My attic is so hot in the summer. We decided to try to install a solar attic fan and we were wondering if you could give us advice on the best products and how to go about installing them? Is there anything else we can do to keep the heat down in our attic other than the fans?
Thank you
This is a great question. There are so many different types of attic ventilation out there and people that either want to help cool their homes
down or want to be able to remodel an attic to use the space for
storage or added living space, need to keep the attic as cool as
possible.
I am going to get right to your question. Solar Attic Fans are
becoming more common place and the very best ones incorporate both
solar and turbine technology. This way you are making use of both the
sun and the wind. Natural energy that provides the cooling you need
while using no energy and cost you nothing to run. What could be better
then that.
I have done research on this and believe that one of the best
products our there is the Aura Solar Powered Attic Fan. It does use
both the solar and turbine technologies and comes in a wide variety of
sizes and is pretty easy to install.
This fan really helps keep the heat out of the attic and works year
round, day and night. There is no assembly or wiring required and you
can order this item direct from the supplier and have it delivered to
your door. Plus if you are wondering what size unit to get, there is
even a ventilation calculator right on their website that is free to
use.
As far as the installation goes, the site provide complete
installation instructions with photos, so if you or someone you know is
handy at do-it-yourself projects, there should be not problem when it
comes to installing one of these fans. I am already planning on
installing one of these this summer.
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Tools required:
- Drill with 3/8 inch drill bit
- Template (Piece of cardboard cut to the diameter of the internal vent opening)
- Marking pencil, crayon or chalk
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- Saber saw
- Caulking gun with roofing cement
- Hammer
- Fasteners - Roofing nails or screws
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- CAUTION - For Attic Ventilation Only. Do Not Use To Exhaust Hazardous, Explosive Gasses or Vapors.
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1. Picking the location for the Aura Ventilator:
Choose a place that gets direct sunlight. Depending on accessibility,
make a mark inside or outside the attic with a marking pencil, crayon,
or chalk approximately 12 to 18 inches below the peak of the roof. Be
sure to center the mark between the roof rafters.
Hint: If the pilot hole is drilled from the attic, insert a nail,
screw, or pencil to help locate the position from the outside.
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| 2. Take
the vent’s square base (flange) out of the box. Position it over the
pilot hole so it is roughly centered, but line up the base so the row
of shingles meets the middle of the square base (flange). With a
marking pencil, crayon, or chalk reach into the inside of the vent base
(round inside part) and trace out a circle. This circle will be the
size of the opening that will be cut out of the roof. It should line up
with the throat of the vent. |
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3. Carefully cut a hole into the roof with a saber saw and remove the cut piece. Do not saw into a rafter.
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| 4. Apply
caulking or roofing cement to the bottom of the base (square Flange),
between each loosened shingle layer, and the cut-edge of the hole to
provide a water-tight seal. |
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| 5. Slide
unit so shingles cover half of the square base (flange). If there are
any nails or fasteners blocking the flange from moving into place, they
must be removed. |
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| 6. When
the vent is positioned and lined up over the opening, nail or screw the
flange 1/2 inch from the edge of the flange and 2 to 3 inches from the
center of the flange. To start fastening to the roof deck you first
nail or screw in the center of the flange and place your additional
nails or screws towards the corners of the flange until the lower part
of the square flange (the part that lies over the shingles) is fastened
to the roof. |
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7. Apply
roofing cement or caulking to all nail or screw heads and shingle
edges. Make sure all raised shingles have been thoroughly cemented,
nailed where possible, and pressed back into position.
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| 8. Take
the head of the vent and slide it over the upper round part of the base
(collar). Locate a black line on the upper portion of the collar.
Gently and evenly from all sides, tap or push the head of the vent
until its throat reaches the black line. |
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9. Four
(4) tech screws have been provided with this product to attach the head
of the Aura Vent to its base. Looking down at the vent once it is in
position, install a tech screw on the black line at 12 o’clock, 3
o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock.
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Congratulations, you are done! This is how your Aura Solar Fan should look:
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To find out more about this product please click on the following link. Aura Solar Powered Attic Fans
I hope this helps. Rick
Rick Maselli is Founder and Editor of Showroom411.com and Ask Rick