Do's and Don'ts of Whole House Ventilation

by George Karonis

Whole house ventilation is a crucial part of keeping your home comfortable and healthy.  Many modern houses are well-insulated but aren’t necessarily well-ventilated. The result can be a home that traps heat in the summer, and traps moisture and pollutants year-round. In this blog post, we'll go over some of the do's and don'ts of whole house ventilation.

Do:

  1. Seal your home. You want to avoid improper ventilation not sealing your air in. It’s all about control. For example, during cold winters you want your heat to stay in your house, but you also want the option to properly ventilate the home in order to circulate the warm air and to reduce indoor air pollution.

  2. Insulate your attic. When thinking about whole house ventilation, you need to think about your attic. During the winter and summer, you want the cool or warm inside air to stay in your living space. Therefore, insulate your attic to prevent the loss of warm or cool air.

  3. Add attic vents. Speaking of your attic, attic vents are essential for a properly ventilated home. Attic vents prevent your attic from getting warm in the winter, which prevents ice dams from forming. During the summer, attic vents allow warm, trapped air to escape; thereby preventing your attic from becoming an oven and heating up the rest of your home along with it.

  4. Add an attic fan. While attic vents are a passive form of ventilation, attic fans are active. If you have a large or poorly ventilated attic, installing an attic fan can make a major difference. Plus, you will have more control over the ventilation in your attic. Click here to view our available attic fans.

  5. Install a whole house fan. The best way to improve ventilation in your home is with the right whole house fan. Whole house fans ventilate the whole home, replacing inside air with fresh, outdoor air. During cool summer nights, it can save you money on your electricity bill, and it is a great supplement or alternative to air conditioning. During the winter, spring, and fall it can be used to ventilate the home to reduce indoor air pollution. Check out our selection of whole house fans here.

Don't:

  1. Don't ventilate your home when the outside temperature is higher than the inside temperature of your home. This can actually make your home feel hotter and less comfortable.

  2. Don't run your whole house fan for long periods of time without opening windows or vents. This can create a vacuum effect that can make it difficult to open and close doors and windows.

  3. Don’t over-vent your attic. If you’re adding attic vents, don’t go overboard. Ventilating your attic too much could cause drafts that can damage your insulation.

  4. Don’t connect exhaust fans to the inside of your home. Believe it or not, some exhaust fans may exhaust air back into your home, like your attic. So if you have a kitchen or bathroom exhaust fan, make sure it’s exhausting outside, not inside.

If you’re looking to improve your home’s whole house ventilation, be sure to peruse our collection of products here at WholeHouseFan.com that can help.

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