A solar attic fan, also known as an attic ventilator, is a good investment. Many have considered installing it in their homes for better attic ventilation.

Still, homeowners likely don’t have enough information about what it is or how it works.

A solar-powered attic fan is an energy-efficient mechanical HVAC unit powered by the sun, typically through roof-mounted solar panels. It can keep your attic cool and comfortable year-round.

Furthermore, a solar attic fan can help reduce electricity usage in the hottest months.

Do Solar Attic Fans Really Work? 

Absolutely! Your space can be well-ventilated with fresh air all year long through a solar attic fan, as long as it is high quality and in good working condition.

It is one of the most efficient options for proper attic ventilation. In addition, they typically last for several years, so the investment is worth it. 

How Do Solar Attic Fans Work? 

For solar attic fans to function properly, the fan must absorb cold air from the soffits through the lower parts of the roof. Hot air that has gathered at the top of the attic must be released with the help of solar power.

Typically, this is how air should move – cold air is at the bottom, and hot air is at the top of the airflow.

The attic fan helps enable more air movement, producing cooler air circulation.

Generally, installing a solar attic fan unit is a simple process, regardless of whether you’re installing it on a shingle, stainless steel, or tile roof.

Additionally, solar attic fans have a built-in, pre-rated thermostat integrated into them to monitor attic temperatures and control when to turn them on and off.

The Benefits of Solar Attic Fans

Solar attic fans have several advantages for you and your house:

Keep Your Attic Cooler in Summer

In warmer places like Texas and Florida, heat in your attic can radiate into the living area below. This heat can weaken the effectiveness of your house’s insulation, reducing your quality of living.

Installing an attic vent source with a built-in thermostat, such as a solar attic fan, is beneficial to homeowners for better airflow and well-being.

It also helps prevent your air conditioner from being overworked, avoiding faults and damage to your AC equipment.

Reduce Moisture in Your Attic

As hot air cools on contact with your roof, it condenses, causing rot, fungus, mildew, and mold – all of which may weaken your roof, wreaking havoc on the structural stability of your home.

Homeowners who reduce their attic temperature by using solar-powered ventilation can avoid these problems.

Go Green

Solar-powered fans are eco-friendly and sustainable, meaning they do not harm the environment. This sustainability results from getting their energy from the sun through solar panels, compared to generic fans, which get their energy from electricity.

The solar attic fan may also help you cut costs through this renewable energy source to lessen your carbon footprint.

Energy-Conscious Solar Power

The solar energy generated by the solar panel, sometimes referred to as photovoltaic power, is free and can lower electricity usage by removing hot air from your attic.

In addition to being energy-efficient, these fans are easy to install and do not require extensive maintenance.

Since you do not have to run an attic ventilation fan in cloudy or rainy weather, solar attic fans allow you to use only the energy required on the year’s hottest days without incurring additional costs.

An Excellent Investment

Since there are more sunny days each year in states like Florida, a solar attic fan is a wise investment that will increase comfort in your house and cut down on energy bills.

In addition to providing curb appeal and quiet operation, solar attic fans also have a low profile, seamless design that speaks to environmental awareness and energy efficiency.

Improved Air Quality

By removing hot and humid air buildup from attics and bringing in cooler outdoor air, solar attic fans, like other exhaust fans, can help you and other home occupants improve air quality.

Improved air quality means improved health, too, and everybody should consider this.

The Challenges of Solar Attic Fans

Solar attic fans do have a few considerations to take into account for you and your home:

Initial Investment Costs

Solar attic fans are more expensive upfront than conventional attic fans. Minus the cost of buying the attic fan, installation most likely costs more in cities than in rural areas.

Still, the benefits of sufficient airflow and energy savings over time outweigh the purchase and installation price. Also, some solar attic fan units qualify for the federal tax credit.

Most Homes Need Two

In most residences, two solar-powered attic fans may be required to move the air, which may increase purchase and installation expenses. However, the number of solar-powered fans you need is still dependent on factors like the size of the attic space.

For instance, a 1000-square-foot attic won’t have the same ventilation requirements as a 2000-square-foot attic.

Solar Attic Fans Require Direct Sunlight

Solar attic fans need direct sunlight to function because the sun is their energy source. Yes, this can be a disadvantage, especially in “cloudy seasons” like winter and spring.

Also, because the solar panel requires direct sunlight for the fan to function, things like shady trees, cloud cover, and even dust can affect sun exposure, negatively affecting its performance.

Install Your Solar Attic Fan Today

A solar-powered attic fan can impact your attic ventilation significantly and improve your home’s air quality, particularly in the Florida heat. It can also lower energy expenses that heavy-duty electricity-powered fans could incur during the warmest months.

3H AC: The Leader in AC design, installation, and repair services in the Tampa area

3H AC can answer all of your questions about the benefits of a solar-power attic fan for your property.

Our consults are always free of charge! We can provide a speedy quote and answer all your questions with no high-pressure sales tactics, just service. 

Schedule a complimentary appointment with us to learn more about solar attic fans, such as:

• Installation costs – and whether or not to “DIY”
• Product durability and warranty details
• Why solar power may be better for you than air conditioning

The post Solar Attic Fans: A Complete Guide appeared first on 3HAC.

One major public health hurdle is controlling indoor air quality. A lot of debate and scientific studies are being carried out on the role of HVAC (or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems in the transmission of the COVID-19 virus.

HVAC systems offer comfortable environment conditions such as relative humidity and temperature, and they clean the air in indoor settings. These systems provide clean air circulation through indoor and outdoor air exchange and filtering. Because of how they circulate air, their role in COVID-19 transmission risk is still being investigated. 

Can COVID spread through HVAC systems, and what can you do to keep your home or business safe from the virus?

Does COVID Spread Through HVAC Systems?

Poor air ventilation rates, especially in confined indoor spaces, are linked to increased transmission of respiratory tract infections like rhinovirus, tuberculosis, influenza, and tuberculosis infections. Equally, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) transmission risk is possible, especially in enclosed spaces, including transmission from pre-symptomatic COVID-19 cases.

However, the CDC reports that, although airflow within a specific space can spread diseases among people within the space, there is currently no definitive evidence that viable SARS-CoV-2 can survive inside the system, requiring it to be replaced. 

Understanding Coronavirus Particles and How They Travel

Coronavirus particles have a size of about 0.1 microns—1/700th the width of human hair. As a result, they are easily transmissible and challenging to regulate. 

The spread of Coronavirus from one person to another occurs through:

• Close contact or being within 2 meters of an infected person for 15 minutes or more, or through physical contact; for instance, hugging an infected person.
• Respiratory droplets from the mouth and nose when you talk, cough, sneeze, laugh, sing, or breathe.
• Aerosols, which are smaller and lighter respiratory droplets that may stay longer in the air. Infectious aerosols may also be created during some dental and medical procedures.
• Touching surfaces with the virus on them and then touching your nose, eyes, or mouth before washing your hands.

The severity and rate of spread of the SARS-CoV-2 has pushed engineers to take further measures to boost indoor air quality. Most available reports show that transmission of the COVID-19 virus is possible even in instances where there is no physical contact with contaminants,  infected fomites, or people.

Furthermore, over 239 scientists from 32 countries have written an open letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) to confirm the airborne transmission route of SARS-CoV-2. So, it’s strongly suggested that heating and cooling systems have a role in the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

How Heating and Cooling Systems Work

To put it simply, a central heating or cooling unit controls the temperature of your home or business by moving air, typically through a system of ductwork and air vents. In the summer, warm air and humidity is moved from inside your home to the outside, and in the winter, cool air is warmed by a furnace or heat pump. There’s also the “V” in HVAC to consider—ventilation. Ventilation refers to the replacement of stale, indoor air with fresh, outdoor air. Ventilation can occur naturally through small cracks, or mechanically using your HVAC system’s ducts and fans.

Can COVID-19 Travel Through Air Vents? 

In the U.S., most homes use a forced-air heating and cooling system (also called central air). This type of HVAC system only recirculates indoor air, meaning that airborne illnesses like COVID-19 are also recirculated and travel through your home’s air vents over and over again.

That’s why it’s so important to have proper ventilation in your home or business—ventilation, as we discussed, replaces indoor air with clean outdoor air, diluting it and reducing the spread of airborne illnesses. Good ventilation also helps to improve the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems, removes excess moisture, and keeps airborne allergens under control.

At 3H AC, we specialize in repairing and installing residential and commercial ventilation systems in the Tampa Bay area—contact us to learn how we can help improve your indoor air quality.

Of course, good ventilation is not a replacement for other COVID-19 risk reduction strategies, like social distancing, covering your mouth and nose with your elbow when you cough or sneeze, and washing your hands frequently.  

New Technologies For Combating COVID-19 Spread Through HVAC

Effective ways of mitigating or eliminating the transmission of COVID-19 particles are essential as the world continues fighting this deadly pandemic.

According to The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, airborne transmission of coronavirus is significant and can be controlled through changing building operations—including operation of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems to lower airborne exposures. 

When it comes to HVAC systems and the role they play in the airborne transmission risk of the virus, here are a few technologies that can help out:

Reconfiguration of Present HVAC System

An existing HVAC system can be reconfigured to have a higher air exchange rate to lower the number of viral particles in the indoor air. Reconfiguration is achieved by introducing fresher air into the HVAC system and preventing recirculation of air already contaminated with the virus.

Airflow speed can also be reduced by incorporating fixed-speed motors to regulate how far the contaminated air will travel. A HVAC professional can help you in upgrading your existing HVAC system to improve indoor air quality.

Using HEPA Air Filters

HEPA filters or High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters are also a great mitigation strategy in lowering the spread of COVID-19 in the indoor environment. These portable air cleaners will filter out all particulates that are above 0.3 microns. These air filtration systems will help to eliminate the larger infectious droplets from your space. 

They also help enhance indoor air quality by lowering the number of overall viruses, bacteria, and allergens. Getting a filter system that has a MERV-13 rating or higher is great at trapping smaller particles, including viruses.

Using Ductless HVAC Systems

You can prevent the transmission of coronavirus particles by replacing a ducted HVAC unit with a ductless heat pump. Mini-split HVAC devices will still recirculate indoor air rather than bringing in fresh air from the outdoors into  buildings. However, its mechanism of action is different from the ducted systems. Usually, the air exchange will stay within the room for indoor ductless units. As a result, you have no air shared throughout the indoor space where ducts will carry them between rooms.

Good Indoor Air Quality and Adequate Ventilation Can Help Reduce The Spread of COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2 viral particles tend to spread more readily between people who are indoors than outdoors. A multi-layered approach should be used to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus in indoor environments that use HVAC systems.

Homes and offices require improvements in building air ventilation systems and indoor air quality to lower the spread of disease-causing pathogens and reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure. In addition, wearing face masks, physical distancing, vaccination, and hand hygiene should also be encouraged. 

Protective interventions, disinfections, and ventilation practices will lower the airborne concentrations and shrink the overall viral dose that occupants are exposed to.

Contact or call 3H AC today to get more information on how we can assess and improve your indoor air quality.

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