How to Close an Attic Fan Vent
Attic fans help to ventilate your home and draw out the heat inside the attic. People often confuse attic fans with whole house fans, which ventilate the entire house and are also installed in the attic. Attic fans are usually mounted on a home's exterior with a set of louvers that allow the hot air to pass through. While you generally need an attic fan open, during storms, you might want to close the attic fan vent to avoid drawing moisture into the house. Closing an attic fan vent might seem impossible since there is no lever to operate the vent slats. The louvers, though, operate much like louvers on a dryer vent and open and close based on the operation of the fan. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Find the thermostat for your attic fan, if you have a thermostatically controlled attic fan. Most thermostats are set to automatically turn the fan on when the attic reaches a predetermined temperature, much like the thermostat on your heating and cooling system.
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Turn the thermostat to its lowest setting. This keeps the fan in the “Off” position. When the fan turns off, the vent's louvers close. The vents open and close according to whether the attic fan is running.
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Unplug the attic fan power cord, if you do not have a thermostatically controlled fan and the fan is not hardwired into your home. If the fan is hardwired into the home, find the circuit breaker for the attic fan, and turn it to the “Off” position.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid closing the attic fan vent during the winter as the fan draws out moisture from the heating system. A closed vent with a fan turned off allows moisture to build up inside the walls of the home.
Move the operating lever in the opposite direction to close the damper on roof-mounted, cylindrical fans.
