The AFG PRO-3.0 is the big boy of the QuietCool attic fan line. This unit is equipped with a permanent split capacitor motor (PSC) that pulls in a whopping 3,000 CFM! The AFG PRO-3.0 is designed for larger attics that need more power than the typical big box attic fans are capable of bringing in. The unit also comes with an adjustable thermostat, so the homeowner has the option to have their unit kick on when the attic temperature is between 60 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit. For example, if a homeowner would like to keep their attic below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, they can set their thermostat to kick on at 95 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help prevent their attic from ever getting above that. To top this fantastic unit off, it comes with the 15-year motor warranty that has come to be expected with most of our units!
Proper ventilation is needed to ensure maximum efficiency with an Attic Fan. There are two types of ventilation and they are exhaust and intake ventilation. Imagine a car having an intake and exhaust; an attic fan functions the same way. If the air in your attic is not circulating well enough, condensation can occur. This can cause major damage to the roof, sheathing, insulation, and even the ceiling of a home. Ventilation works effectively, if there is just as much clearance for air to enter an attic, as there is for it to leave.
Exhaust: Power attic fans, ridge vents, dormers, or turbines.
Intake: Soffit vents, gable vents, box or dome vents.
Homes that were built in the last 25-30 years will have soffit vents, or you may add soffit vents, if needed. For older homes, you may want to check, if you need more ventilation installed. If you are unsure what to look for, just walk outside your house and look up towards the roof. If you see a vent, you should be fine. Contact your local roofing contractor or general contractor, if you need to create attic ventilation.
As we have talked about, attic fans offer a much more energy efficient way to cool down an extremely hot attic space. Although, they do not offer the same cooling power as an air conditioning unit. But they are a tool that helps cool down your home quicker, while only consuming a fraction of energy.
To easily calculate how much ventilation you need, we have come up with a simple mathematical formula. This formula can give a recommendation on how much attic ventilation you need. You also need to figure out how many vents you will need to properly vent your attic.
For every 1 square foot of attic ventilation, it is suggested that you have 150 square feet of attic floor space. For example, you have a 3,200 square foot home, which you need to figure out how much attic ventilation is needed. You will take 3,200 and divide that by 150, which equals 21 square feet of attic venting. Now we take 21 and divide that by 2, which equals 10.5 square feet of intake and 10.5 square feet of exhaust.
The last step is to figure out how many vents you would need to provide for 10.5 square feet of attic ventilation. Start by converting the number to square inches. This is achieved by multiplying by 144. So, 10.5 x 144 = 1,512 square inches of attic ventilation needed for both intake and exhaust.
Now the beauty of an attic fan is that it can power ventilate your attic by forcing air out through the gable. If you have a roof mounted attic fan, air can be forced out through the roof.
