Watts Used: AC vs Whole House Fan

When it comes to keeping our homes cool and comfortable during the hot summer months, many of us turn to air conditioning systems to escape the heat. While AC units are certainly effective at lowering the temperature indoors, they can also be energy-intensive and costly to operate. If you're looking for a more energy-efficient cooling solution, a whole house fan may be just what you need.

Watts Used - AC
Let's start by comparing the watts used by a typical air conditioner versus a whole house fan. According to the US Department of Energy, the average home uses about 2,000-kilowatt hours of electricity each year. The average central air conditioner consumes roughly 3,000 to 4,000 watts per hour and the average window AC unit consumes between 500 and 1,400 watts.

These numbers can vary depending on the size of your home and the efficiency of your system, but it gives us a good idea of the energy consumption of a typical AC unit.

Watts Used - Whole House Fan
In contrast, a whole house fan typically uses only 100-800 watts, depending on the fan's size and speed settings. Even the largest whole house fans that are built for big houses rarely meet or exceed 1,000 watts.

Plus, whole house fans cool down and ventilate your home, unlike window AC units. What’s more is that whole house fans work faster than AC, too. With a whole house fan you can push out the hot, trapped air and replace it with cooler, outdoor air in just a matter of minutes.

Lastly, if you want to go a step further and save even more on your electric bills with whole house fans, you can invest in an energy-efficient whole house fan that uses even less energy, some of which use as little as 64.5 watts.

How Whole House Fans Work
So, how can you save electricity and money with a whole house fan?

First, let's take a closer look at how these systems work. A whole house fan is installed in the ceiling of your home and works by pulling cool air in from outside and exhausting warm air through the attic. When the fan is turned on, it creates a breeze that circulates the air throughout your home, cooling it down naturally.

Because whole house fans use far less electricity than air conditioners, they are a more cost-effective cooling solution. Running a whole house fan for eight hours a day can cost as little as $0.01 to $0.05 per hour, compared to the $0.06 to $0.88 per hour it can cost to run an air conditioner. Over the course of a summer, this can translate to significant savings on your energy bills.

But the benefits of a whole house fan go beyond just saving money. Because they circulate fresh outdoor air throughout your home, they can also improve indoor air quality and reduce the need for air conditioning. This can be especially helpful for those with allergies or respiratory issues.

Start saving on your energy bills and browse our whole house fans today!