If you live in an area with a moderate climate, you may be able to use a whole house fan for most of your cooling needs and reserve your air conditioner for the hottest hours of the day.

Cools Your Entire Home - Both Living Space & Attic

Designed to pull out hot air from a house or building, a whole house fan serves the purpose of an exhaust system. Many people confuse a whole house fan with an attic fan, but the two accomplish different goals. Because whole house fans were cheaper than air conditioners and worked well, they began being used in the 1950s, primarily in the South.

For homes or buildings with a whole house fan, the hot air is pulled into the attic. Due to positive pressure, air in the attic is pushed out through the vents or gables. Simultaneously, negative pressure is created in the living area, which helps to draw cooler air in through the windows. On the other hand, attic fans simply force hot air out of the attic. Attic fans don't provide a cooling relief to the living area. Although whole house fans may be installed in an attic, they have a much more comprehensive goal of cooler the entire home or building. Generally, they should be installed on the highest ceiling on the property.

A whole house fan is economical and practical. It can substantially lower the temperature in a home or building rapidly. It's certainly much more affordable than air conditioning. Newer models of whole house fans are not only energy efficient, but environmentally friendly as well. Newer models are also much quieter than the older whole house fans models.

Whole house fans can rapidly reduce interior temperatures within a matter of minutes. Windows much be open for the whole house fan to work most effectively. These types of fans are best used in the morning or evening when the air outside is cooler and fresher. This will allow the cooler air to be drawn into the home when the whole house fan is turned on.

In climates that are mild and temperate, a whole house fan can completely eliminate the need to have air conditioning, such as central whole house air conditioning. The operating cost of a whole house fan is much cheaper than running air conditioners. Home improvement experts agree that a whole house fan can be run at one-tenth the operating cost of air conditioning, you may be able to reduce your energy costs by 80 percent by installing an energy efficient whole house fan. Standard home size whole house fans are typically having a diameter of 24 to 36 inches, but the fan size may need to be adjusted to conform to the living space size.

Two Basic Types Of Whole House Fans: