Now take that number and divide it by 750.
How to tell if my attic fan is on.
The warm air escapes through the attic and to the attic vents allowing the circulation of chilly air from the windows.
How to tell if you need an attic or whole house fan.
If the fan turns on the motor is still good.
You simply add up the nfas of all your vents and divide that number by the area of the attic to determine whether you re within the 1 150 ratio.
So if your fan is rated at 1500 cfm you will need about two feet of totally open space in your attic.
However the utility of attic ventilation fans is actually quite a controversial topic.
Step 2 test the thermostat.
Any whole house fan that you buy should have this figure listed somewhere on the packaging.
Likewise adjustable thermostats will shut the fan off.
You can diagnose it by plugging other electrical appliances that are working into the same outlet and by plugging the fan into a different power outlet.
If you re running an air conditioner you wouldn t want to have a whole house fan blowing that cooled air into your attic.
It helps to cool your home temperatures and the attic by approximately 30 degrees.
Step 1 test the fan motor.
Whole house fans work on the principle of removing the hot and humid air out of the house.
Once done test that the motor still works by plugging the motor into an extension cord that is connected to an outlet.
Turn the attic fan off and unplug the motor from the thermostat.
Turn your fan off and monitor the temperature in your attic up unitl 2pm or something then turn it on.
The downside of attic ventilation fans.
Your attic fan may not be turning on because of an electrical problem like a tripped circuit breaker a blown fuse or a bad connection.
This is done because you need one square foot of ventilation area for every 750 cfm that your fan can push.
Attic ventilation fans whether hard wired or powered by their own solar panels seem like a low cost and effective way to help keep your house cool.
When the temperature within the attic reaches a set point the fan will turn on and start venting the heated air cooling the attic space.