Troubleshooting Your Installation

My fan has not been installed yet

All Attic Breeze solar attic fans are 100% QC tested before leaving our factory.  If you are testing your fan before installing and it is not working, here are a few things to check:

• Did you plug your control plug into the wiring harness socket?  Click here for more information.
• If your fan is equipped with thermal switch control, is it warm enough outside to activate the switch?   Click here for more information.
• If your fan is equipped with Breeze Mate control, is the controller turned on and set to an activation temperature below the current outside temperature?  Click here for more information.
• Is the solar panel facing the sun?  If so, make sure there are no shadows or shade on the solar panel.
• If your fan is equipped with a remote mounted solar panel, make sure all of the power cables are well connected.

If you tried all of things above and still have a problem, contact Attic Breeze customer support for additional assistance before proceeding with your installation.

My fan was installed and working, but is no longer operating

Attic Breeze has an extremely low warranty claim rate due to our excellent product quality and is the reason we can offer an industry leading lifetime warranty to our customers.  If your product is not working, there are a few basic things we can check to help narrow down the problem:

• Make sure the control plug is plugged into the wiring harness socket.  Sometimes installers forget to do this, leaving the fan unoperational after installation.  Click here for more information.
• If your fan is equipped with thermal switch control, is it warm enough outside to activate the switch?   Click here for more information.
• If your fan is equipped with thermal switch control and it's warm enough to activate it, try by-passing the thermal switch.  If the fan comes on, you may have a bad thermal switch.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support for additional assistance with this issue.
• If your fan is equipped with Breeze Mate control, is the controller turned on and set to an activation temperature below the current outside temperature?  Click here for more information.
• If your fan is equipped with Breeze Mate control and the controller is set up properly, try by-passing the Breeze Mate controller.  If the fan comes on, you may have an issue with your Breeze Mate controller.  See the Breeze Mate section below for additional troubleshooting steps.
• Is your solar panel getting enough sunlight?  Make sure there is nothing around the solar panel that might cast a shadow on the panel.
• Is your fan getting power?  Using a standard voltmeter, verify that there is power coming from the solar panel.  For units with a remote mounted solar panel, check the voltage (VDC) at the end of the power cable where it plugs into the fan (or Breeze Mate control system).  For units with an attached solar panel, unplug the control plug and check the voltage (VDC) on the 4-prong wiring harness socket (male prong and female socket).  If there is no voltage, then you may have an issue with either your solar panel or power cable.  Check your power cable, wiring harness, and solar panel for signs of damage.  If no damage is found, contact customer support for additional assistance.
• If your fan is getting power from the solar panel, the next step is to test the motor.  You can test the motor using a common 9 volt battery.  For units featuring a remote mounted panel, unplug the solar panel and connect the battery to the fan's power cable (polarity does not matter).  For units with an attached solar panel, unplug the control plug and connect the battery to the 4-prong wiring harness socket (the two female sockets on the end).  If the fan blade does not turn, then you may have an issue with your motor or possibly a loose wiring connector on the motor.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support for additional assistance.
• If your fan appears to be getting power from the solar panel and the motor has tested good, then there is only one thing left that will cause your fan not to work.  In rare cases, your solar panel can be damaged and still produce voltage.  However when under load (i.e. when connected to the fan), the solar panel will not be able to produce any actual power due to the internal damage.  This type of damage is typically caused by either lightning strikes or exposure of the solar panel to a high static charge.  Sometimes the damage can be seen on the panel as burn marks (light brown or green marks on the cells or backing), but not always.  If this is the case, your solar panel will need to be replaced.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support and they will assist you with getting a replacement solar panel for your product.

My Breeze Mate Controller is not working properly

If you have determined that there may be an issue with your Breeze Mate controller, here are a few things to check:

• Is the Breeze Mate interface (white control box) communicating properly with the fan controller (black control box) in the attic?  If you see only dashes on the interface screen (i.e. no temperature or humidity numbers), this means that there is no communication between the controllers.  This can be caused by either not enough power being supplied to the fan controller, too much interference between the controllers, or the controllers being on different network channels.  Try switching the Breeze Mate interface to "manual off mode".  If the controller begins communicating (temperature and humidity displays on the screen), then there is simply not enough solar power available to operate both the fan and the controller at the same time.  This will typically occur either early in the day, late in the afternoon, or on cloudy days.
• If your Breeze Mate interface still shows dashes, try moving the interface closer to the fan controller in the attic and push the mode button again.  If the controller begins communicating, then there was too much interference between the controllers in the previous location.  The controllers should be able to communicate at distances of over 100 feet, but this range can be less depending on structural interferences and building materials.
• If the interface is still not communicating with the fan controller, verify that the network channel selected on the Breeze Mate interface (Fan Number) is the same as the channel selected on the fan controller.  Also verify that the "Solar Panel" LED on the fan controller is illuminated.  If the solar panel LED is not illuminated AND you have already verified that the fan works when the Breeze Mate controller is by-passed, then there may be a problem with your fan controller (ex. bad fuse).  If the solar panel LED on the fan controller is illuminated and the fan controller is on the correct network channel, then any remaining communication issue could mean bad electronics with either the interface or the fan controller.  In either case, contact Attic Breeze customer support and they will assist you with getting a replacement.
• If the Breeze Mate interface is communicating properly with the fan controller but your fan is not operating, try switching the interface to "automatic on mode".   The fan icon should display on the interface if the temperature/humidity settings are appropriate for controller activation.  If the fan icon does not display, verify that the control temperature setting is below the current outside air temperature.

ATTENTION:  Your Breeze Mate controller needs sunlight to operate.  Make sure your solar attic fan is receiving plenty of sunlight before troubleshooting controller issues.

My fan has not been installed yet

All Attic Breeze solar attic fans are 100% QC tested before leaving our factory.  If you are testing your fan before installing and it is making a loud noise or rattling sound, here are a few things to check:

• Is any packaging material or wiring hitting the fan blade?  Click here for more information.
• Inspect the fan for shipping damage.  Pay close attention to the support legs and fan housing.  If the support legs are bent, or if the fan housing is pushed in toward the fan blade, your product has been damaged during shipping.  DO NOT INSTALL THE PRODUCT.  Contact Attic Breeze  customer support for assistance with getting a replacement for your damaged product.
• If your fan is excessively vibrating, check the fan blade for damage.  Our fan blades are dynamically balanced for low vibration and each fan blade is tested under maximum airflow production for quality assurance.  Vibration, excessive noise, or shaking of the fan indicates that your fan blade may be damaged or off-balanced.  This can happen when an object hits the fan blade or if an installer accidently bends a blade.  If you believe that your fan blade is bent DO NOT INSTALL THE PRODUCT.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with getting a replacement for the damaged part.
• Excessive vibrating of the fan may also indicate a defective motor clamp.  While this is an extremely unlikely situation, it can be checked by simply inspecting the motor assembly.  If the fan and motor can move side to side freely within the motor clamp supports, the motor clamp may be defective.  If this is the case, DO NOT INSTALL THE PRODUCT.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with getting a replacement for your damaged product.
• Occasionally with some new products, a motor may make a low ticking sound for a short period of time.  Our quality control team checks each fan for motor sound quality, but on rare occasions a new motor may develop a "tick" after the product has been released.  This is usually due to the presence of a small burr on the new motor contacts and often goes away after the motor has been in operation for a few hours.

If you tried all of the things above and still have a problem, contact Attic Breeze customer support for additional assistance before proceeding with your installation.

My fan was installed and working, but is now making a noise

If your solar attic fan is excessively vibrating or making noise, here are a few things you can check:

• Inspect the fan for damage.  Pay close attention to the support legs and fan housing.  If the support legs are bent, or if the fan housing is pushed in toward the fan blade, your product was most likely damaged during shipping and the installer did not notice.  Please note that once the product is installed, a shipping damage claim cannot be submitted.
• Check the wiring harness and cables to make sure that nothing is coming in contact with the fan blade during operation.  If you find that any wiring is damaged, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with getting a replacement for your damaged part.
• If your fan is excessively vibrating, check the fan blade for damage.  Our fan blades are dynamically balanced for low vibration and each fan blade is tested under maximum airflow production for quality assurance.  Vibration, excessive noise, or shaking of the fan indicates that your fan blade may be damaged or off-balance.  This can happen when an object comes in contact with the fan blade, if a rodent pushes against the blade, or if an installer accidently bends a blade during installation.  An off-balance fan blade will typically cause both vibration and noise to become worse over time, and can contribute to motor problems as well.  If you believe that your fan blade is bent, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with getting a replacement for the damaged part.
• Excessive vibrating of the fan may also indicate a defective motor clamp.  While this is an extremely unlikely situation, it can be checked by simply inspecting the motor assembly.  If the fan and motor can move side to side freely within the motor clamp supports, the motor clamp may be defective.  If this is the case, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with getting a replacement part for your damaged product.
• Attic Breeze motors are designed with a double sealed ball bearing for long operational life and protection from the elements.  While not a common occurrence, motor bearings can sometimes go bad and make noise.  This happens occasionally to older fans in corrosive climates (ex. houses close to the ocean).  If your fan is making a squealing sound that becomes worse as the fan operates faster, this may indicate a bad motor bearing.  If you believe that your solar attic fan may have a bad bearing, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with getting a replacement part for your product.

Sizing for the job

Installing the correct amount of ventilation is crucial if you want to achieve maximum cooling performance from your attic fan.  Cooling performance is based on both the amount of heat transfer into your attic and the number of attic air volume exchanges that your attic fan is capable of producing.  When sized appropriately, your Attic Breeze solar attic fan should keep your attic temperature to within roughly 15°F of the outside ambient air temperature.  However if not enough ventilation is installed to meet the requirement for your attic size and/or heat load, your cooling performance will not be as good as expected.  Here are some helpful tips to find out if your attic ventilation may be undersized for your home:

• What is the size of your attic space and what model Attic Breeze fan do you have installed?  Use our Design Studio to determine the proper amount of ventilation needed for your home, and then compare that to what is actually installed.  If the fan installed on your home is a lower wattage product than that recommended, or possibly not the correct number of fans were installed on your home, then your cooling performance will be less than expected.  If this is the case, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance and we will help you find a solution.
• Do you have an attached garage that shares the attic space with the rest of your home?  Is your roof a dark color?  These are things that can contribute to additional heat transfer into your attic and sometimes installers forget to account for this when determining the amount of ventilation needed for your home.  You can use our Design Studio to determine if the ventilation for your attic was calculated properly.  If more ventilation is needed, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance.
• Do you have a really big attic space?  Although everything you see with regard to attic fan capacity is based on attic area (square feet), the calculations for cooling performance are actually based on attic air volume (cubic feet).  This is done because the average person can easily determine the area (or foot print) of their attic space, but calculating the air volume of the attic is a little more complicated.  When sizing the amount of ventilation needed for an attic, we make attic air volume calculations based on the attic area and average pitch (slope) of the roof.  While this works well in most cases, the calculations can lead to an undersized result if the attic space in your home is much larger than a "typical" attic.  If this is the case, you may need additional ventilation in order to achieve maximum cooling performance.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance.
• The architecture of your home plays a part in attic ventilation sizing as well.  If using a gable or wall mounted fan for your attic, make sure that enough ventilation has been installed to compensate for the added airflow travel through the attic.  Use our Design Studio to determine the proper amount of ventilation needed for your home by selecting the gable fan option, and then compare that to what is actually installed.  If the gable/wall fan installed on your home is a lower wattage product than that recommended, or possibly not the correct number of fans were installed on your home, then your cooling performance will be less than expected.  If this is the case, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance and we will help you find a solution.

Choosing the best Location

The placement of your solar attic fan on the roof can also have an effect on cooling performance.  Here are some helpful tips to determine if your product may be installed in a less than ideal location:

• Ideally your solar attic fan should be installed in a location that provides optimum cross-flow ventilation through your attic.  This is typically a location that is roughly centered on your roof line, allowing the fan to pull equally from all sources of air intake ventilation (soffits, passive vents, gable vents, etc...).  If your fan is installed too close to an existing passive vent or gable vent, airflow will not be balanced through the attic, resulting in poor cooling performance.  This can often be corrected by blocking off the passive vent that is too close to the fan.
• Does your attic have a ridge vent near the solar attic fan installation?  As with passive vents, your solar attic fan needs to be installed an appropriate distance away from the ridge vent to allow for balanced airflow through the attic.  If installed too close, a portion of the ridge vent may be blocked off to allow for better air balancing through the attic.  Contact Attic Breeze customer support for more information.
• Given the location of your fan, are there any areas of your attic that are "pocketed" (i.e. areas where airflow may be stagnant)? With roofs that have multiple ridge lines and peaks, finding the best place to install your fan can sometimes be difficult.  If the best location to install your solar attic fan happened to be at an elevation that was lower than the highest ridge line, those areas of the attic that are located higher than the fan may be pocketed if no passive ventilation is present.  If this is the case, your cooling performance will be less than expected since there will be no airflow through those sections of the attic.  This can be easily corrected by adding either additional passive vents or a ridge vent in the areas where airflow may be stagnant.

What About the Solar Panel

The amount of sunlight that your solar panel receives directly determines the amount of power available to your solar attic fan, and thus its cooling performance.  Here are some helpful tips for getting maximum power production from your panel:

• Make sure your solar panel is facing south, or at least in a southern direction.  During the hottest part of the day, the sun will be in the southern sky so you want your solar panel oriented in a southern direction for maximum power production.  If your solar panel is facing east or west, you will lose about 25% of your average power production capacity for the day.  Panels that are facing north may lose over 50% of their daily power capacity.  Attic Breeze offers a variety of bracket options for solar panel optimization.  So if your solar panel is not facing south, contact Attic Breeze customer support for assistance with finding a bracket to fit your needs.
• Make sure that there is no shade on your solar panel or crossing shadows during the day.  Shade on a solar panel acts like a dead cell, causing the entire panel to lose power.  Even a small shaded section of the panel can reduce power production by over 50%.
• Inspect your solar panel for damage.  Although our solar panels are rated to withstand mild to moderate hail storms, larger sized hail may damage the panel.  Also, check your solar panel for excessive dirt and debris.  Anything that can block sunlight to the solar panel will reduce its ability to make power, resulting in less cooling for your attic.

Air Intake Ventilation

The number one cause of poor cooling performance is lack of adequate air intake ventilation.  In order for our fans to operate at maximum capacity, the fan must be supplied with enough make-up air to equal the amount of air that is being removed from the attic.  When adequate make-up air is not available, the fan slows down and cooling performance is greatly reduced.  If you have tried all the suggestions above and still have a cooling problem, here are some tips to see if intake ventilation may be an issue:

• Do you have enough air intake vents on your home?  You can verify this by simply looking at the size and number of vents on your roof and eaves vs. the amount of attic space in your home.  National building code requires that you have a minimum of 1.0 sqft NFA for every 300 sqft of attic space.  You can calculate your total net free area (NFA) of intake ventilation by using our passive vent sizing charts.  If you find that you do not have enough air intake ventilation, consider installing more passive vents to help improve your ventilation performance.
• Are your soffit vents clear?  Even if you have the right amount of intake ventilation installed, your soffit vents can get clogged with dirt and debris over time.  Sometimes these vents are clogged from the very start due to blown insulation or a poor attic ventilation design.  If this is the case, clean your soffit vents and your attic ventilation should improve.
• Do you have an attic access door?  A quick way to tell if you have enough air intake ventilation is to open the attic access door and see if the attic fan speeds up.  If your attic access door is in the garage, make sure your garage door is open when you do the test.  If your access door is inside your home, open an outside door before testing.  If your solar attic fan noticeably increases in speed when you open the attic access door, you definitely do not have enough air intake ventilation to support the fan.  Consider installing more passive vents to help improve your ventilation performance.
• Do you have a Breeze Mate control system?  Breeze Mate offers an attic depressurization test, which basically checks your attic to make sure that it has enough air intake ventilation to support your Attic Breeze fans.  If your attic fails the Breeze Mate depressurization test, consider  installing more passive vents to help improve your ventilation performance.

Your attic can never have too much ventilation, more is always better.  If you tried all of the things above and still have a problem, contact Attic Breeze customer support for additional assistance.