How to Figure Attic Exhaust Fan Size
An exhaust fan in the attic plays an important part in cooling your house during the summer. While the rest of the house is cooled by air conditioning, the attic is often left to get hot. Unfortunately, the heat in the attic can escape into the house, forcing the air conditioner to work harder to keep the house cool. Putting an exhaust fan in your attic can alleviate this problem. Here's how to figure out what size fan you'll need to buy.
Step 1
Figure out the size of your attic in square feet. You may have this information already on the floor plans for your house. If not, measure the width and the length of your attic floor, then multiply the two numbers.
Step 2
Take the number of square feet in your attic and multiply it by 0.7. For example, if your attic is 500 square feet, you would multiply that by 0.7 and get 350. The number you get, 350 in the example, is the CFM (cubic feet per minute) minimum fan rating that you'll need in an exhaust fan.
Step 3
Multiply your CFM minimum fan rating by 1.2 if you have a steep roof. If you have a dark roof, multiply it by 1.15. That will be your final CFM minimum fan ratings to look for when buying your fan, because these types of attics will need more energy from their exhaust fans to stay cool.
Step 4
Buy an exhaust fan that is too big, rather than too small, if your options are limited. Most exhaust fans have between an 800 and a 1,600 CFM rating. If you need one with an 850 rating, but all that is available is an 800 rated fan and a 900 rated fan, buy the one with the 900 rating.
References
Writer Bio
J. Johnson has been completing freelance writing work since September 2009. Her work includes writing website content and small client projects. Johnson holds a degree in English from North Carolina State University.
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