Attic Ventilation – Don’t Mess It Up People who know me hear this often: “Don’t Over-Think It”. Things are usually never as complicated as they seem. Of all the questions I get from customers, Attic Ventilation is probably the most misunderstood, and overcomplicated topic in the home efficiency/improvement area. So hear me now: “DON’T OVER-THINK IT” Attic ventilation is VERY simple. You have HOLES in the bottom of your attic (usually soffit vents) and HOLES in the top of your attic (ridge vent, wind turbines, static vents or power fans). Ideally, air comes IN the bottom and OUT the top. It’s just like a chimney in your home. Holes in bottom, holes in top…got it?If I came to your home today and started ripping out your soffits and cutting lots of holes in the top of your roof eventually the air temperature in the attic would get close to whatever the outside (ambient) air temperature is. Air temperatures would drop but surface temperatures would not drop much due to the radiant heat gain.

A radiant barrier works together with decent attic ventilation to drop both air temperature and surface temps. Here is where many people screw up attic ventilation. More is not always better. The thought process goes something like this: “If I add an electric or solar attic fan, or some ridge vents, or a few wind turbines or static vents or maybe ALL OF THEM, I’ll move more air and my attic will be cooler” WRONG!!!! Let me ask you. Have you EVER seen a chimney with a fan sticking out the side in the MIDDLE? Of course not, why? Common sense would say that the fan would pull air from BOTH the top and bottom of the chimney. Your attic is EXACTLY the same. Why on earth put an electric fan 15” away from a ridge vent or wind turbine? Yes, there will be great airflow in the top 2 feet of the attic and the rest of the air will be almost stagnant. Air always travels the path of least resistance. Mixing exhaust vents is a bad thing. The strongest vent will dominate and the other exhaust vents will probably become INTAKE vents.

This short-circuits the whole concept of air coming in the bottom and out the top. This can happen many different ways from actually mixing different types of exhaust vents to having ridge vents on EVERY ridge. Usually the ridge vents about halfway up the roof will become the intake vents and totally short circuit any air coming from the soffit vents. All the exhaust vents should be within a few feet of each other from the top. How to fix it? Start at the bottom with your soffit vents. Have you EVER cleaned your soffit vents? 95% of homes have clogged, blocked or painted over soffit vents. Or, the holes behind the vents are so small virtually no air is coming into the attic. I’ve even seen million dollar homes where they just screwed in the vents and did not bother to even cut holes. I’ve seen many homes where just cleaning the soffit vents (use a dry nylon car wheel brush) will drop the attic temperature 20º in 20 minutes. And those wind turbines that were “broken” start spinning like crazy.

Air comes in and now air will go out. Next, pick one type of exhaust vent and go with it. By combining a basic strategy of holes in top and bottom your attic will be cooler in the Summer and drier in the Winter. ratings on hvac systemsRemember, keep it simple, and don’t over-think it…how big ac unit for 2500 sq ftHoles in the bottom, holes in the top.prices for carrier ac units Tags: attic fan, Attic Ventilation, attic wind turbine, ridge vent, soffit vents, solar attic fan How big is your home? Please select the size of your home 1,000 – 1,499 ft² 1,500 – 1,999 ft² 2,000 – 2,499 ft² 2,500 – 2,999 ft² 3,000 – 3,499 ft² 3,500 – 3,999 ft² 4,000 – 4,499 ft² 4,500 – 4,999 ft²

5,000 – 5,499 ft² Select Your Power Needs Choose what your power needs are from the list below or select whole house if you want everything to run at the same time during a power outage. Power EverythingSelect Whole House Ensure that your entire home is backed up. Enjoy the comforts of home as if the power never went out. Customize itSelect My Options Selecting whole house provides a backup generator recommendation based on your home's size and corresponding outlets and lighting requirements and assumes natural gas appliances in the baseline calculation. If your home is an all electric home and includes electric appliances like an electric range, electric clothes dryer, electric water heater, etc. You can add these items below to accurately reflect your home's specific backup power needs. Selecting "Customize It" provides a backup generator recommendation based on your home's size and corresponding outlets and lighting requirements and assumes natural gas appliances in the baseline calculation.

You can add these items below to accurately reflect your homes specific backup power needs. Email me my backup plan and future product offers. This calculator is intended for estimating purposes only. We recommend having an authorized dealer analyze your specific requirements before making a purchase decision. HOW MUCH WILL INSTALLATION COST? Every home is different, and so is every installation. The placement of the generator, the amount of materials required, and the installation of the natural gas or LP fuel source all make estimating installation costs a challenge. A simple installation might cost about $2000, but it can be more than that depending upon your specific situation. The best way to know for sure is to consult a Generac generator installation professional. They will listen to your needs, assess your home, and give you a detailed quote. All at no charge, with no obligation, and no pressure. Special financing available - or low monthly payments Now that you understand your options, how would you like to proceed?