Picking a solar attic fan for your home can be confusing and overwhelming. Homes come in all shapes and sizes, and there are many fan options available. Our handy configurator is here to help.
Of all the spaces in your home, attics can be one of the most neglected areas when it comes to ventilation. Many are not regularly accessed and inspected by most homeowners. As such, problems with moisture and poor air circulation can go unnoticed for years. Left untreated, these can lead to hefty repair bills and serious health problems for everyone inside.
In order to keep an attic healthy and free of moisture-induced mold, mildew and rot, all of the air must be circulated out at 6-10 times an hour. Most newer homes come with built-in passive vents for this reason. However, these vents lack mechanical parts, and rely only on differences in air pressure between the indoor and outdoor environments to circulate air. They simply are not up to the task of giving your attic the ventilation it needs.
For many years, homeowners have turned to solar attic fans, like those in iSolar Solutions’ bestselling FLEX line, to give their home’s existing passive vents a much-needed boost. Powered solely by the sun, they switch on automatically when your home’s attic isn’t getting the ventilation it needs.
But with the many models and options available, how do you pick a solar attic fan that is right for your home?
Our Solar Attic Fan Configurator Makes Selecting The Right Model A Breeze
To simplify the task of selecting a fan, the iSolar Solutions website comes with a special configurator tool. This intuitive and user-friendly tool matches the ventilation needs of your home with the right fans in iSolar Solutions’ lineup.
The configurator takes into account many considerations. These include the overall size of your attic, its general shape, and even the slope of the roof. Additional variables considered include the type of roofing material, the type of structure you are trying to ventilate, and the height of your attic. It then automatically generates a list of suitable fans in iSolar Solutions’ collection that will fit your needs.
Why is ventilation important?
Without enough ventilation, moisture can build up quickly inside your attic from a variety of sources. During the hot summer months, humid, moisture-laden air will typically rise to the upper floors of homes. Unless air is circulated out regularly, the resulting moisture buildup can cause costly problems with mold, mildew and rot. When solar attic fans push out this hot air, they also cool the home’s interior by as much as 10F (5C). This also has the added benefit of drastically reducing wear and tear on air conditioners.
During the colder winter months, solar attic fans prevent dangerous ice dams from forming. Ice dams are blockages of ice that build up in the eaves, after falling snow melts upon contact with a home’s warm roof. When the resulting runoff refreezes in the eaves, a logjam of ice forms that prevents further runoff from draining properly. This causes water to pool, and eventually seep underneath the shingles and into the attic interior.
Once inside, water can cause significant damage to a home’s interior structure and facilitate the growth of even more mold and mildew. Oftentimes, this damage isn’t immediately apparent, especially when the moisture immediately refreezes and clings to interior beams and surfaces. But once temperatures fluctuate, the damage can be catastrophic.
It is little wonder that ice dams are the leading cause of homeowner insurance claims during the winter months.
Solar attic fans solve this problem by exhausting hot air from your attic and exchanging it for outside air during the winter months. This keeps your attic and roof consistently cool, and inhospitable for ice dam formation. Maintaining proper insulation levels will protect your living area from the cooler attic.
Is installing one complicated?
The fans in iSolar Solutions’ lineup are designed for easy installation. Most can be installed in as little as 15 minutes. They fit into most existing vent holes of homes. You don’t even need to hire an electrician. Our fans don’t have complicated wiring and are not connected to the local power grid. Most general contractors and roofers can handle the job.
To make installation even easier, iSolar Solutions maintains a network of trusted installation partners who thoroughly understand the science of proper building ventilation. We stand behind the quality of all our products with a limited 20-year warranty.
To learn more about selecting the right solar attic fan for your home, please contact one of our knowledgeable sales staff at 1-844-684-7723, or by email at info@isolarsolutions.com.