An attic fan works unattended to draw heated air out of the house. You can make your own solar-powered attic fan from one in the attic that uses electricity -- only now it will get its power from a solar panel instead. The solar panel operates at no cost and runs both during and after it has been hit with sunlight, charging itself in the process.
Instructions
1. Write down the electrical amperage (amps) needs of the attic fan, for example, 10 amps. Obtain this information from the owner's manual, if the fan was installed after the house was made. Or, you can get it from the contractor who built the house, if the fan was installed during construction. In some cases, you can find the amps required on the fan itself.
2. Multiply the amp needs of the fan by 24 hours to get the total amps that the solar panel must supply in order to function correctly with the attic fan. Multiply this total by 20 percent. Write this number down.
3. Purchase a solar panel that meets or slightly exceeds the number that you arrived at -- the amperage is noted on the specifications that accompany the panel.
4. Remove the screws from the sides of the attic fan's grill that is on the roof, using a Phillips screwdriver. Pull the grill off.
5. Run the wires attached to the back of the solar panel through a slat in the grill and into the opening where the grill was. Place the solar panel against the roof next to the grill's opening.
6. Screw wood screws through the holes in the sides of the solar panel and into the roof using the Phillips screwdriver. Place the grill back on the wall. Reattach the screws to the grill. Apply a dab of silicone sealant paste to every screw head to insulate them.
7. Go to the home's fuse box and turn off the circuit breaker that supplies electric power to the attic fan. If the attic fan uses a power cord, unplug the cord from the outlet.
8. Remove the screws from the grill on the bottom of the attic fan using the Phillips screwdriver. Pull the grill off.
9. Grip the solar panel's wires, which are now inside the fan. Route the wires against the side of the fan and tape them to the side of the fan using duct tape.
10. Strip ½-inch of insulation off the ends of the wires using wire strippers. Loosen the two screws on the fan's motor with the Phillips screwdriver. Unwind the wires from the two screws, and tape over the ends of the wires with strips of electrical tape.
11. Wind the exposed end of the black wire from the solar panel a quarter-turn clockwise around the screw on the motor that has the "+" (positive) label. Wind the exposed end of the other wire from the solar panel a quarter-turn clockwise around the other screw. Tighten the screws.
12. Place the grill back on the attic fan. Reattach the screws. Your solar-powered attic fan should begin to spin.
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