Fan in Attic

Does anyone know the settings for the attic fan? At what temperature it starts? Shutsdown? Or where the settigs panel is?
Thanks.

 

Most are set to kick off around 105 degees F., and run until the temperature is down to 80 ..

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

If you go up into the attic there should be a lone wire running from the fan. It should run to a knob that you can set the temperature from. I have to contort myself in the rafters and reach pretty high up to get to it.

 

Folks,
Thanks. Next time I'm up there sweating off a few pounds, I'll take a look.

 

I cant find a knob on my attic fan. I asked the builder and he says the thermostat is preset by the manufacturer. It looks like a good quality fan, but do you think I am missing something? I have not heard it kick on yet, but I will try to get in the attic on the hottest day during the peak heat. Is there any other way to test it?

 

Not really. With mine I can turn the temp down and cause it to come on. I'm pretty sure there is a thermostat for it. I've never seen one that didn't have one.

 

Question about getting the most of the attic fan.

Upstairs room that has the stairs to the attic has folded stairs.

Would it be wise during a really hot days .. to keep that folder stairs down ..so there is an opening up to ceiling from that bedroom .... Idea being, it will allow the hot air from downstairs to travel up to attic and out via attic fan faster ??

Or am I just blowing some hot air !! keekeee

 

You do not want to do that. You should not cool the attic. You should only be conserned about the finished space being cooled. Most people don't even know to get the attic fan. If you have one then it will help your cooling costs but you will not want keep the attic door open.

 

Exactly .. the only way that would work is if you had what is known as a 'whole house fan'.

In many southern and southwestern homes, a large 4 to 5 foot fan is placed in a main hall (in a ranch type house) or on the second floor above the stairwell in the ceiling. In some installations, its placed in an end wall of the attic, usually when there is a standard 'A' shape roof, and there is a large vent shaft put in the ceiling with louvers that open when the fan is running.

The fan then comes on and pulls all the air from the house. The idea is to open the first floor windows, and allow the fan to pull the heat from the house, pulling in cooler air from the ground level.

In our cases, the attic fan is not much more than a foot across, and is only designed to pull air from the eaves through the attic.

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

I have the same one ... Thus, I will keep the stairway closed Thank you all for your info...

 

I check on my attic fan yesterday because the upstairs wasn't gettting below 77 degrees. I found that that is a kill switch for my fan located at the top of the attic pull down stairs. It looks like a normal light switch and was labeled "FAN" (makes sense.) The switch was in the off position so the fan wasn't automatically turning on with the thermostat. Just something to check. Good luck.

 

Took a look at mine today when our A/C guy came out for the summer check ... turns out the fan or thermostat is bad ... after only 5 years !! I'll have to go up there first thing in the morning and by pass the thermostat to see if that is the problem, or the fan itself went belly up.



Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

Just had the HVAC whitman guys come over for my AC start and check. Also had Van Metre guy Kenny come by as well for the attic fan.

The good news, i have an attic fan..Just cant see if from the attic.

The bad news, they dont have a switch for it. I have two switches labelled light instead of light and fan switch. This is going on my 60 day report, and kenny said an electrician has to wire it.

NICE JOB VAN METRE(SARCASM!)

 

Do all VM homes have an attic fan? I live in a Cedarwood model. I searched all over the attic and could not find it.

 

no, it was an option that you could buy at structural. I believe it was a $200 dollar option.