5 Factors to Consider When Buying a Whole House Fan

by George Karonis

Whole-house fans have been helping cool down homes for years. They have a simple design and can purge the hot air right out of your home in a mere couple minutes. They not only remove this heat buildup, but also provide you with a pleasant breeze.

Some factors to consider when you’re out shopping for a whole house fan are as follows.

  1. Cost
    Whole-house fans cool your home, attic and workspace at only a fraction of the cost of an AC unit. They’re efficient, natural and cost-effective ways to get your home cool without spiking up your energy bill. Whole-house fans are innovative, have no chemicals and cool your home in minutes. Improve the quality of your indoor air and stay cool at the same time. Typically, these fans range from $450 to $1500 depending on the fan you choose.
  1. Noise
    Stay comfortable and cool without any noise disturbance. Traditional attic fans and ceiling mounted fans are noisy. Today’s modern whole-house fans, however, are whisper quiet at around 42 decibels sound level to the room. They don’t vibrate and you can watch TV, talk, sleep or read without disruption.
  1. Features
    Most whole-house fans come with modern features like:

Electric timer
1, 2, 4 and 8 hour time ranges
Extended use hold feature
No programming needed – easy to use
Set and forget operation
Fast setup

Don’t forget the wireless remote control so you can simply push a button to operate your whole-house fan. The signal travels through doors, walls and windows and comes with a 6-inch cord that you can use with 3 wire plugs. The remote even works over a 60 feet distance and is ready to use because its pre-programmed.

  1. Eco-Friendly
    Go green with a whole-house fan since it’s environmentally friendly. It’s also a great alternative to AC since its energy efficient. You save a lot of power with whole-house fans. Many cool your home and use about as much power as one fluorescent light bulb.
  1. Size
    A whole-house fan makes a complete two to three-minute air exchange creating a nice breeze throughout your home. To get the recommended flow rate, you calculate your home’s gross square footage by 2. For instance, if you have a 2,000 sq. ft. living area, you’d require a fan that’s with around 4,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of capacity.

No matter what whole-house fan you choose, your home has to have sufficient roof ventilation so airflow exhausts properly. Because of this, you may want to call on a professional ventilation contractor to figure out the best size whole-house fan that’s needed for your exhaust area.

To help you choose your new whole house fan, give us a call at 1.888.229.5757.

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