I had a similar experience when installing mine—didn't even think about rubber washers until AFTER everything was screwed in and humming away. Ended up going back later to add some, and it definitely quieted things down. Worth the extra hassle for sure.
Did the same thing—figured the fan itself would be quiet enough, but nope. Rubber washers made a surprising difference. Now if only I could remember these little details BEFORE climbing into the attic twice...
"Rubber washers made a surprising difference."
Yeah, those little rubber washers are underrated. Another trick I've found helpful is adding some foam weatherstripping around the fan housing—cuts down vibration noise even more. Learned that one the hard way after my third attic trip in July heat... Speaking of attics, did you notice any significant temp drop after installing the solar fan, or was it mostly about ventilation for you?
Totally agree on the foam weatherstripping—wish I'd thought of that before my install. I did notice a decent temp drop, maybe 10-15 degrees cooler on hot afternoons. But honestly, the biggest win for me was less humidity and stuffiness up there. Made working in the attic way more bearable... though I'm still not volunteering to go back up anytime soon, haha.
Yeah, foam weatherstripping definitely helps—I learned that the hard way too. Did you notice any difference in noise levels after installing the fan? I ask because when I put mine in, I was surprised at how quiet it actually was. I'd mentally prepared myself for some annoying humming or vibration, but honestly, it's barely noticeable from inside the house.
Also curious if you went with a thermostat-controlled model or one of those solar-only setups without any controls? Mine has a built-in thermostat, and I'm still debating whether that's really necessary. On cloudy days it doesn't run much anyway, so maybe the thermostat is redundant? But then again, maybe it helps extend the fan's lifespan by not running unnecessarily... not sure.
Humidity reduction was a big plus for me too. Before installing mine, I had some concerns about moisture buildup causing mold or mildew issues down the line. Have you checked your attic insulation since installing yours? I've been meaning to go back up and see if there's any noticeable improvement in dryness or if it's just my imagination. But like you said... climbing back up there isn't exactly high on my weekend to-do list.
One thing I did differently was adding some extra venting near the soffits to improve airflow. Did you do anything similar, or just stick with your existing vents? I'm still trying to figure out if that extra step made a significant difference or if it was just overkill on my part.
Anyway, glad to hear your attic is more bearable now—makes all that sweating and swearing during installation worth it in the end, right?
