attic fan questions......


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Old 03-09-11, 05:41 AM
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attic fan questions......

1980 modular home. mushroom style attic fan.

Attic gets extremely hot in the summer. The attic fan is not working.
MY question is where should I start my investigation as to the problem? There is no switch for the fan, just a junction box that my neighbor says is a thermostat. The fan is 30' or better from the attic access and there is really no room to stand in the attic. With that said i really don't want to have to crawl over to the fan no more than needed to figure this out.
There is a ridge vent on the home, but because it is a modular there is no visible gap for the air to escape thru the ridge. ( hope that makes sense)
 
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Old 03-09-11, 06:47 AM
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You will only have to make that trip once. Turn off the circuit, remove the wiring from the fan control box, nut the wires individually and install them in a junction box attached to the rafter, install a cover on the box and leave.
All the rest of the work will be from the roof. Remove the shingles surrounding the mushroom, pull the fan and discard it. Cut your roof decking back to span at least 3 rafters and install new decking over that spot, replace the shingles, with a few more to cover the hole the fan occupied. You can take a sample with your to the store and find a close match.
Then remove all the ridge cap shingles except about 3 or 4' from each end and cut the decking away from the ridge beam about 2 or 3" on either side. Discard the scrap decking. You will feel the warm air when you do this. Install ridge vents along the ridge, capping with some of the new shingles you bought. Now, you will have an efficient way of getting the heat out of the attic space. You do have adequate, unblocked soffit venting as well, I assume. You may want to address this as well as you must have that in order to make the system work.
 
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Old 03-10-11, 10:39 AM
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Thanks for the reply....I am not sure I am understanding you as for the ridge ventelation. This modular home is a ranch stlye. There are 2 2x8's bolted together at the ridge that run the lenght of the home. This where the two halves are put together. Are you saying to cut the roof decking enough to expose these beams will a little open slot on each side for the air to escape, maybe 1"-2"? And if so, will a ridge vent cover this? Like I said, there is already a ridge vent up there but no where for the air to go.
 
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Old 03-10-11, 12:47 PM
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Sort of a waste of a ridge vent, wasn't it? You got the theory perfectly. I would have thought anyone installing a ridge vent would have made an accommodation to allow air to go through it. Even the manufacturer could have left the decking a little short in the middle part for it.
 
 

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