If you’re looking into the pros and cons of turbine roof vents, we’re assuming you have a good reason (beyond the fact they’re exceptionally effective at venting hot attic air).
Maybe you’ve seen them poking up from residential rooftops, and you are attracted to how they look.
Maybe you have tried other roof ventilation methods, and they didn’t perform well as you expected.
Maybe this is the type of roof ventilation that your roofer has advised you would work well for your home or residential building.
Whatever the case, we’re happy to report that turbine roof vents could be the answer to your problems!
That’s why in this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the pros and cons of turbine roof vents.
And once have a well-educated idea about the advantages and disadvantages of turbine roof venting, if you’re still keen on buying them, we’ll show you what to look for when making the purchase.
What Are Turbine Roof Vents?
Turbine roof vents are also known as whirlybirds. They are a style of roof vents that mainly rely on wind to spin the turbine. When this turbine spins, it causes air from the inside to be drawn up through the vent.
Warm air is the one that will be drawn through because it is the one that rises, and the vents are mounted on the roof of your property.
Turbine roof vents closely resemble a chrome chef’s hat protruding through the roof. These turbine roof vents are also carefully engineered to provide the best performance.
Although it requires wind for the turbine to work properly, the hot air that rises from your property is also enough to spin the turbine.
The Pros of Turbine Roof Vents
Using turbine roof vents is one of the best things to consider in your home. So, what are some of the pros of these devices? Check them out below.
1. Cheap and Easy to Install
When you compare turbine roof vents with ridge vents, this type of vent is quite easy to install. Therefore, this means that installing these roof vents is not only easy but also cheap and affordable. Also, there are no electrical components found in a turbine roof vent because the wind directly powers them.
This means you won’t need to hire a qualified electrician to come and install the turbine roof vent in your home. This is another factor that makes these roof vents suitable and ideal to use because they help you cut down on costs and are also cheap to buy in the market.
2. Turbine Roof Vents Are Effective
Another advantage of turbine roof vents is that they are quite effective. If you happen to live in low wind areas, turbines can do a tremendous job of moving the warm air out of the attic areas of your home.
You should also note that when the wind is blowing, these vents can turn into a powerful vacuum of warm air and draw up the warm air through them effectively, just as any powered alternative would. Therefore, you need to keep in mind and clearly understand when thinking about using them.
3. They Take Up Small Space
Although turbine roof vents are visible from the ground compared to some of the other roof vents, they don’t take up a large space. For instance, it needs to take up almost the entire length of a roof for a ridge vent to be effective. However, a turbine roof vent can cover the same area with only a few strategically placed vents.
4. Ideal for Any Property Size
Turbine roof vents are suitable for any size of the property. Therefore, there is no minimum or maximum size of the roof needed for this type of roof vent for it to be effective. This is highly unlikely with ridge vents because they are sometimes not suitable for small properties.
Turbine roof vents can work perfectly in both small and large roofs, plus you can easily handle them by adding more vents.
5. Affordable to Run Them
Another benefit of turbine roof vents is that they are easy and affordable to run on your property. The running costs of turbine roof vents don’t add to your electricity bill, since they are fully powered by wind. Therefore, this benefits you with proper roof ventilation all day without worrying about your utility bill.
The Cons of Turbine Roof Vents
Turbine roof vents also come with their problems which we’ll highlight in this section. The good news is that the benefits outnumber the cons, making them ideal to use in your property.
6. Turbine Roof Vents Are Only Effective in Windy Conditions
Since these roof vents depend highly on the wind to be effective, they are only beneficial in areas prone to high winds. The major shortcoming to this factor is that winds are unreliable. This means that if you live in an area that doesn’t have enough wind, you may end up losing out.
7. They Are Not Discrete
Unfortunately, turbine roof vents are not as discrete as you would want them. Although this is not a huge concern to most homeowners, it may sometimes be inconvenient, especially if you’re living in an area where you wouldn’t want to be seen. They are not discrete because they are made from reflective material, and they also stick straight up from the roof.
What about a smaller version? Even a smaller version of the vent in color designed to match your roof will still be visible from the ground. This is where a ridge vent has the advantage because it can be indistinguishable from the roof itself.
8. Turbine Roof Vents Require Periodic Maintenance
Although these roof vents don’t cost that much to maintain, you have to keep in mind that they require periodic maintenance. Like any other appliance that has moving parts, things wear down with turbine roof vents, and this causes them to require seasonal maintenance.
The wear and tear of the turbine roof vent happen faster the more it is used. Therefore, if you neglect the turbine for a long time, it will start producing a squeaking and groaning sound.
If your turbine roof vent is not spinning, check for rust, dirt and other obstructions.
Conclusion
As you’ve seen in this post, turbine roof vents also have their pros and cons. Therefore, it’s important to keep them in mind when thinking about using this appliance and ensure that you’re fully comfortable with what they have to offer.
If you have any questions or insights to offer, you can post them in the comments section below or reach out to me through email.