I live in a house built in 2005 with two attic fans that are already twenty years old. Recently, an electrician checked them out and found that one had overheated, so he disabled it. The other one is still running normally, but I have concerns about its age and potential fire hazards. My house has soffit vents, but I'm not sure if there's a ridge vent. I'm wondering if it's okay to just leave the working fan disabled like the other one? Also, since I have a natural gas hot water heater that vents to the roof, I've read that attic fans could draw carbon monoxide (CO) into the attic. Should I think about replacing the outdated attic fans instead, considering I've read mixed views on their effectiveness? If I decide to replace them, who should I contact, and what's the average cost for that in central Florida?
3 Answers
Honestly, with good soffit and ridge venting, along with enough attic insulation, powered fans often just aren't necessary and can actually hurt efficiency. In the past, they were marketed heavily as energy savers, but often those same homes had poor insulation. Check if there's enough clearance for your ridge vent to work properly. If so, I'd suggest disconnecting both fans and when you replace the roof, you can properly seal the holes left by the fans. It's also a good opportunity to vent bathroom fans to the outside if they aren't already!
I'd suggest checking with your roofer to see if they installed a ridge vent—it’s pretty standard now for a warranty issue. If you don’t have one, it’s definitely worth getting one added in for long-term benefits.
Thanks! Will do.
It's totally fine to disconnect and leave the disabled fan as it is. Next time you have roof work done or if you notice leaks around where the fan penetrates, you can have them removed and patched. You can check if you have a ridge vent by going into your attic during the day and looking for light along the ridge—if you see light, you've got a vent! If not, then it’s likely you don’t have a ridge vent.
Thanks!! Very helpful.
Very helpful!!!