When deciding what type of ventilation is best for your attic space, the first decision you must make is whether you want active ventilation or passive ventilation. As attic fan technology continues to improve, active ventilation is becoming much more popular. Solar attic fans in particular are an attractive active ventilation solution to many homeowners as they do not cost a dime to operate. So, here are 3 key considerations you should take into account when shopping for a new ventilation solution for your home.
1. Which type of ventilation is simpler?
Figuring out how to ventilate your attic space isn’t quite as simple as just looking at the square footage of the space being ventilated. Passive ventilation is more complex because it relies on natural air currents and what is often referred to as the “chimney effect.” The height of your space, the pitch of your roof, and the shape of the attic heavily factor into your ventilation plans. It’s often complicated to find a ventilation solution that meets building codes, ventilates efficiently, and still looks nice on your roof.
However, using an active ventilation solution simplifies things tremendously. The benefit of active ventilation, like that provided by a solar attic fan, is that it guides the air currents where they need to be without relying on natural air movement. Guiding the air where it needs to go with a solar attic fan is simpler than installing a whole series of passive vents in an attempt to optimize air currents without the ability to actually control where the air is going.
2. Is active ventilation really more efficient?
When using passive ventilation, attic spaces often need multiple vents. However, with an active ventilation unit like a solar attic fan, most residential homes will only require one fan. This significantly decreases the cost of installation and maintenance while still providing better quality airflow.
3. Which type of ventilation is more versatile?
With passive vents, the combination of vents used in two different attics with the same square footage may vary widely depending on the shape of the attic. This is due to the very different air currents that can result from the unique shape of each space. However, with an active ventilation fan, you are guiding the air where it needs to go. While you should keep natural air currents in mind, you won’t depend on them to achieve the desired ventilation effect. Therefore, the same solar attic fan will ventilate a wide variety of attic shapes and sizes, taking most of the guesswork and headache out of ventilating your home.
