Saving Money With Solar Attic Fans
June 25, 2015On long, hot summer days in North Central Florida, the sunlight shining on your roof can cause the temperature in your attic to climb into the triple digits. This can have several negative effects. Your air conditioner may have to work extra to keep the rest of the house cool, the things you store in the attic may be damaged, and the materials of your roof can warp and deform. Fortunately, there is an elegant solution: install a solar attic fan in Clermont. Here is how a solar attic fan can save you money:
Reducing Air Conditioning Costs
Warm air tends to rise, making the higher levels of your home warmer than the lower ones. However, if your attic is already very hot, the warm air in the rest of the house will have nowhere to go, so the temperature inside will rise. This will make your air conditioner work overtime, causing your utility bills to rise. But when you harness solar energy with an attic fan, the attic itself will stay cool, and the heat in the rest of your home can also rise and vent naturally, reducing the amount your air conditioner has to work and your bills along with it.
Preventing Roof Damage
Most attics are unfinished, which means that the inside layer of the roof is bare and exposed. If the attic is unvented, during the summer warm air can condense on the inside of the roof and damage the wood. Also, warm air in the attic can cause the roofing materials to buckle, which can in turn lead to loose shingles and leaks. Solar attic fans vent warm air outside so that the attic doesn’t heat up, even in the middle of summer.
Keeping Your Keepsakes Safe
A solar attic fan also helps to regulate the temperature inside your attic so that any items you store there won’t be damaged. Old clothing and family photographs, which are among the mementos that homeowners often store in their attics, are particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. The fan pays for itself in a very short time since it runs on free solar energy.