How to Choose the Right Whole House Fan

by George Karonis

Every day, more and more people are taking steps towards cooler, healthier, and more energy-efficient homes with whole house fans. In an ever-warming world with energy prices that never stop climbing, many of us can’t afford to run expensive air conditioning 24/7. Plus, with windows closed and houses sealed, indoor air pollution is another factor to consider.

Luckily, whole house fans are a great alternative or supplement to AC. They keep the home cool, pull heat out of the structure of the home, and exhaust trapped air.

So you’re thinking about upgrading to a whole house fan? Congratulations. Before you jump into a purchase, let’s go over some factors you should consider to choose the perfect whole house fan for your home.

Size
Whole house fans come in a range of sizes that are designed to ventilate different-sized spaces. For example, if you have a huge house, you don’t want a tiny whole house fan, or vice versa. A fan that’s too small won’t ventilate your spaces well and a fan that’s too big may cause problems like pressure changes and unnecessarily waste energy.

Fan size is measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM). This measures how much air a given fan can move. To measure how much cubic feet of air your fan will need to move, you can multiply the square footage of your home by 2 to 3. If your home has high ceilings, opt for 3x, if not, 2 or 2.5 will do the trick.

For example, if your home is 2,000 sq ft with normal ceilings, you’ll want a whole house fan with a CFM between 4,000 and 5,000.

Type

There are two types of whole house fans:

Traditional whole house fans: These are for most homes with normal roofs and an attic space. These fans are installed in the floor of the attic and pull air through the ceiling of the home into the attic, and then exhaust it outside, drawing fresh air in through open doors or windows.
Roof-mounted whole house fans: These fans are designed for homes with limited attic space or homes that cannot use a traditional whole house fan like manufactured homes, homes with a sealed attic, or homes with a flat roof.

Mount
Ceiling mount: Ceiling mount fans are the most common. They are installed in the ceiling of the home that connects to the attic 

Wall-mounted: Wall-mounted fans may be a better option for smaller layouts where a ceiling mount is not an option.

Energy-Efficiency
Some whole house fans are more energy-efficient than others. For example, we offer energy-saving QuietCool whole house fans that are designed to operate as energy-efficiently as possible. These fans will reduce energy waste and keep utility bills to a minimum.

If you need additional help choosing the best whole house fan for your needs, give us a call at

1-661-775-5979 M-F 7 am – 5 pm PST.

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