Power Attic Vents are Bad

I overheard a handyman the other day talking about how he has installed a bunch of power attic vents lately.  He said it helped to keep the attic cooler, which in turn helped keep the house cooler inside.  While that sounds like it makes sense, there is a reason why power attic vents are BANNED in new construction.  There are two key points to look at for why they are a bad idea for your home.

First, the main reason is that most homes have a lot of air leaks into the attic.  There are holes drilled in top plates for wiring (Pic 2), unsealed drywall seams (Pic 3), HVAC penetrations (Pic 4), and open chases (Pic 5) everywhere in our attics.  Power attic vents create negative pressure in the attic.  This means air is drawn from where ever it can be.  So the cooler temperatures in the attic are actually a result of conditioned air being drawn out of the house and into the attic.  How efficient is that?

Second, most attic power vents are powered by electricity.  So if your attic is really hot and the thermostat is not set fairly high, it will run all day.  If you are installing the vent to save money on your electric bill, well, you are wasting your money.  Using electricity to save electricity doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

The real solution is to make sure that all the nooks, cracks, and crannies in your attic are properly air sealed.  Then you need to make sure that there is a good thermal barrier (insulation) between you and the attic.  Next, make sure your ducts and HVAC equipment are well sealed so you’re not wasting air you’re paying to condition outside.  Finally, make sure you have enough soffit vents and that they are not blocked.  Even a well ventilated attic is going to get up to the 130’s in the middle of a hot sunny summer day.  If these things aren’t done and you choose to have a power attic vent installed instead (usually because it’s cheaper), please let me know so I can catch the money blowing out of the vent.

If you have a question or comment about this article, please enter them below or email me at JonL@theNRGguy.com or contact me through Facebook.  As always….Don’t throw money at your problems, throw knowledge, it’s a lot cheaper.