Are Attic Fans and Whole House Fans the Same?

If you are looking to cool off your home or provide better airflow, the topic of attic fans and whole house fans often comes up. However, it is important to understand that these are not actually the exact same thing. They are sometimes used as interchangeable terms, but an attic fan has some distinct differences in its benefits and features than a whole house fan. You should learn more about each one before deciding which is best for you.

What Are Attic Fans?
An attic fan is a large fan that is installed near the gable vent in your attic. This fan is meant to exhaust the hot air that often comes from the attic space, which can affect the temperature and air quality of the entire house. Attic fans don’t pull any hot air from the living space in your home and only remove and circulate the air in your attic.

Attic fans shouldn’t be referred to as a whole house fan, because they are designed to cool your attic. Since attics get up to about 100 degrees (or more!) on hot days, it is important to keep them as cool as possible. This hot air can get trapped there, and eventually make it more difficult for your home’s air conditioner to cool off the entire home. It can also help reduce moisture during the cold, winter months.

What Are Whole House Fans?
A whole house, on the other hand, is also installed in your attic, but can cool off your entire home. It is typically used as an alternative (or supplement) to an air conditioner and runs almost year-round, even when it’s cold out. The attic fan starts by pushing out the air in your home and attic, and then pulling in cool air into the home.

Whole house fans cost less to operate than an air conditioner; so many homeowners choose this instead of a traditional air conditioner when wanting to save money. It is also easier to install and doesn’t always need a professional to do so. The whole house fan also provides proper ventilation and even air flow throughout the home.

Features of Attic Fans
An attic fan provides many benefits and features when you have it installed. It keeps your attic cooler, which can keep any other fans or air conditioners from working so hard to cool off your home.

It will automatically run during the hot parts of the day and is mounted between the attic space and the outside of your home. It can also create negative pressure that allows air to be vented through a roof vent. It is important that they are installed properly, or they will take in cool air from the home, instead of outside.

Features of Whole House Fans
The whole house fan is mounted between the attic and living space, in a slightly different location than the attic fan. It brings in fresh and cool air from outside into the living space by going through various windows. It can also get rid of extra moisture or stale air in the home. Whole house fans also help the air quality in your home with excellent circulation.

Call Whole House Fan at 1.888.229.5757 to learn more about attic fans and whole house fans.