Attic fan checkup
Annual · typically May
Why it matters
Two different machines get called "attic fan," and the difference matters: a whole-house fan pulls air through your living space (that's its own card); an attic fan — this card — sits on the roof or gable and exhausts only the attic itself.
If you don't have one, you're done here — and be skeptical of anyone selling one. If you do: a working attic fan knocks the peak off summer attic temperatures, which eases the load on everything below it.
The catch every fan salesman skips: a powered fan over a leaky ceiling depressurizes the attic and _pulls your conditioned air up through every gap_ — can lights, the hatch, plumbing chases. Sealing those gaps comes first; it's cheaper and works year-round.
What skipping it costs
$150–$900
First, the gate: no attic fan? Skip this card — and ignore anyone selling you one until your ceiling is air-sealed. Have one? A seized fan is a toaster on your roof: the motor hums, trips nothing, and bakes all summer — dead motors and scorched wiring are how a $150 fix becomes an electrician visit. And a fan pulling conditioned air through a leaky ceiling quietly adds to every summer power bill.
Two ways to get it done
Do it yourself
You'll need: Flashlight, Ladder to the attic hatch.
- The click test. On a warm May afternoon, listen near the hatch: the thermostat should kick the fan on somewhere around 100–110°F attic temperature. No fan running on a hot afternoon = check its breaker, then its thermostat.
- The bearing listen. A healthy fan hums; a dying one squeals, grinds, or wobbles. Bearings announce failure months ahead — that's your window for a cheap motor swap.
- Look at the blades and screen with a flashlight: leaves, nests, and a bent blade cut airflow more than people expect.
- Check the intake side. Exhaust only works with intake — walk outside and confirm soffit vents aren't painted shut or stuffed with insulation. (Your attic inspection card covers this from inside.)
- Set the thermostat sanely: ~110°F on, not 90° — a fan that runs all day isn't venting better, it's just wearing out faster.
Hire it out
$100–$250National fair range — local labor moves this number.
A service visit — thermostat test, motor check or swap, screen cleaning — runs $100–$250; a straight motor replacement is a modest parts-plus-hour job, so get that number before anyone quotes a whole new unit.
And the standing rule for the door-knock solar-fan pitch: the honest sequence is air-seal the ceiling, top up insulation, balance passive venting, and only then talk powered fans. Anyone selling step four first is selling the part they stock.
Ask the tech
- Is the thermostat actually cycling the fan, and at what temperature is it set?
- Are you checking the ceiling air-sealing under this attic, or just the fan?
- If the motor's gone, what does a straight motor swap cost versus the whole-unit price?
Red flags you're being upsold
- The solar-attic-fan door pitch. A solar fan on a leaky ceiling can pull your paid-for conditioned air INTO the attic — air-seal the ceiling first, and half the time you no longer want the fan.
- 'Your attic hit 140° — that's an emergency.' Attics are supposed to be hot; 140° in July is Tuesday. The question is ventilation balance, not the scary number.
- A powered-fan hard sell on a house with good ridge-and-soffit venting — passive venting done right doesn't need the help.
Second opinion time: Any attic-ventilation package over $1,500 — that money is usually better spent on air-sealing and insulation, in that order.
The call
DIY the check — it's a flashlight and five minutes at the hatch. Hire the motor swap if it's dead; skip the upgrade pitches until your ceiling is sealed.