Solar Attic Fans in Lake County: When to Check, Replace or Install

Why did my solar attic fan stop working?

A solar attic fan is a simple machine. A small solar panel on top feeds a DC motor, and the motor spins a fan blade that pushes hot air out of your attic. There is usually no battery and no connection to your house wiring. That simplicity is the good news, because there are only a few things that can go wrong.

Here is what I see most often on fans around Tavares, Fruitland Park and the rest of Lake County:

• The panel is dirty or shaded. Oak pollen, mildew and leaf litter build up on that little panel the same way they do on a big rooftop array. A tree that has grown since the fan went in can shade it most of the afternoon.
• The motor is worn. Bearings dry out after years of Florida heat. You hear a grinding or ticking sound, or the blade turns slowly even in full sun.
• The thermostat or a switch is set wrong. Many solar fans have a thermostat, and some have a humidity switch. If it is set too high, the fan just never kicks on.
• A wire has come loose. The lead between the panel and the motor can work loose, corrode, or get chewed by a squirrel or rat living in the attic.

How can you tell if a solar attic fan is working?

Pick a clear, hot afternoon. Stand in the yard and look at the vent. Most fans have a grille you can see movement through. If you can get into the attic safely, you should hear a steady hum near the fan and feel air moving toward it.

Don't judge it at 8 in the morning or on a cloudy day. A fan may sit still until the sun is high or the attic gets hot enough to trip the thermostat. That fan is doing exactly what it was built to do. If it stays still on a bright July afternoon, something is wrong.

And please don't climb onto the roof to look. A shingle roof in the Florida sun is hot and slick, and a fall from a one-story roof can still put you in the hospital. That is what we are for.

Can a solar attic fan be repaired, or should it be replaced?

People search for "solar fan repair" a lot, and some problems really are small. Cleaning the panel, trimming a branch back, resetting a thermostat or tightening a connection can bring a fan right back. We check those things first, with a multimeter on the panel and the motor so we know where the power stops instead of guessing.

If the motor or the panel itself is worn out, I usually recommend a new fan. On most solar attic fans, the panel, motor and housing come as one unit. Parts for older or off-brand models can be hard to find. By the time you track down a matching motor, you have paid for most of a new fan, and you still have an old housing and panel.

Before you decide, find your paperwork. Many fan makers offer a warranty, and if yours is still covered, the manufacturer may replace it.

What about roof leaks around an attic fan?

A stain on the ceiling under the fan usually points to the flashing or the seal where the fan meets the roof. That is a roofing problem, and a roofer should handle it. We don't seal or repair roof leaks.

What we can do is remove the fan so the roofer can work, and install a new one when the roof is ready. If you have solar panels on the same roof, we can also remove and reinstall the panels while the roofer does the repair.

Is it worth installing a solar attic fan in Central Florida?

For a lot of homes, it makes sense, because Florida attics get very hot in summer. A fan that runs on sunlight moves that hot air out during the worst hours, without adding to your power bill. It works best when your attic has enough intake vents, like soffit vents, to let fresh air in as the fan pulls hot air out. A fan with no intake air just works harder for less.

It is not right for every house. If your attic already has a ridge vent, a powered fan can pull air from the wrong place. So it is worth looking at the whole setup before cutting a new hole.

Service Solar Pros installs and replaces solar attic fans across Lake County, including Tavares, Fruitland Park and Leesburg. We will tell you honestly if your attic does not need one.

What happens when you call us about a solar fan?

Tell us what the fan is doing, or not doing, and roughly how old it is. A photo of the fan from the yard helps. We check the panel, the motor and the controls, and clean what needs cleaning.

Then we tell you plainly whether the fan is worth keeping. If it is time for a new one, we install it. We are fully insured. If you also have rooftop solar, we can look at the panels on the same visit.

Frequently asked questions