Ventilator Fan
Ventilators & Louvers
Extraction without electricity
A turbo air ventilator is the spinning wind driven unit seen along factory ridges. It is also called a turbo fan, a turbine ventilator or simply a fan, though it is not a powered fan and that distinction matters.
Wind and rising warm air spin the turbine, and the turbine draws air out of the building. There is no motor, no wiring and no running cost. Nothing switches it off at the end of a shift, so it works continuously, including overnight when the building is releasing the day’s stored heat.
Why it works, and when it does not
Two forces drive it. Stack effect, where hot air inside rises and leaves at the highest point, and wind passing over the turbine. Both happen without intervention.
What stops it working is the absence of replacement air. Air drawn out has to be replaced by air coming in, and if the building is effectively sealed at low level the ventilators will turn but move very little. This is the most common reason a set of ventilators disappoints, and it is a design problem rather than a product one.
Low level inlets are the fix, which is where wall louvers come in. Ventilators and louvers are two halves of the same system.
How many
The number follows the building volume, the heat being generated inside and the throat diameter of the units, rather than a fixed count per bay. A large hot process hall needs a different density from an ambient storage shed of the same footprint.
Spacing them evenly along the ridge extracts evenly. Clustering them at one end leaves dead air at the other.
Material and mounting
Aluminium units are lighter and do not rust, which matters on a component that sits at the highest and most exposed point of the roof and is awkward to reach for maintenance.
The base is made to suit the roof profile so the flashing sits flat on the corrugation rather than bridging it. A base that does not match the profile leaves gaps at every rib, and a leak at a ventilator base runs straight into the building.
Bearings are what decide service life. A unit that seizes stops turning, and a seized ventilator is just a hole in the roof with a lid on it.
What to send us for a quote
The building dimensions including ridge height, the roof profile, what happens inside, and whether there are existing low level inlets. If you tell us the process and the volume we will advise on quantity rather than quoting whatever number you ask for.
Frequently asked questions
Do turbo ventilators need electricity?
No. They are driven by wind and by warm air rising, so they have no running cost and nothing to wire or switch on.
How many does my shed need?
It follows the building volume, the heat generated inside and the throat size, not a fixed count per bay. Send us the dimensions and what the building does.
Will they leak?
Not if the base matches the roof profile so the flashing sits flat. A base that bridges the corrugation leaves gaps at every rib, and that is where leaks at ventilators come from.
Why are mine turning but the shed is still hot?
Almost always no replacement air. Extraction at the ridge needs inlets at low level, usually wall louvers, or the ventilators spin without moving much air.
Need specifications or a quote for Ventilator Fan?