DIY: How to Install an Attic Fan

Although it's the best way to cool down your attic on a hot summer day, many people don't know how to an install an attic fan and end up hiring a professional tradesman to do a job they could easily complete themselves with a bit of research.

Your attic can quickly heat up to temperatures as high as 150 degrees. The heat is then trapped under your roof and radiates through the ceiling below, heating up the inside of your house and increasing both the load on your air conditioners and your electricity bill.

You can fix this problem if you know how to an install an attic fan. This keeps your attic cool by drawing in the air from outside through the roof vents and forcing the hot air out. A well ventilated attic will keep you entire house cool in the hottest of summers and save you some money to. So let's look at how to an install an attic fan.

Attic fan installation is a simple job if you have a basic idea of what you're doing and some experience of using hand tools and roofing. As ever with DIY, safety comes first. Make sure you've turned off the power before you start and think about wearing safety goggles or a face mask for added protection.

The first thing you need to do is decide where you're going to install the fan. You can either put it in front of a gable vent or cut a hole in the roof. Drill a hole in the roof and then cut with a reciprocating saw, making sure that the hole doesn't damage electrical or plumbing lines concealed in the walls. The hole should be big enough for the whole attic fan to fit in. If your attic fan is in a vent, make sure that there are at least two more vents so that it works properly. You also need to fit a regulator to control the speed of the fan. If you're not sure how to an install an attic fan regulator, it's probably best to ask an electrician to do it for you.