Should I Winterize My Whole House Fan?
Should I Winterize My Whole House Fan?
A whole house fan is a great way of cooling a home during mild weather and reducing the need for air conditioning. However, if you live in a climate that turns cold during the winter, you don’t want your whole house fan to let the heat out of your home.
Typically, a whole house fan is installed in a ceiling of an interior hallway. On the whole house fan is a metal louver, which closes when you’re not running the fan. But, the louver doesn’t insulate properly and form an airtight seal. Because of this, during the winter, it allows considerable amounts of heat to escape through the fan. Because the fan is often found close to the thermostat, it can impact your house’s comfort way more than you might think.
Areas where you might need to winterize your whole house fan include the following:
In Cold Northern Regions
Much of the U.S. experiences hot or warm summers with cold to cool winters. In the cold northern regions of the country, you’ll typically find whole house fans are effective in the late spring into early fall with little to no use in the summer.
When temperatures are particularly mild, the fan can be used throughout the warm season, but many areas it’s just too hot and humid to run a whole house fan in the summertime and an AC unit will likely be needed. However, once winter shows up, whole house fans become unstable. And, when the cold winds come rolling in, you’re going to need to winterize your home and this means sealing your whole house fan up too.
In Warm Southern Regions
In the warmer climates, whole house fans are often used in a totally opposite manner. Whole house fans are used during the wintertime and sealed up during the summer.
Winterizing your Whole House Fan
When it comes time to winterize your whole house fan, how do you go about it?
- Seal and Insulate Your Fan
To avoid heat from escaping through your fan, you’ll need to insulate the louvers, making them airtight. You can’t just toss a blanket over the fan either since warm air will continue rising through the louvers and blanket. You’ll have to obtain a solid cover to seal it tightly and insulate it well.
An easy way is to use insulation board to fabricate a louver cover. Using a minimum of an inch thick piece of the insulation board will help cover the louvers. The insulation board may need to be more rigid, thereby making it easier to handle. You can do this by gluing a thin sheet material or piece of plywood to the inside surface. Paint or white contact paper will blend the cover with your ceiling.
Try Velcro to seal the cover’s edges to the louvers. You could also try using a threaded nut and bolt to hold the cover against the louver tightly.
- Attic Box
If you don’t want a visible cover inside your house, you might want to go with an insulated, airtight box in the attic. You can fabricate the box with fiberglass duct board. The box ensures an airtight seal against the housing of the fan.
- Winterized Insert Kit for Whole House Fans
Use a winterized insert kit with your QuietCool whole house fan. It’s the perfect solution for those living in cold climates. It can help to keep the cold drafts from coming into your attic. You simply insert the kit during the winter months and then remove it when the warmer months arrive so you can enjoy your whole house fan. It comes with winterized insert and removable grille.
Buy a Winterized Insert Kit for Your Whole House Fans
Click on the model of your whole house fan to purchase your winterization kit.
R-40 Winterization Kit for CL-1500
QuietCool QC CL-2250 Whole House Fan
QuietCool QC CL-3100 Whole House Fan
QuietCool QC CL-4700 Whole House Fan
QuietCool CL-5400 Whole House Fan
QuietCool CL-6000 Classic Whole House Fan
QuietCool CL-7000 Whole House Fan
Superfan Multi-Room Whole House Fan
Winterization Kit for CL/ES 6000, CL/ES-7000, CL/ES 6400
Contact us here at WholeHouseFan if you have any questions about winterizing your whole house fan. 1.888.229.5757