Attic fan noise

[wayneout]

Hello,
Due to my age and physical condition,
I am unable to get into my attic or
on my roof. I will try to explain my
problem with these limitations.
I have two turbines on the top of my
house. One is on the left side and the
other on the right side. Right now,
the wind is blowing pretty good. The
fan on the left side is turning and
the one on the right is not. (it seems
like it turns just a small amount on
occasion) I have this noise coming
at the very left hand side of the
house. I have two vents on the left
side of the house above the garage.
The noise is not a metal clang, but
more like a growling noise or the noise
of a small motor trying to start.
I have had this noise on a very small
scale for a few years, but now that the
wind is really blowing, I am having it
most of the time (day and night) It is
a very hard noise to describe. Might even be like something rubbing.
I have had the house for ten years and
know nothing at all about attic fans or
turbines. (I mean nothing at all.)
So, here is my questions.
Is it more likely that the noise is
coming from the fan (turbine) turning
or the one not turning? (There are
trees near the one not turning and they
are moving with the wind) I am not sure who I should call to fix the thing.
Is this a job for an electrician or general home repair? Can it be replaced thru the attic or do you have
to get on the roof? Do I have to replace the whole fan or just the motor?
Sorry about such stupid questions, but this is a new subject for me.
Thanks,
Bill

[thiggy]

If what you have are truly attic turbines, then they are wind-driven and no electric motor is involved. An attic turbine can be seen from outside the house. This is what it looks like: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=attic+turbine&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=676695954162678353&ei=P0qqTKj9FoKBlAeGvMW3DQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ8wIwAA#
If this is what you have, the noise is probably a worn bearing on the turbine. My mother has two on her house and one became noisy. I just jammed a small wooden shim between the rotating head and the body which stopped the spinning and the noise. The turbine still works fine as a static attic vent. If this is the type of vent you have, an electrician is not needed, just a typical handyman. Good luck.

This type of fix can be done either from the attic or on top of the roof, whichever one is easier to access and safer.

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