I need to replace a roof-mounted attic power vent. Any thoughts about differences in quality? Noise? Thanks, all.
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A round piece of plywood and shingles, followed by application of a ridge vent.
Depending on your location (fill in your Profile, hint, hint), the actual value of attic insulation may, in fact be minimal.
Here where I live, between two river valleys in Central Texas, all attic ventilation does is generally "bad." At night, the air cools to nearly dewpoint temps. Attics generally run 130-135º ventilated during the day; and about 5º warmer without. Coolest temps after only about 8 hours of 'nightime' only get down to the 90's, to heat back up again with daybreak.
Ok, so the ambient air outside, at 90-something for about 20 weeks of the year, is cooler than the 130º in the attic. But, it's also running about 50-60% humidity, and that water vapor is a heck of a heat sink--it's just not going to cool the roof deck by contact in any big way.
This will not sound like "the conventional wisdom" in any shape or form, but if you check: http://www.buildingscience.com/designsthatwork/default.htm, you'll see this is not all just rants of some wacko on the internet.
Check the web for some of the solar-powered models.
What DanH said.
Why pay for the electricity to run a power vent when gravity will do the work for free?
The good leader is he who the people revere
The great leader is he who the people say, "We did it ourselves." [Lao Tsu]
I have to agree, more aggravation than they are worth. I had one on the house in Florida and it never shut off. So I installed off-ridge vents and achieved the same results and never replaced another motor.