Solar Attic Fans - Is it a Good Choice for Your Home

We all know that our energy consumption has a huge impact on the environment. We all also know that we ought to be doing whatever we can to reduce green house gases. But it sometimes takes a little bit of effort and this effort can be a tad inconvenient. Yes?

The question is, are solarenergy roof fan worth the cost? Are they worth the price of shipping and installation cost? It depends on you and your motivation to "save the planet". Perhaps you will feel less guilty knowing you are "doing your part" to be a conscientiously environmental person. Will that make you feel better?

Well, if your house is very hot during the summer, especially in the upper bedroom floors, it is almost assured that the reason for the extra hotness is directly related to poor attic or roof ventilation, or roof or attic insulation. A solar attic/roof fan can easily stop this from happening.

If you are not interested in taking the time, cost, or effort to have an solar attic fan installed to your home, that may be a good decision because other alternative are available such as baffled ridge vent roof ventilation. If you are interested, here are some excellent pointers to help you get on the right track when deciding on a solar roof fan.

Many attic solar fans (or roof solar fans) are available like the solar energy roof exhaust fan for your kitchen. Most really do not cover the cost and are basic and at absorbing the sun's power most are quite poor.

When do you REALLY need a solar attic fan?

You only truly need a solar attic fan when the design of your roof is very high-sloped, or with not much ridge area. Why? Because the higher the pitch or slope of a roof, the more difficult is for fresh air to move up and outwards. If your roof is low-sloped, you may not need a solar attic fan.

Conclusion

Contact professional roof insulation, attic ventilation expert and be sure that your attic is thoroughly inspected before buying any solar attic fan.

The Importance of Ventilation in Your Home

If we sealed our home completely, we should only get fresh air inside when we opened a door or window. To replace them with fresh air, exhaust unwanted smells, water vapor and pollution we need ventilation, but we can turn it on and off as we need it, and direct it where it is necessary we also need to control ventilation.

In this way we can prevent the waste of heat by using energy savings roof ventilators. We then only lose the heat in air allowed to escape for ventilation purposes.

Conventional wisdom has established that an average-sized room requires at least one air change per hour when occupied. However this varies and is dependent on such factors as the number of occupants and the number and nature of the sources of pollution. Traditionally, ventilation was achieved with the use of air bricks and infiltration; however, as our energy conserving becomes more sophisticated, we need to develop a correspondingly more sophisticated ventilation strategy like the energy savings roof exhaust fan. Let’u look at ventilation for combustion and heat exchangers.

Permanent ventilation for combustion

These are the possibilities for you to consider:

• Decide whether to install a heat exchange system.
• Fit controllable trickle ventilators in each room to obtain cross ventilation.

Ventilation strategies

Install energy savings roof fan in kitchen and bathroom, controlled by a timer or humidistat (moisture control switch).

Install permanent ventilation for combustion appliances which rely on a supply of air from inside.

Use defunct chimneys as channels for ventilation or ducting. This may be particularly useful if it is difficult to fit ventilators to the windows. Consider also using your chimneys to recirculate warm air to upper storeys or vice versa.

Install air-cleaning measures: either mechanical or biological, ionizers or filters. If the main problem is humidity then consider using a dehumidifier and if lack of humidity then consider a misting humidifier or again the use of plants.

Opening and closing windows as necessary: if external doors are constantly being used, this may provide sufficient ventilation for much of the day.

Know the Stages of Mould Growth and Hire a Professional

Mold is a danger that can appear in just about any home regardless of age or environment. However, mold grows due to moisture trapped in walls, ceilings, and floors.

As the substance spreads through the walls of your house, it releases spores. People and pets living in the house then breathe in the spores and are at risk of becoming sick. This sickness is particularly difficult to identify because the symptoms often look like other illnesses. Professional mould cleaning services can save you from moulds.

Early Stages

In the beginning, the illnesses look much like a cold, influenza, or allergies. In small doses, the spores act as irritants. They irritate the nose, lungs, throat, and eyes. Sneezing, runny nose, clogged sinuses, itchy or runny eyes, and coughing are all symptoms.

Next Stages

If your exposure continues for longer periods of time, you might suffer from more pronounced symptoms. These symptoms are persistent headaches or dizziness. Also, you might experience weight loss and hair loss.

Late Stages

You will experience very serious effects after a long period of time in an infested house without employing a mold removal service. Some of these effects might be incurable. Prolonged exposure can cause blindness, bleeding lungs, cognitive impairments, brain damage, long-term memory loss, and cancer. In certain, very rare cases, death can even result.

A dry environment will help prevent spores from returning and this can be facilitated by a solar roof exhaust fan.

Hire a Mold Removal Company

Armed with your list, try to get the names of three companies - make contact with all three of the companies. Obtain a written bid from each of the three companies. Ask what certifications they have for mold removal. Make sure each bid lays out specifically the steps of how the job will be completed. The detail is important in order for you to compare the three bids.

Ask each of the companies to provide references. Go to your states contractor’s license board to make sure they are licensed, that the license is in good standing and to check for any complaints that have been filed with the board.

The Importance and Consequences of Roof Ventilation

There are so many unnoticed issues and concerns that arise on a building's attic or roof cavities with poor ventilation systems. For this reason, it is important to learn some of the requirements to eliminate mold or mildew problems caused by excess moisture and other causes that will affect the lifespan of a housetop covering.

Importance

It is important to be aware of and concerned about how heat and moisture can get trapped in attic spaces, damaging shingles as well as sub-roofing by using roof ventilation systems. For instance, a cathedral type ceiling without adequate passage in the soffit and underside sheathing will eventually encounter rot, insect damage, major condensation and even severe structural damage. For such type of ceiling design, it is important to ensure adequate air passage through the attic space. Soffit air passages that are blocked by insulation can simply be corrected by installing soffit vent baffles at the eaves between every set of rafters.

Configuration Alternatives

For structures lacking intake or exhaust pathways, a soffit intake and a ridge line outlet should be added to provide an air passageway up to the roofs decking. Installing ventilation systems on only one part of the entire structure can create problems.

For example, installing only soffit intakes will yield limited effectiveness especially in areas with varying wind direction. In this case, it is best to install a continuous ridge air passage. Electing to have only ridged opening passageways or gable vent only passageways will not achieve the best system performance and most likely lead to increased energy bills. It is better to have continuous air flow with soffit intakes and ridge outlets.

On the other hand, a roof turbine is frequently utilized to increase air flow on difficult roofing system structures. Yet it is important to note that a good source of outdoor air should be provided in order to achieve the best air movement effects.

Consequences

By not having proper solarroof fan with proper intake and exhaust systems in the structure, the following undesirable problems could occur:

1.       Structural Damage

2.       Higher Energy Costs

3.       Moisture Damage