Ridge Vent Vs Solar Fan

As warm air rises in your attic fresh air is drawn in through soffit vents.

Ridge vent vs solar fan.

Ridge vents are an ideal solution to ventilation in an ideal attic. Choosing a ridge vent or an attic fan. Without ventilation unfinished attic spaces can end up having stagnant air. When you are deciding between a ridge vent or an attic fan consider the needs of the attic.

Without any air movement temperatures in the attic soar in summer and plunge in winter. An attic fan is an active system that actually forces air out. Ridge vent vs solar attic fan. Which is better for your roof.

That depends on your roof. Purchasing an electric or solar attic fan may not provide the savings that homeowners expect. But they re much easier to install since no wiring is needed. Attic fans can also make a lot of noise.

Since your solar vent fan only moves 500 cfm a third to half that of a typical hardwired attic vent fan it probably won t move enough air to reverse the action of the ridge vent. That means you will need to double up your investment in this area. Also since the fan is powered by the sun it should turn off when the sky is overcast during a storm which will keep it from drawing rain into the attic. Unlike ridge vents attic fans use electricity and need regular maintenance to keep working properly.

A ridge vent or a solar attic fan. What makes ridge vents so effective is how they run the length of your roof. If air is drawn in through the ridge vent while it s raining it might pull rainwater in with it which could lead to leaking or mold in the attic. Combining an attic power vent fan with a ridge vent is usually not recommended because.

Solar powered attic vent fans usually don t move as many cubic feet of air per minute cfm as hardwired fans. Adding roof ridge vents can reduce summer air conditioning costs prevent roof mildew and rot and keep your roof in better shape longer. This is a solar panel supplying free electricity to the attic fan under the silver dome on the rear roof. It could reverse the natural flow of hot air out the ridge vent.

You will probably need two solar attic fans to get the results you want. Roof box vents and continuous ridge vents are separated by a few differences and deciding which one to put on your roof depends on which better fits the type and situational roof you have. Installing roof ridge vents and more attic insulation are better options experts say. In this back by popular demand article see the difference between roof box vents and continuous ridge vents.