deerhunter75
Senior Member
Is it a good investment to install gable or attic fans in a newer home?
deerhunter75
deerhunter75
Welcome Guest!
gable fans or attic fans
- Thread starter deerhunter75
- Start date
earl
Banned
absolutely. make sure the soffitt vents are clear ,especially if you have blown in insulation.
deerhunter75
Senior Member
Installation
Who do I need to hire to install a gable or attic fan. Is one better than the other?
Deerhunter75
Who do I need to hire to install a gable or attic fan. Is one better than the other?
Deerhunter75
jonkayak
Senior Member
We install them in several homes each year. It's normally while we are there installing a Radon Reduction System. The Attic Fans work good but don't get the cheap one at Home Depot the next model up works a whole lot better. But if it was me the Gable fan work mush better. Istall one Gable fan to that it is pulling fresh air in and then on the other end of the attic install one so that it is pushing the hot attic air out. This set up will result in a nice breeze in the attic and will make a big difference in the in the attic temperature and also it will normally run a lot less then the standard attic set up.
deerhunter75
Senior Member
Price?
What kind of price range will I be looking at?
Deerhunter75
What kind of price range will I be looking at?
Deerhunter75
jonkayak
Senior Member
Gable Fans are around $50 - 70 each plus installation. Attic fans run $70 for the cheap one and $90 for the better on thats fairly quite and had a thermostat included. Gable fans we normally install for $50.00 each for labor but that is only because we are already there other wise there would be a trip charge (Hampton $100). Attic fans would be about $125 each plus trip charge and that would also depend on how steep your roof is and how high up it is. If your interested shoot me a pm and we'll talk I'll work you up a deal.
When you ask don't ask for a attic fan but a power roof ventilator fan.
Gable fans are easier to mount as you don't have to cut into the roof.
Both work equally well. It is best if you have them on a dedicated circuit. Your contractor may have put a dead line into your attic for such an application, if not this will be your major expense.
They will pay for themselves in a couple of hot summers.
Cornelia_Hiker
Banned
I also use and like the things.
Any Heat & Air Service Co. can install it for you.
They typically come in 2 sizes. A smaller one and a bigger one. Get the bigger one. And if your house/attic space is larger than typical, you may need 2 of them. One at each end of the house.
Buy them yourself at Lowes ect... You'll save a lot of money. Service companies usually have 100% markup on all the small items. They buy something for $50, they charge you $100 for it.
Also you must be sure that the outside part (really all the way though) of the gable is "open" enough to allow for the air that the fan is trying to move to freely flow through it.
We have vinyl siding, and the gable pieces were made with these tiny holes all through the surface. These tiny holes were hardy enough space for the fan to push all the air through it that it is capable of moving...hence doing its job. So I had to take a drill with like a 1 & 1/4" wood boring bit and add numerous holes through the vinyl siding (from the outside), in a circular shape to match the dimensions of the fan...so the outlet airflow of the fan would not be "blocked."
Any Heat & Air Service Co. can install it for you.
They typically come in 2 sizes. A smaller one and a bigger one. Get the bigger one. And if your house/attic space is larger than typical, you may need 2 of them. One at each end of the house.
Buy them yourself at Lowes ect... You'll save a lot of money. Service companies usually have 100% markup on all the small items. They buy something for $50, they charge you $100 for it.
Also you must be sure that the outside part (really all the way though) of the gable is "open" enough to allow for the air that the fan is trying to move to freely flow through it.
We have vinyl siding, and the gable pieces were made with these tiny holes all through the surface. These tiny holes were hardy enough space for the fan to push all the air through it that it is capable of moving...hence doing its job. So I had to take a drill with like a 1 & 1/4" wood boring bit and add numerous holes through the vinyl siding (from the outside), in a circular shape to match the dimensions of the fan...so the outlet airflow of the fan would not be "blocked."
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jonkayak
Senior Member
When I said Attic fan Power roof ventilator is what I meant.
And I appologize, I meant to quote #1 post.
biggsteve
Gone But Not Forgotten
my uncle had one, in the old days. he'd turn it on, at night, and then leave just one window open, downstairs. the fan would cool the whole house. was neat. way before a/c. 1960-ish.
Twenty five ought six
Banned
Running them at night as bigsteve describes sure helps with our elec. bill in the summer. Leave the back door storm/screen door open and turn on the gable fan.
Also, and this is just my little personal quirk, I like the idea of getting fresh air in the whole house.
Also, and this is just my little personal quirk, I like the idea of getting fresh air in the whole house.
ChiefOsceola
Senior Member
Y'all have me confused. When I see attic fan, I think of the big 4 foot X 4 foot thing that used to be in the ceiling in our hall. You'd open the windows in the house and turn it on and have one heck of a breeze throughout the house. Our old attic fan didn't require anything else be done...just the hole cut in the ceiling (not the roof) where it was placed. It pulled air through the house (via the open windows) and into the attic.
How would a gable fan help at all? I might be totally missing the point, but wouldn't a gable fan only move the air IN the attic...not in the house below???
Are we talking about the same thing or am I lost as usual???
How would a gable fan help at all? I might be totally missing the point, but wouldn't a gable fan only move the air IN the attic...not in the house below???
Are we talking about the same thing or am I lost as usual???
I think terminologies have been crossed. An Attic fan is a you have described. The original post seem to be about the difference between power roof ventilators(called an attic fan in the post) and Exhaust fans mounted the attic vents on the gable end of houses, Gable fans.
Attic fans are not very efficient cooling devices, I too grew up with one and no AC.
Gable fans will not ventilate the living area of a home.
Cornelia_Hiker
Banned
This is correct
The big fans that mount in the ceiling of a hallway are more commonly called "Whole House Fans"
The others are "Power Roof Ventilators" and are designed to remove the hot air out of the attic space which saves on air conditioning costs. The PRV's come in two styles, one that mounts in the roof itself, the other mounts on end gables.
ChiefOsceola
Senior Member
Thanks. What had me really confused was some of the comments talking about how noisy they can be and bringing dust into the house.
We're good now...I understand. The kind I was talking about was noisy as heck...but on a cool spring/fall night they could cool the house down in no time making for some good sleeping!
We're good now...I understand. The kind I was talking about was noisy as heck...but on a cool spring/fall night they could cool the house down in no time making for some good sleeping!
chairgunner
Banned
always dropped the temperature in our house a good 10-16 degrees
JW2
Senior Member
I installed fans for years. We always used the pro1's from home depot, but I suggest the pro3's. Better efficiancy and last longer.
