Recommendations for whole-house fan

[Harry Hagan]

When I was growing up air conditioning was uncommon but my neighbors had a whole-house fan that made a big difference when it wasn't extremely hot or humid. I'm considering installing one in my home. Any comments/recommendations on specific brands of whole-house units would be appreciated. He's one that caught my interest.
http://www.airscapefans.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=whfans&utm_campaign=whf&gclid=CNrguPGAkJMCFQPJsgodsUwaAA

[Joe Pelonio]

It depends on the climate.

My sister had one in their house when they lived in Salt Lake City. It's great, almost as good as A/C to cool a house after a hot day when it cools off outside at night. When we lived in CA there were many nights when it stayed 80+ all night and I don't think it would help much then other than moving the warm air a bit, and then you'd save electricity to use a small fan in the bedroom. Here even in the hottest part of summer it cools off at night.

[Mitchell Andrus]

My house was built in 1927. I installed a whole house fan about 20 years ago. Open all the windows about half way and run the fan in the am - until the outside air is warmer than the inside air. Turn it off and close the windows (around 10 am). When the evening air is cooler that the inside air (about 8 pm) open the windows and turn on the fan until or through bedtime.

We have a/c in the windows in the bedrooms but only run them about 25 days or so per year. I really don't care for whole house a/c. I don't like hitting the outdoors with a 20 degree temp change.

[Chris Padilla]

I have a whole house fan by Tamarack (http://www.tamtech.com/wholehousefanhv1000.htm). It fits nicely between 2' rafters, has dual fans, and is decently quiet. California often has rebates for such items so check your local utility as they may have such a beast, too.

I work mine pretty much as Joe above described and like it just fine but those superhot days here in Cali where it is still 80 degrees at 11 pm...uh, you need A/C for those days. :)

[Rob Russell]

We run the fan even when it's 85-90 outside at night. The fan helps cool off the attic - by forcing out that 130 degree air, which cools down the ceiling. It does make a difference.

[Mike Henderson]

My experience is the same as Rob's - blowing the fan into the attic really helps lower the attic temperature - and is a lot cheaper than air conditioning.

The only negative is that it pulls in a lot of dust.

Mike

[jeremy levine]

Great idea to get one, the quieter the better. I just have to old fashion big fan in the ceiling and while it works it is to load for me at night.

[Scott Loven]

Make sure that there is a good way to get the air out of your atic also.
Scott

[Harry Hagan]

I was thinking of offsetting the unit from its intake grill by building some ductwork out of that "duct-board" material made of insulation. That way the unit could be isolated from the ceiling joists to dampen vibration and the duct walls would absorb fan noise, especially if the duct made a 90 degree turn.

[Harry Hagan]

Thanks for the input, Chris. Unfortunately, my local utility doesn't offer a rebate but I did let them know they should if they're really serious about conserving electricity.

[Harry Hagan]

My experience is the same as Rob's - blowing the fan into the attic really helps lower the attic temperature - and is a lot cheaper than air conditioning.

The only negative is that it pulls in a lot of dust.

Mike


You're right, Mike. That's one of the main benefits of a whole-house fan--venting the attic; especially if you have a single story house or sleep on the second floor. I'm planning on lowering the top sash on my double-hung windows instead or raising the lower sash to control air flow in the house. Since I don't have screens, I'll build inserts with filters to keep the bugs and dust out. I'd planned on screens but your "dust" comment changed my mind.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

I remodeled my house in the mid eighties. It is just a small mid-sixties spec house, but well built. I put ceiling fans throughout and also an attic (whole-house) fan. Well worth it, but I would make some changes if I could. I have a very limited space for one but if I had it to do over would possibly duct one.

First, get the largest one you can fit in your attic. The larger the fan the more air moved at less rpm than a smaller one.....less noise. Second, get a belt drive unit. Just like a tablesaw....less vibration and less noise. Mine is a small direct drive model and it when I fire it up it sounds like it's ready to taxi and take off. I have two turbine vents and gable end vents also so have plenty of 'vent power'. I can fire up the attic fan in the evening in the summer and stand under the gable vent which is aimed down and think, "Man, what I would do to have this air in my shop (or house) in the winter." :)

[David G Baker]

Chris,
I had a Tamarack when I lived in the East Bay. It was alright but it didn't move any where near the volume of air that a 24"-36" standard whole house fan. It also cost me over $500 and I didn't feel that I got my money's worth out of not having to run the air conditioner. 90% of the time it would cool down in the evening due to the almost constant breeze that came off of the Bay and the house would still be quite warm at bedtime unless I ran the air conditioner.
I will admit that it was neat when the motor that lifted the insulated shutters came on and opened them prior to the fan motors starting. Sort of like Star Trek doors opening.

[Chris Padilla]

David,

It works quite well for us and I like that it isn't too noisy. Granted, it isn't silent but it doesn't bother me for sleeping. I'm sure a "monster" fan of 2-3 feet definately can't compare to the two "little" fans of the Tamarack but I bet this one is quieter and the Tamarack does maintian the R-factor in the attic.

I think PG&E gave us $100 or $150 towards it so I think it cost us around $300 but we bought it a while ago...could've been more.

[Craig Summers]

For your attic, make sure its vented properly to start with, that alone should reduce the AC bills

I had to add soffit and ridge vents to my 36 year old house (I found places on the rafters near the ridge where the sap boiled out of the pine framing), and that ventilation has helped in cooling. I am also planning on installing the reflective aluminium foil (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/index.html)to the underside of the rafters. This will create:
1) a radiant heat reflector
2) A natural chimney for the hot air to rise from the soffit up to the ridge vent.

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/rb_1d.gif

Now if i could only carve out some time for that project in the honey-do list during one of those cooler rainy days.

(and I am not gonna make a hat out of the foil leftovers)

[David G Baker]

Chris,
I bought mine prior to the PG&E credit. I liked how quiet the fans were as well and they didn't take up near the space as the standard giant fans.
I have been looking for a supplier for the two 10 inch fans to help move the air around my shop but haven't found any that would fit my needs.

[Lee Schierer]

Be sure to watch the "Home Improvement" episode where Tim the tool man Taylor Installed a whole house fan for his tool time show.

[Peter Quadarella]

I got this thing and put it in my garage workshop window, since I don't have A/C. It's pretty powerful and made of metal, so it feels like it will last decently long. It also serves a secondary purpose of evacuating dust.
http://www.amazon.com/Air-King-9166-Whole-House-Window/dp/B0007Q3RQ6

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I'm not positive about this, but I believe it may be against code to discharge a whole house fan into the attic space versus being ducted directly outside. I believe it has something to do with smoke or fire, and the home's layout or construction.

I've seen folks discharge to their attic because it is simple and provides the benefit to cool the attic. However, if your attic is not well ventilated (ridge vent, gable vents and/or soffit vents), the positive pressure in the attic will force air thru the walls and you will begin to see dirt/dust build up around the outlets.

-Jeff :)

[Chris Padilla]

Jeff,

I agree with you...one must have a proper size of vent to allow proper air flow in the attic space otherwise the pressure situation you describe could be quite hazardous. This is normally outlined quite clearly within the instructions...or at least it was with the Tamarack I have.

However, I dunno about the code.

[Jason Roehl]

For your attic, make sure its vented properly to start with, that alone should reduce the AC bills

I had to add soffit and ridge vents to my 36 year old house (I found places on the rafters near the ridge where the sap boiled out of the pine framing), and that ventilation has helped in cooling. I am also planning on installing the reflective aluminium foil (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/index.html)to the underside of the rafters. This will create:
1) a radiant heat reflector
2) A natural chimney for the hot air to rise from the soffit up to the ridge vent.

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/rb_1d.gif

Now if i could only carve out some time for that project in the honey-do list during one of those cooler rainy days.

(and I am not gonna make a hat out of the foil leftovers)

I'd rethink that foil. You'll be surprised at how quickly it becomes much less effective. The problem with reflective foils in an attic or as part of the building shell is that they get dirty--and dirt doesn't reflect heat, so the foil ends up conducting the heat through instead of reflecting it back out.

Cheaper and more effective would be an attic fan. I have a gable-end attic fan that was about $50, it's set for about 105ºF, and makes a big difference in the temperature of the attic. There was a non-functional one in the house last summer when we moved in, but I didn't get around to replacing it until about September. We have some near-90ºF days coming up, so I'll kill it for a while and see what the attic temp does.

[Chris Padilla]

Besides the whole house fan, I have two solar-powered fans on the roof of my attic. They are whisper quiet...I had to go on the roof one day just to see if they were really working!

[Dan Carroll]

Our house had one of the big old belt driven types before we moved in. It was installed when the house was built in 1962 (it is on the plans). Anyway, I kept on using rubber fan belts and the thing would get a little quieter for a while, but still end up noisy as the devil. The last belt I put on was 'power twist' machine belt. Much quieter and it should last longer. Second on the dust issue. Just running it for 30 minutes or so to blow the hot air out of the attic in the early evening makes a huge difference n the AC bill in the summer.

[Bill Cunningham]

When I redid my roof a few years back, I installed a couple of good sized turbine type vents, one at each end of the roof. They spin pretty well all the time and keep the attic pretty cool in summer, and cold in winter to eliminate the ice dams..

[Jim Mattheiss]

Do they make whole house fans that can mount to the gable end in a ranch?

I looked at a house years ago with the louvers and the fan seperate.

I'd plan on putting the motor/fan in the far end of the attic and the louver in the central hallway.

That would keep the motor noise WAY down by the bedrooms.

Jim