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Attic fan question

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.

Reply to
Tony Hwang
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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).

About 1/2 kW each. ;-)

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.
Reply to
krw

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. I find it easier to work when the attic is 40 degrees as opposed to 100+ if I have a choice in the matter. (sometimes you don't...) If I have a lot of work to do in the summer I might swap them out for swirly fluorescents.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

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.

Reply to
Ron

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.)

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

The fans may run longer, with new capacitor, and clean and oil the bearings. But, can't tell without trying it.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Naah, just buy antiperspirant in a drum. Use a one galon garden sprayer to apply to whole body.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I think you misunderstood.

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.

Reply to
mm

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 ;).

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.

I find those are particularly bad in cold weather. However, if it's just temporary there shouldn't be any problem.

Reply to
krw

Hmmm, You already knew that he knew the answer to his question. Why waste time and bandwidth replying? That's even funnier.

Reply to
msimamizi

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

Reply to
Evan

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.

Reply to
Tony

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.

Reply to
Bob F

Those are "whole house" fans, not attic fans, I believe.

More insulation is a very cheap fix in such a case.

Reply to
Bob F

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

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.

Reply to
mm

Yeah, I think it's cottonwood.

I'll try setting it afire sometime. There's a bunch lying in my back yard.

Reply to
mm

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.

Reply to
Bob F

A good idea. I'll do that. Thanks.

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Reply to
mm

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