More and more homeowners are learning about the hazards of ice dams, but not every ventilation solution is sustainable for both their wallets and the environment. Solar attic fans are the perfect solution for those looking to protect their attics, the planet and their finances.
Spurred increasingly by social media, homeowners are increasingly realizing that the combination of snowfall and warm air in their homes could mean costly repairs and dangerous health problems when the winter’s over. Worse, many homeowners are learning their insurance may not cover ice dam damage.
Ice dams start when indoor heat starts accumulating in the attic during the winter months. Snowfall that lands on the warmed roof immediately melts upon contact, and trickles down into the unheated eaves. There, the runoff quickly refreezes, turning the area into a giant logjam that blocks further snow melt from draining properly. With nowhere to drain, water backs up under the shingles and eventually leaks into the attic.
Attics are usually unoccupied and rarely inspected. This means the resulting water damage, pent-up moisture and mold growth may go unnoticed for months or even years. Rot and mold slowly form, which can be extremely costly to repair. In extreme cases, homes may be condemned if mold causes serious health problems for everyone inside.
Proper ventilation is your best defense against ice dams, and the most effective solutions involve mechanized fans.
Traditionally, homeowners use grid-connected mechanical fans to combat ice damming, which require constant power from the local grid to function. If growing numbers of such fans are installed in the years ahead, a new dilemma arises – even more stress will be added to already overstretched utilities – especially during extreme winter weather when the risk of ice damming is the worst.
And when these over-stressed power grids fail, they end up leaving your attic, and everyone else’s, unprotected and vulnerable to ice damming.
But what if there was a way to protect your attic, the homes of your neighbours, and the local grid… all at the same time?
SOLAR ATTIC FANS PROTECT YOUR HOME, EVEN WITHOUT POWER FROM THE GRID
Solar attic fans – like those in iSolar Solutions’ collection, can protect both your attic AND the local power grid during extreme weather when it matters most. These fans switch on automatically when the sun is out, and give your attic’s existing ventilation systems a much-needed boost. No connection to the local power grid is necessary. This means they actually reduce demand on the grid, while saving homeowners money on their electrical bills.
With the additional airflow these fans provide, your interior attic temperatures can drop by up to 30°F (16°C). This brings your roof’s interior temperature closer to outdoor conditions. By cooling your roof, snow melt is stopped in its tracks, nipping the problem of ice dams in the bud.
You might be thinking – doesn’t my attic already have ventilation ports for this purpose? Most modern homes do, but these are typically passive vents – little more than holes in the wall that rely on differences in indoor and outdoor air pressure to move air. In order to properly protect a roof’s interior, you must circulate out all the attic air at least 6-10 times an hour. Without the mechanical help a solar attic fan provides, this rate of airflow is simply not possible!
With whisper-quiet motors, our fans give your attic the added muscle it needs to push out pent-up moisture and warm air. No matter how much snow falls, our fans will protect your home without draining the grid!
WHAT OTHER BENEFITS DO SOLAR ATTIC FANS HAVE?
Solar attic fans also have many other benefits that make them a superior option to grid-connected ventilation solutions. They are much faster and easier to install, since they don’t require complicated wiring. In fact, our models are the only retrofit-ready models on the market. This means they fit into most existing ventilation ports without needing extensive renovations. You can have one up and running in as little as 15 minutes!
Our fans are also modular by design. That means you can easily configure custom setups for ventilation even when unique roof architecture or shade is a challenge.
As a Canadian company, we design our products to keep working in the harshest of winter conditions. With corrosion-resistant frames, fully sealed electrical boxes and IP68-waterproof certified fan motors, you can count on our fans to keep your attic dry and well ventilated throughout the colder months.
Ready to keep your roof safe, no matter what the environment or the local grid brings? Contact one of our knowledgeable sales staff today!
