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Attic fan question
I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback.
We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email |
Attic fan question
"Jan Philips" wrote in message ... I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email I have the same two attic fans not working problem, but haven't had the problem of the upstairs A/C not keeping up. I too have two-zone HVAC. It's too early for me to tell if there is a noticeable difference in my electricity bill, and after spending almost $800 5 years ago to have my two fans installed, the question for me is, will yet another $800 investment ever realize a return on investment of saved A/C over time. I now plan to replace my fans (again). Two factors: 1. How much longer do you expect to live in your current house before (if ever) moving. 2. If you eventually move, you will be required to repair/replace your attic fans beforehand, unless you negotiate with the buyer some type of credit for not replacing them yourself. At that point you might as well repair/replace them a few years beforehand to at least get some value out of your investment. You might also want to have more insulation installed in the attic, and make sure that the attic access door is covered with a large bat of insulation to keep hot air from leaking into your upstairs through the access door. Just move it out of the way when needing to enter the attic. I did this two years ago (added more attic insulation and a large bat at the access door) and have noticed an improvement. Is the A/C not keeping up solely due to the attic fans? In other words, did you not have this problem when one or both attic fans were working? I would be surprised and would think the main issue is not enough insulation and inadequately insulated attic access door. You could also consider some type of reflective material on the underside of your roof at the top of the attic. You might want to consult an insulation company for their recommendations. In the long run you'll need to get your fans repaired or replaced, especially if you sell and move. |
Attic fan question
On 2010-06-28, Jan Philips wrote:
It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? Yes, if you want the upstairs to be cool. They worked in the first place, so should work in the second place. If you don't run the AC and just let the upstairs remain unlivable, no loss. If you run the AC, you are overworking it to early failure and wasting money unnecessarily. Replacing/repairing the attic fans will more than pay for itself. nb |
Attic fan question
Jan Philips wrote:
I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? Hmmm, You already know the answer to your question. Why waste time asking? That's very funny. |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:25:09 -0600, Tony Hwang
wrote: You already know the answer to your question. Why waste time asking? That's very funny. Because, as I said, I'm not sure. -- Replace you know what by j to email |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 10:48*am, Jan Philips
wrote: On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:25:09 -0600, Tony Hwang wrote: You already know the answer to your question. Why waste time asking? That's very funny. Because, as I said, *I'm not sure. * -- Replace you know what by j to email You might want to figure out why the fans only lasted a few years before replacing them. |
Attic fan question
"Jan Philips" wrote in message
... I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. stuff snipped The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? Absolutely. Think of a car with its windows rolled up tight and how hot it gets v. one with the windows wide open. That huge amount of hot air in your attic needs to be vented, and fan venting (with a pull/push arrangement) will cool things down tremendously. -- Bobby G. |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:06:54 -0400, Jan Philips wrote:
I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? You're joking, rigiht? Fan fails, temps go way up and you wonder if you should replace the fans? Only replace them if 120 bothers you. |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:50:37 -0700 (PDT), "hr(bob) "
wrote: You might want to figure out why the fans only lasted a few years before replacing them. The house was built 13 years ago by someone else. If they were put in when it was built, they lasted 11-12 years. -- Replace you know what by j to email |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:48:22 -0400, Jan Philips wrote:
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:25:09 -0600, Tony Hwang wrote: You already know the answer to your question. Why waste time asking? That's very funny. Because, as I said, I'm not sure. Don't replace them. Wait until you try to sell the house and you're forced to replace them as required repairs. You wouldn't want to enjoy the comfort provided in the meantime. Spend the money on table fans instead. When you get a good sweat going, the table fans will really cool you down. |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:48:22 -0400, Jan Philips
wrote: You already know the answer to your question. Why waste time asking? That's very funny. Because, as I said, I'm not sure. For instance, someone could tell me that if it is only 120 up there, attic fans wouldn't help, but they would at 130. -- Replace you know what by j to email |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 8:06*am, Jan Philips
wrote: I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. *The second story of our house was built into the attic. *The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. *The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. *About *a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. *The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. *The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. *It gets over 120F in the attic. * It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email As I understand it you made the attic into a living space so my advise is forget the attic fans. In fact close off the holes from them and insulate the heck out of the whole attic. Don’t leave any place between the attic and the outside that is not very well insulated, turn on you A/C and enjoy. |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 11:06:54 -0400, Jan Philips
wrote: I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? Where I come from, attic fans mean fans between the attic and the floor below. And are only turned on after it gets cooler outside. Fans in the roof are called somehting I forget that I consider ambiguous. I call them roof fans. I think if that's what you meant that would be far less consufins. I'm had one for 27 years. Someimes the motor lasts 8 or 10 years, one as little as two. That's the way the first two were and they both came from the fan manufacturer. I haven't tried to oil or repair them. Can they be oiled? Now I buy motors locally at Eledric Motor Repair. The current fan is maybe 8 years old, Maybe, just maybe if I had more insultatoin in the floor of my attic, I wouldn't benefit from my roof fan, but when the fan is broken, it's much hoter on the second floor, as you can see yourself |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 11:20*am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis"
wrote: "Jan Philips" wrote in message ... I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. *The second story of our house was built into the attic. *The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. *The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. *About *a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. *The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. *The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. *It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email I have the same two attic fans not working problem, but haven't had the problem of the upstairs A/C not keeping up. *I too have two-zone HVAC. *It's too early for me to tell if there is a noticeable difference in my electricity bill, and after spending almost $800 5 years ago to have my two fans installed, the question for me is, will yet another $800 investment ever realize a return on investment of saved A/C over time. I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. Worth looking into. Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. (BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) nate |
Attic fan question
"Jan Philips" wrote in message ... I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email Fixed, not necessarily replaced. A new motor is one heck of a lot cheaper than a complete new install. If you do replace the units read your new warranty carefully. A lot of the fan makers will provide a new motor for a failed one for as long as you own the house. And yes, I have collected on that warranty at least twice. -- Colbyt Please come visit http://www.househomerepair.com |
Attic fan question
N8N wrote:
On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. Worth looking into. Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. (BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. |
EEK! Attic fan question
Molly Brown wrote:
As I understand it you made the attic into a living space so my advise is forget the attic fans. In fact close off the holes from them and insulate the heck out of the whole attic. Don’t leave any place between the attic and the outside that is not very well insulated, turn on you A/C and enjoy. Don't think so. The more the attic space can be ventilated, the better. Most homes have ridge vents or whirly-gig thingamajigs. A significant number have attic exhaust fans. Whichever scheme you use (and you can use more than one - I have both ridge vents and whirling dervishes) remember Axiom I of attic ventilation: You can't have too many soffit vents. One pundit advised COVERS for the soffit vents to be put in place during hurricanes, much like storm windows, so that giant wind gusts won't blow off the roof. Sounds reasonable. (During Hurricane Yikes, I did have one whirlie gizmo blow off.) |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 3:33*pm, "HeyBub" wrote:
N8N wrote: On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. *Worth looking into. *Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. *(BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. Good advice, but if the fan ain't working, it's going to be brutally hot even after dark. Maybe if you have one of those cheap box fans strap it to a truss or something if you can. Attics would be an awesome application for LED lighting. Mine currently has 500W of construction lights up there, which put off more heat than you'd think. Even working up there in December, I was comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. If I have to go back up there again soon I'll be unscrewing all but one or two bulbs. nate |
Attic fan question
"N8N" wrote in message ... On Jun 28, 3:33 pm, "HeyBub" wrote: N8N wrote: On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. Worth looking into. Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. (BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. Good advice, but if the fan ain't working, it's going to be brutally hot even after dark. Maybe if you have one of those cheap box fans strap it to a truss or something if you can. Attics would be an awesome application for LED lighting. Mine currently has 500W of construction lights up there, which put off more heat than you'd think. Even working up there in December, I was comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. If I have to go back up there again soon I'll be unscrewing all but one or two bulbs. nate *********** reply ************* Good advice from both of you but a roof mounted attic fan motor ( my assumption) is replaced from the roof, not the attic. Four 1/4" screws and pull the dome off. -- Colbyt Please come visit http://www.househomerepair.com |
Attic fan question
On 06/28/2010 05:22 PM, Colbyt wrote:
wrote in message ... On Jun 28, 3:33 pm, wrote: N8N wrote: On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. Worth looking into. Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. (BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. Good advice, but if the fan ain't working, it's going to be brutally hot even after dark. Maybe if you have one of those cheap box fans strap it to a truss or something if you can. Attics would be an awesome application for LED lighting. Mine currently has 500W of construction lights up there, which put off more heat than you'd think. Even working up there in December, I was comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. If I have to go back up there again soon I'll be unscrewing all but one or two bulbs. nate *********** reply ************* Good advice from both of you but a roof mounted attic fan motor ( my assumption) is replaced from the roof, not the attic. Four 1/4" screws and pull the dome off. I was envisioning something like I have which is more correctly called a "gable fan" - looks like just a box fan set inside the gable vent with a little shroud around it. If the OP has one of those there's no way around it, you gotta do it from inside the attic. Would have been nice if the POs of my house had installed the things you describe when they put on a metal roof, but they didn't. OF course replacing one of those would involve being 30 feet or more in the air on possibly slick metal, so there's other concerns involved there... nate -- replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply. http://members.cox.net/njnagel |
Attic fan question
Molly Brown wrote:
On Jun 28, 8:06 am, Jan wrote: I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email As I understand it you made the attic into a living space so my advise is forget the attic fans. In fact close off the holes from them and insulate the heck out of the whole attic. Don’t leave any place between the attic and the outside that is not very well insulated, turn on you A/C and enjoy. Whoa! Is that a new theory? I don't think so. Insulation is good but good venting is necessary. Remember heat(hot air) rises. You are looking for condensation or frost w/o vent. |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:40:29 -0700 (PDT), N8N wrote:
On Jun 28, 3:33*pm, "HeyBub" wrote: N8N wrote: On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. *Worth looking into. *Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. *(BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. Good advice, but if the fan ain't working, it's going to be brutally hot even after dark. Maybe if you have one of those cheap box fans strap it to a truss or something if you can. I have a box fan and two oscillating fans in my attic. I'm trying to finish off the space into a shop (to be converted to another bedroom when/if we move). I have another day or two of work up there before I knock it off for the summer. It is already *hot* up there and it will get worse soon (I live in Alabama). Attics would be an awesome application for LED lighting. Mine currently has 500W of construction lights up there, which put off more heat than you'd think. About 1/2 kW each. ;-) Even working up there in December, I was comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. If I have to go back up there again soon I'll be unscrewing all but one or two bulbs. I have three dual tube fluorescent and three 60W bulbs in mine (about 450sq.ft.). I was using 300W halogens work lights but the light is too concentrated and there were too many shadows. The fluorescent are a great addition. |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 5:22*pm, "Colbyt" wrote:
"N8N" wrote in message ... On Jun 28, 3:33 pm, "HeyBub" wrote: N8N wrote: On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. Worth looking into. Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. (BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. Good advice, but if the fan ain't working, it's going to be brutally hot even after dark. *Maybe if you have one of those cheap box fans strap it to a truss or something *if you can. Attics would be an awesome application for LED lighting. *Mine currently has 500W of construction lights up there, which put off more heat than you'd think. *Even working up there in December, I was comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. *If I have to go back up there again soon I'll be unscrewing all but one or two bulbs. nate *********** reply ************* Good advice from both of you but a roof mounted attic fan motor ( my assumption) is replaced from the roof, not the attic. Four 1/4" screws and pull the dome off. Nope, from the inside. If you can find the same size fan that will fit the existing housing and you don't have to replace the entire unit. |
Attic fan question
With the US governemnt, they appear to love disasters, and people
depending on government for welfare. Using that perspective and world view, you should leave your fans broken. You should then go take a fire axe, and chop up your outdoor units. Do not allow anyone to repair them, in violation of the Jones act. Apply for federal aid, and food stamps. On the other hand. A working American like my self would ask if you're out of your mind to delay, even a day, the repairs. Get with it! Aunt Bee; call the man! (Andy Griffith.) -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Jan Philips" wrote in message ... I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. The second story of our house was built into the attic. The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. About a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email |
Attic fan question
The fans may run longer, with new capacitor, and clean and oil the
bearings. But, can't tell without trying it. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "Jan Philips" wrote in message ... The house was built 13 years ago by someone else. If they were put in when it was built, they lasted 11-12 years. -- Replace you know what by j to email |
Attic fan question
Naah, just buy antiperspirant in a drum. Use a one galon garden
sprayer to apply to whole body. -- Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus www.lds.org .. "AZ Nomad" wrote in message ... Don't replace them. Wait until you try to sell the house and you're forced to replace them as required repairs. You wouldn't want to enjoy the comfort provided in the meantime. Spend the money on table fans instead. When you get a good sweat going, the table fans will really cool you down. |
EEK! Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:49:23 -0500, "HeyBub"
wrote: Molly Brown wrote: As I understand it you made the attic into a living space so my advise I think you misunderstood. is forget the attic fans. In fact close off the holes from them and insulate the heck out of the whole attic. Don’t leave any place between the attic and the outside that is not very well insulated, turn on you A/C and enjoy. Don't think so. The more the attic space can be ventilated, the better. Most homes have ridge vents or whirly-gig thingamajigs. A significant number have attic exhaust fans. Whichever scheme you use (and you can use more than one - I have both ridge vents Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. My neighbor who relies on convection to vent her attic doesnt' seem to have any of this stuff on her vent screening, and afaik, they haven't bee cleaned in 30 years. and whirling dervishes) remember Axiom I of attic ventilation: You can't have too many soffit vents. One pundit advised COVERS for the soffit vents to be put in place during hurricanes, much like storm windows, so that giant wind gusts won't blow off the roof. Sounds reasonable. (During Hurricane Yikes, I did have one whirlie gizmo blow off.) |
Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:19:14 -0400, Nate Nagel wrote:
On 06/28/2010 07:15 PM, zzzzzzzzzz wrote: On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:40:29 -0700 (PDT), wrote: On Jun 28, 3:33 pm, wrote: N8N wrote: On Jun 28, 11:20 am, "Dimitrios Paskoudniakis" I have one in my garage, it wasn't working, turned out to be the $30 thermoswitch - fan was fine. Worth looking into. Drink lots of gatorade before and after troubleshooting. (BTDTGTTS - I get a screaming headache if I get too dehydrated and then I'm worthless.) Three tips for working in the attic: 1. Do so at night. You've got to use a light anyway... If during the day: 2. Put a water sprinkler on the roof. 3. Disconnect one of the A/C ducts and use it to cool the attic. Good advice, but if the fan ain't working, it's going to be brutally hot even after dark. Maybe if you have one of those cheap box fans strap it to a truss or something if you can. I have a box fan and two oscillating fans in my attic. I'm trying to finish off the space into a shop (to be converted to another bedroom when/if we move). I have another day or two of work up there before I knock it off for the summer. It is already *hot* up there and it will get worse soon (I live in Alabama). Attics would be an awesome application for LED lighting. Mine currently has 500W of construction lights up there, which put off more heat than you'd think. About 1/2 kW each. ;-) Even working up there in December, I was comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt. If I have to go back up there again soon I'll be unscrewing all but one or two bulbs. I have three dual tube fluorescent and three 60W bulbs in mine (about 450sq.ft.). I was using 300W halogens work lights but the light is too concentrated and there were too many shadows. The fluorescent are a great addition. I will be providing something more permanent; I'm still in the process of updating the wiring on the 2nd floor. Once that is done I will install at least a couple permanent lights in the attic just for ease of servicing in stuff in the future (not that there's anything up there to service now) installing a vent fan in the bathroom and a gable fan similar to the one for the garage in the attic of the house. I'll probably stick with incandescent, as I don't think fluorescent would work very well in the winter. They seem to work pretty well for me. Again, I live in Alabama, so it's never colder than 20F up there, and probably doesn't even get below freezing. The plumbing (water heater) is only protected with some light insulation. However, my plan is to use the space frequently. It'll be finished off over the next year (will wait for Winter to insulate ;). I find it easier to work when the attic is 40 degrees as opposed to 100+ if I have a choice in the matter. No kidding! I spent seven hours in my attic a couple of Saturdays ago. I was working on the insulation, but I was smart enough to put it down last Winter. I was mighty thirsty when I finished. ;-) It's been *way* too hot up there to work since. I have a little more I'd like to do before I give up for the Summer. It'll probably not get done, though. (sometimes you don't...) If I have a lot of work to do in the summer I might swap them out for swirly fluorescents. I find those are particularly bad in cold weather. However, if it's just temporary there shouldn't be any problem. |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 11:25*am, Tony Hwang wrote:
Jan Philips wrote: I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. *The second story of our house was built into the attic. *The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. *The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. *About *a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. *The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. *The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. *It gets over 120F in the attic. It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? Hmmm, You already know the answer to your question. Why waste time asking? That's very funny. Hmmm, You already knew that he knew the answer to his question. Why waste time and bandwidth replying? That's even funnier. |
Attic fan question
On Jun 28, 11:06*am, Jan Philips
wrote: I think I know the answer to this, but I want to get some feedback. We live in a hot climate. *The second story of our house was built into the attic. *The upstairs and downstairs have separate air conditioners. *The attic is reasonably well insulated and vented, but it had two attic fans. About two years ago one of the fans quit working. *About *a year ago the one on the other end quit working. Now starting about noon or 1PM on hot days we can feel hot air coming down the stairwell. *The upstairs a/c can't keep up - it gets up to 5 degrees above the thermostat setting. *The a/c seems to be working, it just can't keep up when the attic gets so hot. *It gets over 120F in the attic. * It would be worth it to get the attic fans fixed, right? -- Replace you know what by j to email Fix the fans so that the conditions are the same as when you installed the upstairs AC unit for the former attic space, OR upgrade your AC unit for the affected space to a new one which more accurately reflects the actual cooling load it needs to be able to keep up with without the attic vent fans helping... Your AC unit can not keep up because it is undersized for the current cooling load it is having to deal with and it was selected to be used WITH the fans working... If you replace both of the attic fans you will find the AC up in the former attic space works better than it has been for the past year... When you finished your attic into living space how much insulation did you put in the walls/rafter areas ? If you filled the entire rafter compartment with insulation batting your roof becomes a MASSIVE HEAT SINK and will absorb and store large amounts of heat during warm days because the underside of the roof is no longer vented to allow a barrier of moving air to carry the excess heat out -- this is why soffit and ridge vents are installed, to promote a ventilation path on the underside of the roof to allow air to circulate... If you have restricted that airflow too much or closed it off, you will have cooling issues in the living area that used to be attic... ~~ Evan |
EEK! Attic fan question
mm wrote:
Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. Sounds like cottonwood trees. When there is a layer of it not close to anything you want to keep, try lighting the stuff. If it hasn't been rained or dewed on it burns as if you spilled a line of gunpowder and lit it. A real bitch for cars with open windows, the stuff gets everywhere, and when you drive off, the stuff swirls around you like you are in a snow globe. |
EEK! Attic fan question
mm wrote:
Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. My neighbor who relies on convection to vent her attic doesnt' seem to have any of this stuff on her vent screening, and afaik, they haven't bee cleaned in 30 years. You have power vents and ridge vents? If the power vent is sucking air into the ridge vents, something is wrong, and the ridge vents are "short-circuiting" the air ventilation. My understanding is that the advantage of ridge vents is that they inprove circulation by exhausting at the highest point of the roof. They probably don't make a lot of sense with power vents. Increasing the soffit vent area could decrease the cotton buildup. |
Attic fan question
Bob wrote:
Where I come from, attic fans mean fans between the attic and the floor below. And are only turned on after it gets cooler outside. Those are "whole house" fans, not attic fans, I believe. Fans in the roof are called somehting I forget that I consider ambiguous. I call them roof fans. I think if that's what you meant that would be far less consufins. I'm had one for 27 years. Someimes the motor lasts 8 or 10 years, one as little as two. That's the way the first two were and they both came from the fan manufacturer. I haven't tried to oil or repair them. Can they be oiled? Now I buy motors locally at Eledric Motor Repair. The current fan is maybe 8 years old, Maybe, just maybe if I had more insultatoin in the floor of my attic, I wouldn't benefit from my roof fan, but when the fan is broken, it's much hoter on the second floor, as you can see yourself More insulation is a very cheap fix in such a case. |
EEK! Attic fan question
On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:35:46 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote: mm wrote: Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. My neighbor who relies on convection to vent her attic doesnt' seem to have any of this stuff on her vent screening, and afaik, they haven't bee cleaned in 30 years. You have power vents and ridge vents? If the power vent is sucking air into the ridge vents, something is wrong, and the ridge vents are "short-circuiting" the air ventilation. I appreciate the suggestions. It's the screening on the full-width soffit vents that gets covered in this fluffy stuff. So that means I'm sucking more air, a lot more air, in the soffitt vents than my neighbor is. I also have a full-width ridge vent and yes, I'm surely sucking air in with that when the fan is on, at least near the fan, but that in itself isn't bad if the air in the attic is changed. When the fan is not on, the ridge vent works as designed. The cottonwood stuff is only on the screen in the back of the house, but there is no cottonwood stuff in the front of the house at all, not by the car like for Tony. I could have removed the ridge vent when the shingles were replaced, but then if the fan motor broke for a while, there would be very little outlet venting My understanding is that the advantage of ridge vents is that they inprove circulation by exhausting at the highest point of the roof. They probably don't make a lot of sense with power vents. Increasing the soffit vent area could decrease the cotton buildup. The eaves themselves could have been made a lot bigger, but given the size of the eaves, I don't think the soffit vents can be bigger. They're the entire width of the house, on the front and back of the house, about 6 inches wide or a little more. The other 3 inches are wood that the screen is stapled to. |
EEK! Attic fan question
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:23:07 -0400, Tony
wrote: mm wrote: Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. Sounds like cottonwood trees. When there is a layer of it not close to anything you want to keep, try lighting the stuff. If it hasn't been rained or dewed on it burns as if you spilled a line of gunpowder and lit it. A real bitch for cars with open windows, the stuff gets everywhere, and when you drive off, the stuff swirls around you like you are in a snow globe. Yeah, I think it's cottonwood. I'll try setting it afire sometime. There's a bunch lying in my back yard. |
EEK! Attic fan question
mm wrote:
On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:35:46 -0700, "Bob F" wrote: mm wrote: Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. My neighbor who relies on convection to vent her attic doesnt' seem to have any of this stuff on her vent screening, and afaik, they haven't bee cleaned in 30 years. You have power vents and ridge vents? If the power vent is sucking air into the ridge vents, something is wrong, and the ridge vents are "short-circuiting" the air ventilation. I appreciate the suggestions. It's the screening on the full-width soffit vents that gets covered in this fluffy stuff. So that means I'm sucking more air, a lot more air, in the soffitt vents than my neighbor is. I also have a full-width ridge vent and yes, I'm surely sucking air in with that when the fan is on, at least near the fan, but that in itself isn't bad if the air in the attic is changed. When the fan is not on, the ridge vent works as designed. The cottonwood stuff is only on the screen in the back of the house, but there is no cottonwood stuff in the front of the house at all, not by the car like for Tony. I could have removed the ridge vent when the shingles were replaced, but then if the fan motor broke for a while, there would be very little outlet venting My understanding is that the advantage of ridge vents is that they inprove circulation by exhausting at the highest point of the roof. They probably don't make a lot of sense with power vents. Increasing the soffit vent area could decrease the cotton buildup. The eaves themselves could have been made a lot bigger, but given the size of the eaves, I don't think the soffit vents can be bigger. They're the entire width of the house, on the front and back of the house, about 6 inches wide or a little more. The other 3 inches are wood that the screen is stapled to. That sounds like plenty of soffit venting. I'd be tempted to research speed controls for the fan. Slow it down during the cottonwood season. |
EEK! Attic fan question
On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:47:10 -0700, "Bob F"
wrote: mm wrote: On Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:35:46 -0700, "Bob F" wrote: mm wrote: Speaking of ridge vents mine have had to be cleaned of some fluffy seed material that floats around here in June. Every ten years or so, but it's like a blanket by that time. Maybe earlier would be better. My neighbor who relies on convection to vent her attic doesnt' seem to have any of this stuff on her vent screening, and afaik, they haven't bee cleaned in 30 years. You have power vents and ridge vents? If the power vent is sucking air into the ridge vents, something is wrong, and the ridge vents are "short-circuiting" the air ventilation. I appreciate the suggestions. It's the screening on the full-width soffit vents that gets covered in this fluffy stuff. So that means I'm sucking more air, a lot more air, in the soffitt vents than my neighbor is. I also have a full-width ridge vent and yes, I'm surely sucking air in with that when the fan is on, at least near the fan, but that in itself isn't bad if the air in the attic is changed. When the fan is not on, the ridge vent works as designed. The cottonwood stuff is only on the screen in the back of the house, but there is no cottonwood stuff in the front of the house at all, not by the car like for Tony. I could have removed the ridge vent when the shingles were replaced, but then if the fan motor broke for a while, there would be very little outlet venting My understanding is that the advantage of ridge vents is that they inprove circulation by exhausting at the highest point of the roof. They probably don't make a lot of sense with power vents. Increasing the soffit vent area could decrease the cotton buildup. The eaves themselves could have been made a lot bigger, but given the size of the eaves, I don't think the soffit vents can be bigger. They're the entire width of the house, on the front and back of the house, about 6 inches wide or a little more. The other 3 inches are wood that the screen is stapled to. That sounds like plenty of soffit venting. I'd be tempted to research speed controls for the fan. Slow it down during the cottonwood season. A good idea. I'll do that. Thanks. |
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