Home Repair forum - Attic Fan Woes: UPDATE

Author

Attic Fan Woes: UPDATE

timbirr@mailcity.com

2007-06-12, 8:25 pm

For those of you who may remember, I posted during the past weekend
(Jn 10) about roofers plopping a new attic fan into my roof and
leaving the wiring to me.

I hooked it up and nothing happened, even tho. the temp should have
been hot enough to have it kick on (I had set the thermostat to 60
degrees and it was 74.5 in the attic according to my little
thermometer).

So, I asked if anyone knew why. Got lots of opinions, even had a
detour into how to use a Volt-Ohm meter....then someone asked if there
was a light switch of some kind that I had no idea what it controlled.
Happened that there is a "normal" looking wall light switch pretty
much on the wall in the house hallway. And if you drilled a hole
through the ceiling just above the switch location into the attic,
you'd be pretty close to the fan location.

Anyway, looked and that switch was off. So, I flipped it on, but since
it has been in the 50s-60s all week temperature-wise and I had reset
the fan thermo to 102, nothing has happened. Well, it hit 90 today and
the fan is whirring away....it is a little noisy though. My wife says
it sounds like a helicopter. Well, that is a MAJOR lie, but it is a
bit noisy....but anyway it does work!!

For those who care, it's a GAF Master Flow "roof-mounted power vent."
I can't find any specifics in the manual about flow or anything, but
it is a monster compared to the unit it replaced. It about three times
larger....

Proctologically Violated©®

2007-06-12, 8:25 pm

You can replace the motor/fan blades if necessary.
Hard to say if there will be an improvement, noise-wise.

My attic fan really sucked, motor froze up.
Kluged an oscillating fan in there, worked good for a while (very quiet),
but froze also.

Finally put a fan from a window A/C unit in there, worked great until the
capacitor blew.
Powerful, not as quiet as the first replacement, but no noisier than the
original.

NOW, new (well new-used) capacitor, works fine....

<whew>.
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

<timbirr@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:1181695809.6XXXX5.306690@x35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> For those of you who may remember, I posted during the past weekend
> (Jn 10) about roofers plopping a new attic fan into my roof and
> leaving the wiring to me.
>
> I hooked it up and nothing happened, even tho. the temp should have
> been hot enough to have it kick on (I had set the thermostat to 60
> degrees and it was 74.5 in the attic according to my little
> thermometer).
>
> So, I asked if anyone knew why. Got lots of opinions, even had a
> detour into how to use a Volt-Ohm meter....then someone asked if there
> was a light switch of some kind that I had no idea what it controlled.
> Happened that there is a "normal" looking wall light switch pretty
> much on the wall in the house hallway. And if you drilled a hole
> through the ceiling just above the switch location into the attic,
> you'd be pretty close to the fan location.
>
> Anyway, looked and that switch was off. So, I flipped it on, but since
> it has been in the 50s-60s all week temperature-wise and I had reset
> the fan thermo to 102, nothing has happened. Well, it hit 90 today and
> the fan is whirring away....it is a little noisy though. My wife says
> it sounds like a helicopter. Well, that is a MAJOR lie, but it is a
> bit noisy....but anyway it does work!!
>
> For those who care, it's a GAF Master Flow "roof-mounted power vent."
> I can't find any specifics in the manual about flow or anything, but
> it is a monster compared to the unit it replaced. It about three times
> larger....
>

trader4@optonline.net

2007-06-13, 9:25 am

On Jun 12, 9:02 pm, "Proctologically Violated=A9=AE"
<entropic3.14de...@optonline2.718.net> wrote:
> You can replace the motor/fan blades if necessary.
> Hard to say if there will be an improvement, noise-wise.
>
> My attic fan really sucked, motor froze up.
> Kluged an oscillating fan in there, worked good for a while (very quiet),
> but froze also.
>
> Finally put a fan from a window A/C unit in there, worked great until the
> capacitor blew.
> Powerful, not as quiet as the first replacement, but no noisier than the
> original.
>
> NOW, new (well new-used) capacitor, works fine....
>
> <whew>.
> --
> ------
> Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY
>
> Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
> Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
> Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
> to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
> The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!
>
> entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
> all d'numbuhs
>
> <timb...@mailcity.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1181695809.6XXXX5.306690@x35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> - Show quoted text -

Since you think the new fan is a lot bigger, make sure you have
adequate intake vents, eg sofftit venting that is not blocked.
Otherwise, you can wind up sucking cool air from inside the house
through leaks, negating the fan benefit in helping lower AC needed.

Proctologically Violated©®

2007-06-13, 1:25 pm

<trader4@optonline.net> wrote in message
news:1181739352.348183.3430@j4g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
On Jun 12, 9:02 pm, "Proctologically Violated©®"
<entropic3.14de...@optonline2.718.net> wrote:
> You can replace the motor/fan blades if necessary.
> Hard to say if there will be an improvement, noise-wise.
>
> My attic fan really sucked, motor froze up.
> Kluged an oscillating fan in there, worked good for a while (very quiet),
> but froze also.
>
> Finally put a fan from a window A/C unit in there, worked great until the
> capacitor blew.
> Powerful, not as quiet as the first replacement, but no noisier than the
> original.
>
> NOW, new (well new-used) capacitor, works fine....
>
> <whew>.
> --
> ------
> Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY
>
> Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
> Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
> Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
> to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
> The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!
>
> entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
> all d'numbuhs
>
> <timb...@mailcity.com> wrote in message
>
> news:1181695809.6XXXX5.306690@x35g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> - Show quoted text -

Since you think the new fan is a lot bigger, make sure you have
adequate intake vents, eg sofftit venting that is not blocked.
Otherwise, you can wind up sucking cool air from inside the house
through leaks, negating the fan benefit in helping lower AC needed.
---------------------------------------------

But doesn't that help bring up cold air from the upper levels, helping cool
the upper levels to some degree?
And vent some of the hot air accruing on the top floor?
Sort of the purpose of a "whole-house" fan?
--
------
Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY

Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!

entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
all d'numbuhs

trader4@optonline.net

2007-06-13, 1:25 pm

On Jun 13, 11:05 am, "Proctologically Violated=A9=AE"
<entropic3.14de...@optonline2.718.net> wrote:
> <trad...@optonline.net> wrote in message
>
> news:1181739352.348183.3430@j4g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Jun 12, 9:02 pm, "Proctologically Violated=A9=AE"
>
>
>
>
>
> <entropic3.14de...@optonline2.718.net> wrote:
>
),[color=darkred]
>
he[color=darkred]
>
>
>
>
ie,[color=darkred]
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Since you think the new fan is a lot bigger, make sure you have
> adequate intake vents, eg sofftit venting that is not blocked.
> Otherwise, you can wind up sucking cool air from inside the house
> through leaks, negating the fan benefit in helping lower AC needed.
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> But doesn't that help bring up cold air from the upper levels, helping co=
ol
> the upper levels to some degree?
> And vent some of the hot air accruing on the top floor?
> Sort of the purpose of a "whole-house" fan?
> --

He has an attic fan, not a whole house fan. An attic fan is used in
an attic which is supposed to be sealed and insulated from the living
space which typically has AC. I say supposed to be sealed, because
there is still going to be leakage. For example, take a look under a
bathroom sink and you'll find holes into the wall for plumbing. Put
an oversize fan in the attic without adequate intake vents and it will
suck conditioned air through those random openings, resulting in
energy loss.

A whole house fan goes in the ceiling of the upstairs and is used
without AC system, or at those times you can use it instead of AC.
It draws a large volume of air through open windows in the house and
pushes it into the attic and then out through attic vents.

> ------
> Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NY
>
> Stop Corruption in Congress & Send the Ultimate Message:
> Absolutely Vote, but NOT for a Democrat or a Republican.
> Ending Corruption in Congress is the *Single Best Way*
> to Materially Improve Your Family's Life.
> The Solution is so simple--and inexpensive!
>
> entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie,
> all d'numbuhs- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

2007-06-13, 8:25 pm

On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:05:39 -0400, "Proctologically Violated©®"
<entropic3.14decay@optonline2.718.net> wrote:

That was I, more or less. Glad you got it fixed.
[color=darkred]
>Since you think the new fan is a lot bigger, make sure you have
>adequate intake vents, eg sofftit venting that is not blocked.
>Otherwise, you can wind up sucking cool air from inside the house
>through leaks, negating the fan benefit in helping lower AC needed.
>---------------------------------------------
>
>But doesn't that help bring up cold air from the upper levels, helping cool
>the upper levels to some degree?
>And vent some of the hot air accruing on the top floor?
>Sort of the purpose of a "whole-house" fan?

A whole house fan has to be used when the outside has cooled off, to
suck somewhat cool air in from the outside.

A roof fan runs during the hot and hottest part of the day, and turns
off between 5 and 9 pm.

So I don't know how much the bigger fan would suck out, but it would
be the wrong temp.

This winter I put foam around my trap door because I worried about
passive air currents from the second floor.

There is also the stack, which runs from the basement to the attic. I
don't know if the heating duct is supposed to have sealing between it
and the second floor, but I wasn't able to seal the half inch hole I
drilled for various wires. Not sure how much air would leak out
through the bathroom vents. Otherwise it seems pretty well
sepearated.

timbirr@mailcity.com

2007-06-13, 8:25 pm

On Jun 13, 3:25 pm, mm <NOPSAMmm2...@bigfoot.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:05:39 -0400, "Proctologically Violated=A9=AE"
>
> <entropic3.14de...@optonline2.718.net> wrote:
>
re[color=darkred]
d=2E[color=darkred]
>
> That was I, more or less. Glad you got it fixed.

Well, thanks for that suggestion, because I was going to think about
incantations under the full moon pretty soon. LOL.

I'm in Oregon, the hottest it gets here in a normal summer is about 95-
ish, and then not for many days...usually in the 80s. No AC in this
house, but the GAF manual does have a whole section about soffits and
how big of fans to install and not to install more than one unless you
have XXX numbers of soffits, etc. , not that I read it....

trader4@optonline.net

2007-06-14, 1:25 pm

On Jun 13, 8:08 pm, timb...@mailcity.com wrote:
> On Jun 13, 3:25 pm, mm <NOPSAMmm2...@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>
>
>
here[color=darkred]
led.[color=darkred]
>
>
> Well, thanks for that suggestion, because I was going to think about
> incantations under the full moon pretty soon. LOL.
>
> I'm in Oregon, the hottest it gets here in a normal summer is about 95-
> ish, and then not for many days...usually in the 80s. No AC in this
> house, but the GAF manual does have a whole section about soffits and
> how big of fans to install and not to install more than one unless you
> have XXX numbers of soffits, etc. , not that I read it....

Might be a good idea to read it, unless you want a big fan using more
power and sucking air from the house, because it doesn't have adequate
intake venting.

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