At some time the previous homeowners installed a pair of US Sunlight solar fans as seen in the pic (near the main ridge vents) probably to address the high attic temps (or possibly during construction?) in this southern climate. Pretty sure this is not a correct location and I suspect that they are too close to the ridge vents and not exhausting correctly (now that they are not working I fear they have became intakes). They have been squealing for some time until last year they finally failed. I did order and receive replacement bushings. Honestly have not thought too much about them and probably should have had them removed during a recent roof replacement (insurance paid to rem/reset) but was not advised otherwise (I guess I shouldn’t expect otherwise on a $20K roof replacement).
My question is what is the recommendations? Removal, repair bushing (difficult to access from the attic), leave them as is or?
I am a “homeowner”. Engineer by trade so 99% of the time I DIY or do the appropriate research or calculations, however in this case if anything is recommended on the roof side I probably would not mess with it due to the pitch. I just wish I did the appropriate research prior to the roof replacement (which I am less than happy with).
You’ll likely have some cross feeding though not enough to render the ridge venting useless. Many pros agree active air displacement is a superior choice over passive systems so fixing them may be worthwhile. You already have the parts, so hire a roofer to remove them and reset them after you’ve tinkered with them. Just make sure you have matching shingles in case the roof needs patching. Leaving malfunctioning vents in place until you decide to take action will be of little consequence as long as they still offer passive airflow.
Totally understand your concern about those solar fans. If they’re making noise and aren’t doing their job, it’s time to think about their future. Given the tricky access and their current state, maybe removing them is the way to go. But, before making any decisions, it’s a good idea to chat with a roofing pro for their thoughts. They’ll guide you on what’s best for your roof and attic’s health. Hope it all works out!
