Has anyone installed a SOLAR FAN for their attic?

[Fishhead]

If so, did you do it yourself, or have it professionally installed?

Also, what brand and where did you purchase it?

Lastly, was it worth it?

Thanks in advance.

[Fishhead]

This is the unit I'm contemplating purchasing........

http://www.ussunlight.com/landing/9912TR-349.html

[Doc JS]

Fish,
I had to replace my heat pump/AC unit and we went with a solar panel. If the sun is on the panel, the heat/AC is free/off the grid. It didn't make too much of a differernce, but winters in SC are relatively mild. It has made a HUGE difference in the summer. Has cut the elec bill almost in half!
Doc

[Fishhead]

Fish,
I had to replace my heat pump/AC unit and we went with a solar panel. If the sun is on the panel, the heat/AC is free/off the grid. It didn't make too much of a differernce, but winters in SC are relatively mild. It has made a HUGE difference in the summer. Has cut the elec bill almost in half!
Doc

[Doc JS]

Fish, we got a Lennox Seer 20 unit to go w it. Runs quite as a mouse. Keeps the house cool (my wife has MS and the heat really zaps her), and when the sunlight is on the panel, it's off the grid!!

Hope this helps!

Doc

[Fishhead]

Fish, we got a Lennox Seer 20 unit to go w it. Runs quite as a mouse. Keeps the house cool (my wife has MS and the heat really zaps her), and when the sunlight is on the panel, it's off the grid!!

Hope this helps!

Doc

THANKS, where did you purchase it?

Did you install it or have it professionally done?

What was the total cost??

[Fishhead]

I Betcha I talk JJgold into buying one of these....

[Doc JS]

Fish,
Sent you a pm with the particulars...

Doc

[PuckOff]

Fish,

I assume your attic isn't insulated. If it is, then why are you installing one of these units?

[Fishhead]

Fish,

I assume your attic isn't insulated. If it is, then why are you installing one of these units?

It doesn't matter if an attic is insulated..........a fan still takes tons of heat out of the attic that insulation would not stop.

[PuckOff]

Do you live in the attic or is it used to hang out, office space etc.?

[Fishhead]

Do you live in the attic or is it used to hang out, office space etc.?

MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT and a few Christmas decorations.

[nobshine]

should not be a hard install at all. just make sure it is sealed very well. obviously clay roofs would be an issue.

[mcbaseball10]

not sure why you would need this here in the South. Will not have same benefit as it would in the North with moisture benefits from ice damming. You can buy a Broan power vent or similar power vent from Ace Hardware. You should have it pro installed unless you can tear out shingles, cut plywood, connect electric and re-install shingles yourself.

[Chi_archie]

looking into it

[PuckOff]

MODEL RAILROAD LAYOUT and a few Christmas decorations.

ok so do you go into the attic on a reg basis to play with your trains or is it mainly for storage.

[Boscoe]

Thinking about getting an attic fan. My attic is hotter than three hells. Any idea how much it is to install one of these things?

[str]

Guys,
Look in to whether your attic has vents on the sides of your house(at the top of the A on each side) or it is a ridge vent system. Your current vents might be pulling the air out the sides of your house. A ridge vent is the shingled 8-12" wide looking rectangular cap that runs the length of the roof across the peek.Depending on how your house is vented might point you towards fan placement so as to force the air in the direction of the vent.
Hope that makes sense.

[Doug]

must be planning on staying in Florida ?

[str]

Thinking about getting an attic fan. My attic is hotter than three hells. Any idea how much it is to install one of these things?

Go to Home Depot or Lowes and price out a fan for your size attic.Probably 75-100 bucks.It will come with a thermostat that will turn it on and off when the temp. gets to a preset point.
Pretty simple for an electrician to run a wire off any existing electricity currently up there. If you supply the fan, he should charge about 125-175 to run the wire and install it barring any weird problems. (should not be any).
It will REALLY help with cooling off the 2nd floor in the summer.
Two other things to try without getting long winded.
1. Adjust your air flow on your air ducts summer and winter.You should see a lever for each floor(basement and first is one trunk line & second floor is another) very near your basement unit within a few feet of the duct work origin.This lever controls a metal barricade inside the duct work.Usually it is wide open when the barricade is at 9 and 3 o'clock and closed at 12 and 6.Figure out how it adjusts and trace the positions with a magic marker so in the future you just move it to the proper setting. You can restrict or adjust the air flow 1st and 2nd floor seasonally.80% hot air basement and first floor in the winter and 20% second floor, and 80% cold air on the 2nd and 20% cold on the basement and 1st in the summer (or whatever % you decide).
Simply, heat rises and cold air falls.Keeping it 50-50 year round runs the unit longer and costs more per month as well as unit life expectancy..
2. Make sure you have AT LEAST 12-14 inches of blown in insulation in the attic.
Blown in insulation for a full size house should only be a few hundred bucks if you want to add a lot more and raising the R value for less than one electric bill is very inexpensive for the savings and comfort you will feel upstairs.It will be blown in from the truck through a large flexible hose directly into your attic.Do not let ANYONE tell you that typical insulation is expensive. In new construction of a 5,000 sq. foot house the cost for ALL the insulation is about 5.5k.Topping off your attic will be maybe 350.00
Hope this helps.