How to Install Roof or Wall Ventilators

Installing a Solar-Powered Roof Fan

• 1

  Drive a nail through the inside of the attic roof where you're installing the fan, centering it between two roof rafters. For best results, place the fan near the middle of the roof about one-third of the way down from the peak. If the model you purchased has a detachable solar panel, you can install it on the north side of the roof, but if the solar panel is built-in to the top of the fan, place it on the south side of the roof so it will have maximum exposure to sunlight.

• 2

  Go onto the roof where you drove the nail through, and draw a circle around the nail that is the same diameter of the inner edge of fan.

• 3

  Cut the shingles with a utility knife, following the line you drew. Remove the shingles from the roof with a pry bar.

• 4

  Cut a hole in the roof with a reciprocating saw to remove the circular area where you cut away the shingles.

• 5

  Remove the roofing nails in the area immediately around the top half of the circle so you can slide the flashing for the fan underneath the shingles. Do this by sliding the pry bar underneath the shingles and lifting them up, then pulling the nails out.

• 6

  Place roofing cement on top of the shingles around the hole.

• 7

  Install the fan by sliding the top of the flashing underneath the shingles above the circle and pushing the bottom of the flashing against the roofing cement on the shingles. Nail the fan to the roof by driving galvanized nails through the flashing and into the roof.

• 8

  Seal the fan by applying a thick bead of silicone adhesive along the edge of the flashing and on the heads of the galvanized nails.

• 9

  Drive roofing nails into the shingles around the fan to replace the nails you removed.

Installing a Wall-Mounted Ventilation Fan

• 10

  Locate the studs with a stud finder in the wall in two locations: the area where you want to install the fan, and the location where you're going to place the light switch.

• 11

  Check for wiring inside the wall where you want to place the fan by cutting a small hole with a drywall saw. If there are wires in the wall, patch the wall and choose another location.

• 12

  Trace the fan template onto the wall where you're placing the fan. Use the fan housing as a guide if the manufacturer didn't include a template with the kit.

• 13

  Cut away the drywall with a reciprocating saw or drywall saw, following the outline created by tracing the template.

• 14

  Hold an old-work electrical box on the wall next to the stud where you want to install the light switch. Trace the outline of the box onto the wall, then cut a hole for the box with the drywall saw.

• 15

  Drill four evenly-spaced holes through the exterior wall by placing the drill into the hole you cut for the fan and following the edge of the circle. These holes will provide a starting point to place the tip of the reciprocating saw when cutting through the exterior wall.

• 16

  Hold the template against the exterior wall, lining it up with the pilot holes, and trace the template onto the wall. Cut a hole in the exterior wall with the reciprocating saw, following the line from the template.

• 17

  Run an electrical cable between the hole for the fan and the hole for the light switch, and another cable from the light switch to your home's main box.

• 18

  Install the fan housing into the hole in the exterior wall, following the manufacturer's instructions.

• 19

  Connect the wiring to the fan. Usually this is done by connecting the matching wires with plastic connector caps, so you'd connect the black wires together, the white wires together and the green wires together, but read the instructions provided with the fan to be sure.

• 20

  Screw the wall cap to the exterior wall over the fan. Apply a thick bead of silicone adhesive around the edge of the wall cap and over the screws to seal the joints and prevent leaks.

• 21

  Apply spray foam insulation to the wall cavity around the fan inside the house, then place the grille on the fan.

• 22

  Remove the knockout holes from the back of the old-work electrical box and slide the cables that run to the fan and the main box through the holes. Slide the box into the hole in the wall and screw it to the stud.

• 23

  Attach the white wires to the silver screws on the sides of the light switch, and the black wires to the gold screws on the sides of the light switch. Connect the green wires with a plastic connector cap. Cover the sides of the light switch with electrical tape. Slide the light switch into the box and screw it into place, the place the plate cover over the switch.

• 24

  Hire an electrician to connect the fan to the main electrical box.