic before it builds up, causing damage.

During winter months, moisture can increase in attics without proper ventilation. This is often caused by vapors from appliances, as well as by showering and bathing. When condensation accumulates, it can fall on attic insulation and soak the material, making it less efficient. Excess moisture accumulating in an attic can cause shingles to buckle and mildew to grow.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) recommends using a minimum of one square foot of ventilation in the attic for every 300 square feet, dividing the vent area evenly between the intake and exhaust. A roofing contractor can assist the homeowner in calculating the proper ratio, if necessary.

There are a variety of products available to ensure proper ventilation of the home’s attic. Exhaust items include rigid vents with snow guards, turbines, fans and roof louvers. There are solar-powered models, electric one and even some using dual power sources. Similar vent items are available as intake products for attics and other home areas, such as foundation vents, fans for the whole house and gable louvers. For those seeking ventilation and protection from snow for their chimneys as well, reliable roofers can help steer them in the right direction with roof caps, safety caps and other accessories.

Author writes about a variety of topics. If you would like to learn more about roofing contractors, visit http://www.gaf.com/.

Solar Attic Fan

Solar Powered Fan Attic – $ 399.00

Attics are an important part of the house and therefore need to be kept clean and cool as a warm and moist attic can make the entire house warm. Therefore venting of the attic is extremely important and attic fans are very useful for the purpose.

Venting of the attic in the proper manner extends the material life and keeps the attic cool. This in turn reduces load on the air conditioning system of the house. Circulation of fresh air is increased and vapor generated by daily activities is reduced significantly.

Moisture that remains trapped in the attic is very harmful not only for the attic but the entire house. It leads to the build up of mold and bacteria which can hamper the freshness of the air. This can lead to respiratory disorders. Therefore attic venting is an important aspect that must be taken care of.

Solar attic fans are the best solution for the venting of the attic. Using the solar power entirely, these solar fans provide worry and maintenance free cooling of the attics. Maintaining the circulation of fresh air, these solar fans are available on amazon.com. There are many models of the solar attic fans on offer and each has its own unique features and benefits.

Some of the features of the solar attic fans as provided by amazon.com are:

? As the name implies, these solar attic fans are entirely powered by the sun

? The fans reduce the heat and warmth from the attics, thus in turn keeping the entire house cool. This further reduces the load on the air conditioners leading to savings on electricity bills.

? Environment friendly products

? Maintenance free

? Cooling at no cost since sun powers the fans

Uses of the solar attic fans:

During summer months: the attic temperatures during the summer months can rise dramatically leading to the entire house being hot and humid. Passive roof vents are not able to dissipate the heat adequately. Thus solar attic fans are the right product for such conditions.

During winter months: during the winter months when ice settles on the roof, the air trapped in the attics cause it to melt and trickle down. When the ice reaches the cooler eaves it again freezes, leading to ice damming which is not only costly but destructive too. Therefore fans for the attic are helpful in maintaining a warm temperature during the winter months.

During normal weather conditions: besides the extreme weather conditions, temperatures in the attic usually remain high as the daily chores like cooking and showering produce vapor which if not dissipated correctly can lead to moisture remaining in the attic. This can lead to rotting of the wood and rusting of the iron. Therefore fans in the attic are helpful in maintaining fresh air and preventing such problems

Amazon.com has a wide variety of such solar attic fans and one can choose from the model and make as required. You can easily find fans for more than 20% off that will be shipped right to your door.

Find great deals online on the very best solar attic fan and attic exhaust fans.

Proper Attic Ventilation Is Key For A Comfortable Home

Why do I need proper attic ventilation?

Attics can reach a stifling 165 degrees in the Midwest summers and even higher temperatures in the south. Ventilation exhausts this hot air to the outside and serves to keep the home more comfortable. Also, ventilation helps to protect other parts of the structure such as roof framing and sheeting.

I’ve found that standard passive ventilation like ridge vents and punched aluminum soffit vents do not work well. I’ve cut into enough roofs and felt the hot air rush out.

What about insulation?

Insulation prevents the conduction of heat from warmer to cooler areas.

The thicker the insulation, the longer it takes to equalize the temperature on both sides. In a 150 degree attic with a 70 degree second floor, the insulation will be somewhere between this.

At night as the attic begins to cool, the insulation will hold the heat and therefore will even be hotter that the attic air.

Ductwork in attic?

If you have a 2 story house, odds are you have ductwork somewhere in your attic buried beneath the insulation.

If your air conditioning is properly tuned, there will be a 20 degree drop against the A-coil. Meaning if the air returning to the blower compartment is 72 degrees then the air above the coil should be 52. Just a side note: having a 20 degree drop doesn’t mean your system is dialed in, but not having the drop confirms it. Losing just 5 degrees of heat from the plenum (top of furnace) to the upstairs vents cuts your effective capacity 25%. The hotter the attic means the larger amount of temperature loss, leaving the insulation even hotter. A 12 degree temperature loss is not uncommon, meaning a loss of 60% of capacity.

Here is a typical scenario: The home empties out in the morning and the thermostat raises up to 80 degrees. As it gets warmer throughout the day the attic gets hotter and the insulation gets even more so. At 430pm, the thermostat is set to drop the temperature to 70 degrees. It is 77 degrees in the house, meaning that the discharge temperature at the coil is 57 degrees. And because your a/c is probably not tuned correctly, that 57 degree air might be 61 degrees when it hits the hot duct in the attic and could be 71 degrees at the vent, leaving your poor a/c to run constantly in a futile attempt to cool the house.

Though its cooling off outside, your left fuming inside because your house won’t cool off for several more hours.

What’s the Solution?

The solution is better ventilation, specifically, mechanical ventilation. Solar powered fans do not work. They simply don’t move enough air around, possibly cutting the temperature by 5 degrees, but it won’t be enough for you to notice.

A quality fan that is installed correctly should have at least a 1500 cfm rating. The fan should be installed in a gable wall preferably with a vent in an opposite wall. Thermostat controls in the attic will turn on the fan whenever the attic is above 90 degrees and the attic is hotter than the outside air. Look carefully at the picture: if the fan is installed like this it will not work and will probably curse me for leading you astray. The vent needs to be sealed completely with aluminum, plywood, ductboard, etc around the fan ducting to be effective.

Aaron@onhomecomfort.com
http://www.onhomecomfort.com

Solar Attic Fans – DIY Renewable Energy You Can Afford!

I hear all too often that people are hesitating to move towards renewable energy because of costs. There are a number of small changes you can make that are not expensive that will make a huge change in your home’s overall efficiency and comfort. A solar attic fan is one of the easiest and most effective renewable energy investments you can make in your home.

Why would you use a solar attic fan?

Well, many people already use exhaust fans in their peaked attics or crawl space. The air in these spaces becomes very hot, and by conduction, that heat passes through to the rooms below. This can increase the need for air conditioning and other energy using cooling methods or just make your house hotter during the summer which is uncomfortable. By exhausting the hot air, you reduce conduction and keep your home cooler consequently reducing power consumption in cooling.

In the fall, winter and spring, solar attic fans can also improve ventilation and reduce moisture in the air of your attic which protects anything you have up there as well as your insulation which will be far more effective when dry and well ventilated. Normal attic fans are wired into the AC power of your home while solar attic fans take their power from the very sun that is heating your attic air. If you already have a traditional attic fan in your home, a solar attic fan is an easy investment that will save you money in the long run and set a great example to others in your community.

Depending on your roof configuration, you’ll be able to find a solar attic fan that will meet your need. Some units are self contained and have the fan and the solar panel in the same unit and must be roof mounted while others are designed for separate installation – meaning the solar panel can be mounted in one location and the fan can be mounted in another.

Solar attic fans are absolutely feasible for most DIY enthusiasts. There are several things you need to take into consideration before choosing the solar attic fan for you.

If your roof peaked or flat?
Is your home oriented properly for solar exposure?
Do you have non-shaded area for the solar panel mount?
Do you have a proper air intake to offset the air being blow out (you don’t want a vacuum)?

Solar attic fans run in cost from $300 to $600. If you have someone handy in your home, they can probably complete the entire installation – in face this is a great starter project for renewable energy enthusiasts. You can also have solar attic fans installed by a professional contractor, roofer or handyman if you are so inclined. So if you’re looking for a quick, inexpensive and fairly easy way to make your home more efficient for the summer time, then consider a solar attic fan! Your home will be cooler, your attic will be dryer and more comfortable and you won’t be using any electricity to make it happen!

Blair Stephens is a copywriter and renewable energy enthusiast.

Solar Attic Fans – DIY Renewable Energy You Can Afford!

I hear all too often that people are hesitating to move towards renewable energy because of costs. There are a number of small changes you can make that are not expensive that will make a huge change in your home’s overall efficiency and comfort. A solar attic fan is one of the easiest and most effective renewable energy investments you can make in your home.

Why would you use a solar attic fan?

Well, many people already use exhaust fans in their peaked attics or crawl space. The air in these spaces becomes very hot, and by conduction, that heat passes through to the rooms below. This can increase the need for air conditioning and other energy using cooling methods or just make your house hotter during the summer which is uncomfortable. By exhausting the hot air, you reduce conduction and keep your home cooler consequently reducing power consumption in cooling.

In the fall, winter and spring, solar attic fans can also improve ventilation and reduce moisture in the air of your attic which protects anything you have up there as well as your insulation which will be far more effective when dry and well ventilated. Normal attic fans are wired into the AC power of your home while solar attic fans take their power from the very sun that is heating your attic air. If you already have a traditional attic fan in your home, a solar attic fan is an easy investment that will save you money in the long run and set a great example to others in your community.

Depending on your roof configuration, you’ll be able to find a solar attic fan that will meet your need. Some units are self contained and have the fan and the solar panel in the same unit and must be roof mounted while others are designed for separate installation – meaning the solar panel can be mounted in one location and the fan can be mounted in another.

Solar attic fans are absolutely feasible for most DIY enthusiasts. There are several things you need to take into consideration before choosing the solar attic fan for you.

If your roof peaked or flat?
Is your home oriented properly for solar exposure?
Do you have non-shaded area for the solar panel mount?
Do you have a proper air intake to offset the air being blow out (you don’t want a vacuum)?

Solar attic fans run in cost from $300 to $600. If you have someone handy in your home, they can probably complete the entire installation – in face this is a great starter project for renewable energy enthusiasts. You can also have solar attic fans installed by a professional contractor, roofer or handyman if you are so inclined. So if you’re looking for a quick, inexpensive and fairly easy way to make your home more efficient for the summer time, then consider a solar attic fan! Your home will be cooler, your attic will be dryer and more comfortable and you won’t be using any electricity to make it happen!

Blair Stephens is a copywriter and renewable energy enthusiast.