PEARLAND Blog

How Can Solar Attic Fans Improve Your Comfort and Safety

Living in Southeastern Texas, you’re most likely familiar with how hot your attic can get in the summer. In some homes, it could even easily reach over 130 degrees! However, because heat rises, this space could feel uncomfortably stuffy and humid all year round. While that may not initially raise any warning flags, excessive heat and humidity could damage your home, insulation material, and even increase the risk of potential health hazards.

Solar attic fans help to reduce these risks (and potential repair costs). Attic fans are helpful ventilation tools that circulate airflow in the uppermost part of the house. These aren't complicated devices and solar-powered alternatives are helping to cut heating and cooling costs even more than their traditionally powered counterparts! These types of vents help to even out temperatures between the inside and outside, like exchanging hotter indoor air for cooler air from outside.

5 Benefits of Installing A Solar Attic Fan

1. Ventilation & Circulation

True or false: too much insulation and air sealing don’t let your home “breathe” and can create a stuffy environment.

Many homeowners mistake this common myth for a true fact! On the contrary, properly installed insulation and air sealing won’t disrupt the quality of your home’s ventilation. Instead, there are a number of other systems that contribute to proper airflow, which allows the insulation and air sealing material to regulate temperature.

An attic fan is one system that significantly contributes to improved ventilation and circulation in a building. These fans and vents help to circulate indoor and outdoor air, like exchanging unwanted heat for cooler air in the summer. This is more helpful in creating a healthy, “breathable” home than skipping out on your air sealing.

2. Less Moisture

Attic fans aren't only used as traffic guards for incoming and outgoing air. They also work to reduce moisture collection by dissipating humidity or condensation that could cause mold growth and water damage build-up.

This is incredibly important throughout cooler months when heat within your attic is competing with the cold air meeting your roof. When airflow is regularly circulated, the attic fans help to reduce moisture build-up that results from the contact of the two different temperatures creating condensation.

Unfortunately, because the attic is typically rarely visited, mold is a common issue in this area that is overlooked. When you schedule regular evaluations of your home’s insulation and air sealing, local industry professionals can help to catch potential problem areas before they create health hazards and excessive property damage. Properly installed and maintained attic fans exponentially reduce these risks by additionally minimizing potential damage to the insulation material in your attic.

3. Environmentally Friendly

We've discussed how effective attic fans in general can be at improving your comfort and safety. Solar attic fans have even more benefits, with one of the primary advantages being that they're an environmentally friendly option.

Solar energy is a great renewable resource to take advantage of, especially in Southeast Texas. Using sustainable energy sources over powered machines is one way to have a positive impact on your local impact.

On top of being an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional attic fans, this energy efficiency also provides a great return on investment opportunity! These fans help to reduce the work your HVAC system puts in to regulate temperature, which means your air conditioner and furnace run less. There are also typically little to no operating costs for solar attic fans since they operate on solar energy. This means you won't be at an additional cost to your regular bills for operation!

4. Quiet Operation

Traditionally powered attic fans tend to create additional noise, a primary reason why some homeowners pass up an installation opportunity. Luckily, the operation of most types of solar attic fans is silent. These ventilators are typically able to run at a low level in order to keep your home comfortable throughout the year.

Unlike their solar components, powered attic fans may produce excessive background noise. They can also usually be heard when the device is stopping or starting. An attic fan is electronically connected to a machine in the home that, in most cases, receives information from the thermostat. Therefore, especially throughout the hotter months of the year, you can expect to hear powered ventilators kick on and stay running.

5. Easier Installation

If you’re worried about a potentially long and intrusive installation, fear not! Luckily, solar attic fans are relatively simple to install for experienced individuals. On the one hand, it’s not necessarily easy for most homeowners to DIY because of the roof penetration required. However, when you hire your local industry experts to give you a hand with the process, the installation can be done quickly and safely without causing damage to the rooftop and surrounding area.

On top of a quick and simple installation process, you won’t need to additionally hire an electrician to wire the solar attic fan into your home. These are standalone devices because they run on solar energy, which means they don’t need to be wired into the system of the house.

Finally, this can also contribute to a visual appeal. These ventilators don’t need the additional components sticking out of the attic that you’re more likely to find on traditional devices. This gives solar attic fans a lower profile on your roof, resting only a couple of inches instead of a foot over the tiling or shingles.

Improving Your Comfort & Safety with Local Experts

Improving your home’s temperature regulation is about more than just updated insulation and air sealing. You additionally need to be mindful of other systems in your home that contribute to airflow and ventilation! Installing a solar attic fan can not only provide more comfort and safety to your household but it can also reduce the risk of damage to your insulation, increasing the lifespan of the material. For more information about solar attic fans and ventilation, contact Koala Insulation of Pearland today to schedule your free evaluation.