Thread: Get a roof extractor fan!

Well LD I am certainly relieved about that, not been sleeping well because I thought I had pissed you off.
So if I come around you bar I can drink some beer which in theory I would pay for, but as you don't believe in theory I won't

This has been good fun, hasn't it?

Originally Posted by peterpan

Well LD I am certainly relieved about that, not been sleeping well because I thought I had pissed you off.
So if I come around you bar I can drink some beer which in theory I would pay for, but as you don't believe in theory I won't

If I am there PP I will happily buy you a theoretical Beer! Cheers old bean.

This guy has posted an excellent thread on building his house in Udon, he's a well experienced builder from the Land of OZ, so everything is done properly. He has some good ideas ( look at his plastic fence design) and has quite a lot of pricing info along the way.
On this page he has articulated his ideas of roof venting and insulating which coincide with mine.
Udon Thani, Thailand Forum - - View topic - My Udon Home Building

Let it go PP......let it gooooooooo.
Why can't Theoretical Twats ever let go?
I know as nothing about building houses but I have put a vent in my roof.

AND IT HAS REDUCED SOME OFTHE HEAT IN THE HOUSE!!!!
Now shut your theoretical cake 'ole!

^You shut it LD, a lot of us are interested in this and would like to know the BEST way to go about it

Originally Posted by buad hai

Would just louvered wooden vents in the gables be very effective?

I am sure they would be BH, but they would have to be much bigger than the normal Thai ones i see around and you would need somewhere for the replacement air to flow in, normally venting in the eaves.

On my many trips to Udon I used to stay at a place built by a German guy.
His place is called Thomas resort, (Nice place & excellent value )
The way the place kept cool, impressed me, the roof area was well vented but as well he had that sprayed on Polyurethane foam under the roof area and on top of the ceiling.
The room inside kept remarkably cool.

^ Theoretically that would keep the heat IN.......

^Where would that heat come from LD, do you have a fire or something?

Don't forget, if you have louvres to put up some kind of fine steel mesh. Otherwise, you'll have a critter problem.

Originally Posted by peterpan

I am sure they would be BH, but they would have to be much bigger than the normal Thai ones i see around and you would need somewhere for the replacement air to flow in, normally venting in the eaves.

I have lots of under-eave venting; about six square meters. But, I want something up high so the hot air can leave.

After all this I'm still not sure what to use! I've got a cement-tile roof with a total of four gables that could be vented, but the size couldn't be very big.

So, you're suggesting an electric extractor fan in one or more of the gables?

Not electric, just a spinner (or two).

There is some useful tech stuff in this link, from those wonderful people in The Aust gommint.

Your Home Technical Manual - Home Page

I am coming into this discussion rather late but i have been trying to find the smaller (250 - 300 mm dia) turbine fans for my mother in laws house in Thailand but could only find the large ones which she installed in her house in pattaya. They didn't work - needs too much energy to get spinning but if she had of installed a 250mm dia one i am sure the result would be different. I have them installed on our house here in Sydney and they definately work by cooling the roof void. But they also have other benifits by the removal of damp in the void which results in less moulds etc and i suspect they would reduce dust and other contaminants in the roof void by the air movemnt not allowing them to settle - much healthier and a more comfortable envirionment in the house .

^As been pointed out earlier in this thread - they work if you add energy to move the turbine.
By motor or by strong wind.

The wife and I are still arguing over this issue. She thinks that leaks will occur when the fans are put in. I say well ok, but this problem can be taken care of.

This argument has lasted about 2 weeks now...

^I've given up. After observing the difference between indoor and ambient I've found that the interior of my house is usually no more than one degree higher than ambient and never more than two. Right now the indoor temp is 33 and the outdoor is 34.

I don't think that venting my attic space is going to cool the interior much, if at all.

(And, I got the same leaky roof arguments....)

Mine didn't leak. Just have to install them properly. Winds don't make them leak.

Originally Posted by Bruce

Mine didn't leak. Just have to install them properly. .

that is the problem!

anyway, unless you have some wind, they do not work as well as simple vents, for reasons already mentioned

Originally Posted by Bruce

Why don't you vent the gables and also put a fan in up high. The more venting the better. But screen it to keep the pigeons out.
I've had flat vents and also spinners and my impression, unjustified by any theoretical stuff, is the fans move more air.

Brucey Mate, I know your from Queensland and therefore maybe a little on the slow side but its not abstract concept termed "theory" its physics, fluid mechanics, both highly developed sciences.
As an example, when they designed the Airbus A 380 they didn't just make one and threw it in the air, when it fell out and crashed, they said Oh Fvck ! that didn't fly well at all.
The engineers sat down and designed it using Aerodynamic formulas and they got the airframe right and worked out how much power it would need and designed engines to suit.

I'll remember that if I ever need my roof to fly.

Yes, well we all know that practical experience is always inferior to theoretical knowledge.