Maintaining your attic temperatures may not seem like an important job. After all, no one lives up there (we hope) so the attic space is just an extra storage area, right?
In actuality, regulating the attic temperature and airflow is critical to your roof’s health and overall lifespan. That’s why having a roof vent is important. There are many types of roof vents, but a popular one is a turbine roof vent. Before installing one on your roof, know the pros and cons of turbine roof vents.
What is a Turbine Roof Vent?
Some may know of turbine roof vents by the name whirlybird. There are many types of roof vents, but whirlybirds are those conspicuous cylindrical chrome domes that look like a chef’s hat sitting on the top of your roof.
Turbine roof vents are a type of exhaust vent. An exhaust vent is basically a device that helps your roof breathe by pushing stale, hot air out of your roof so that fresh air can come in and cool down the attic space.
By removing hot air from your attic space, a roof turbine protects the attic from overheating and moisture buildup. Without roof vents, your attic would turn into an oven that would bake your shingles from below. That, or it would become damp and muggy inside and result in costly water damage.
Proper roof ventilation offers several benefits:
- Increases roof lifespan
- Prevents mildew, fungus, rot, and mold growth
- Saves the HVAC unit from being overworked
- Saves on electric bills
- Reduces the chances of ice dams forming on your roof
- Protects your roof from heat and water damage
How Does a Turbine Roof Vent Work?
Whirlybirds are passive roof vents, meaning they don’t require an electric power source to work. Instead, they rely on the wind to operate.
Turbine vents have several vanes arranged in a ring. Whenever the wind blows and the vanes catch a draft of wind, it turns the vanes. The spinning motion creates a vacuum that pulls stale air out of your home’s attic space.
Turbine vents are strategically placed at the zenith of your roof because they rely on convection, the principle that warm air rises. Since all the hot air in the attic rises up to the tallest part of the roof’s ridge, the turbine roof vents are placed where the hot air gathers so they can easily push hot air out of your attic.
When hot air is pushed out, this allows fresh, cool air to replace it. That’s why your roof vent system also needs intake vents such as soffit vents to allow cool outside air into the stifling attic space. Unlike exhaust vents, intake vents are usually located near the bottom of the roof.
Pros of Turbine Roof Vents
Effective Ventilation
Turbine roof vents are good at what they do, and there’s no denying that they’re an effective method for pulling hot and humid air out of the attic space. They circulate the attic air approximately 10-12 times every hour.
In low wind, turbine roof vents provide adequate circulation throughout the attic. In high-speed winds, turbines are especially effective at expelling large amounts of hot air from the attic, effectively ventilating the attic space.
Easy to Install
Installing a turbine vent is a piece of cake. They can easily be installed during roof replacement. Since whirlybirds are passive vents, they don’t require any complicated electrical wiring during the installation process. This means you don’t need an electrician to install your roof vent.
Low Maintenance
A turbine vent’s lack of electrical components doesn’t just make them easy to install, it also makes them easy to maintain. Once they are set up on your roof, they usually don’t require much care aside from the occasional inspection to check them for damage.
To keep them working effectively, check your turbine vents after a bad storm or rough winds to make sure there isn’t any debris caught in the turbine blades or that the vent hasn’t been knocked askew.
Long Lifespan
Whirlybirds usually last about 20-25 years, the same as an asphalt shingle roof. Unless they are damaged and need premature replacement before they hit the end of their life expectancy, they can be replaced at the same time as your roof.
Reduce Energy Costs
One of the best parts about passive vents is that no electric power is required. They have great energy efficiency but without all the energy bills. You simply install them on your roof and they do the rest. Using wind power instead of electrical power saves homeowners money on utility bills.
Eco-Friendly
For the environmentally concious homeowner, turbine roof vents are an eco-friendly ventiliation option. To reduce energy consumption, they rely on natural wind power instead of electricity to operate the home’s roof vents.
Affordable
Price is always a concern for everyone, since like with any other home improvement, homeowners have to consider what is within their budget.
Luckily, turbine roof vents are one of the cheapest roof vents on the market with prices ranging from $58 to $250. They are a cost-effective option and their prices are cheaper than other types of exhaust vents like ridge vents or power vents, which have prices ranging from $233 to $1,100.
| Type of Roof Vent | Typical Price Range (including labor) |
| Turbine | $58 – $250 |
| Box | $53 – $197 |
| Dormer | $73 – $283 |
| Gable | $85 – $265 |
| Cupola | $163 – $837 |
| Soffit | $297 – $413 |
| Ridge | $297 – $583 |
| Power | $233 – $1,100 |
| Solar | $318 – $1,200 |
Take Up Less Space
Ridge vents are one of the most common exhaust vents seen on homes. While ridge vents may be less visible, they span a larger section of the roof, running along the entire roofline. If you want a more compact roof vent, turbines are a good choice.
Fit on Any Size Roof
A turbine roof vent is effective for a small roof. They also work great on large roofs so long as big roofs have the right number of turbine vents. With the proper number of turbine roof vents, a roof will have adequate ventilation to remove humid air from the attic.
The general rule of thumb is that one roof vent is needed for every 300 square feet of attic floor space. So the bigger the home, the more turbine roof vents a roof needs. For example, if your attic floor space measures 1,700 square feet, your roof will need 6 turbine roof vents.
Cons of Turbine Roof Vents
Reliant on Winds
Relying on wind for power is both a strength and weakness of the turbine roof vent. On one hand, it saves electricity, money, and resources. But on the other hand, it’s not the most efficient on still days that don’t have much wind.
When there is no wind, turbine roof vents have trouble spinning. It won’t work as effectively and your attic might suffer if too much hot air gets trapped inside as a result.
If your home is sheltered from the wind or if you live in an area that doesn’t receive much wind, turbine roof vents may not be the right fit for your home.
Prone to Damage
As outdoor roof vents, whirlybirds are inevitably vulnerable to the weather. Apart from being susceptible to rust, they can be damaged by hail or knocked askew by the wind, especially in areas that frequently experience rough, high winds.
Additionally, because wind turbines have moving parts, they are more likely to need maintenance and repairs than static roof vents such as the box vents.
Hurt Your Home’s Curb Appeal
While turbine roof vents are great for keeping your roof properly ventilated, they aren’t aesthetically pleasing. Whirlybirds are noticeable protrusions on your roof, and they aren’t the most visually appealing upgrade to your home. As a result, they reduce your home’s curb appeal.
Get Noisier with Age
Although turbine vents are quiet when they are initially installed, they become noisier as they age. Their spinning components can wear and can cause an annoying “whirring” sound or squeaking noise.
Fortunately, whirlybirds should usually be quiet as they spin, so if a turbine roof vent is making noise, it’s probably a sign that it is broken or needs to be replaced. If your turbine roof vent starts making a lot of noise, have it inspected to determine if it needs repairs.
Cost to Install a Turbine Roof Vent
Fortunately, turbine roof vents are one of the cheaper attic vents available, with prices for a professionally installed turbine roof vent costing $58 to $250.
Saving money on labor costs with a DIY job is possible for vents on an asphalt shingle or wood roof. However, it is far more challenging to install a turbine roof vent on slate or metal roofs. Even if you have shingles or a wood roof, it is always safer to hire a professional roofing contractor.
FAQs About Turbine Roof Vents
Turbine roof vents make your attic temperature cooler, which is exactly what you want. In the winter, your attic should only be slightly warmer than the outside air, as this will prevent ice dams from forming on your roof.
Never cover your roof vents, not even during the winter. It is important that your attic space stays cool year-round. Additionally, although your attic space may not be in danger of overheating during the chilly winter season, moisture buildup is still a risk that could cause extensive water damage in your attic and roof.
Turbine roof vents are sealed so rainwater can’t get through. Roof vent leaks only happen if the turbine vents are broken or damaged, such as if the attic vents have been knocked loose by rough weather.
Find a Roofing Pro to Install Your Roof Vents
Whether your new roof needs a reliable ventilation system or whether your current roof vents have reached the end of their lifespan and need to be replaced, it is important to find the right type of ventilation for your home. Turbine vents are an effective ventilation method that is affordable, low maintenance, and easy to install.
Just as important as finding the right type of roof vent is finding the right pro for the job. If you are looking for a professional roofer to install new roof vents on top of your house, let us help you find a local pro today.
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