That lines up with what I’ve seen—ridge vents and open soffits do a ton of work if they’re set up right. Ever notice how gable fans can actually make things worse if the intake’s blocked? I’ve had folks call me after a storm, thinking their powered fan was helping, but it was just sucking cool air out of the house. One thing I’d add: if your roof’s older or you’re in a high-wind area, cutting in more penetrations for a fan can mean more spots for leaks down the line. Curious if anyone’s managed to balance both—fan and passive—without pulling conditioned air?
I ran into this exact issue last summer. We had a gable fan installed, thinking it’d help with the heat, but I didn’t realize our soffit vents were mostly blocked by old insulation. Like you said,
That’s what happened to us—our AC bills shot up. We ended up clearing the soffits and relying more on ridge vents. Haven’t had any leaks, but I’m still a bit nervous about all the extra holes in the roof from the fan install. If I could do it over, I’d probably skip the powered fan and just make sure the passive vents are clear.“their powered fan was helping, but it was just sucking cool air out of the house.”
That’s a common story, honestly. I’ve seen a lot of folks surprised by how much a powered fan can backfire if the intake isn’t right—especially with older homes where insulation creeps over the soffits. Clearing those out makes a world of difference. As for the extra holes, I get the worry. I’ve patched more than a few old fan cutouts over the years, but if they’re flashed and sealed right, you’re usually fine. Still, I lean toward passive venting too—less to go wrong, and no motors to burn out down the line.
Had a job last summer where the homeowner insisted on a roof-mounted powered fan, even though the soffit vents were basically blocked with old insulation. We put it in, but honestly, it barely made a dent until we cleared those soffits out. If you’re thinking about cutting new holes, I’d double-check what’s already there first. Sometimes just fixing the intake does more than adding another fan. I get why folks like passive setups—less stuff to break, and you don’t have to worry about leaks around the wiring or motor housing down the line.
I’ve seen folks throw money at powered fans thinking it’ll fix everything, but if your soffits are choked off, you’re just spinning your wheels. I’m all for passive setups too—less to maintain, and honestly, fewer headaches when storms roll through. Had to patch a leaky fan housing once... never again.
