What is the Best Way to Use a Whole House Fan?
Having a whole house fan in your home is a great way to cool it off year-round, without having to worry about high costs of running a central air conditioner. After having a whole house fan installed, though, it’s important to use it correctly, or it won’t be as effective as it otherwise could be.
Here are some tips for choosing a good whole house fan and using it properly.
Choose the Right Size and Location
A crucial part to using a whole house fan correctly is to choose the right one. If the fan is too small for the size of your house, it won’t be nearly as effective. However, if it is too large, it might use up more energy than is really necessary.
When sizing a whole house fan, you need to consider both the square foot of your home, and the desired cooling effect. For example, sizing a whole house fan using “the breeze effect”, makes you feel the most cool, while sizing a fan with a moderate flow will provide the most efficient cooling.
After you choose the right size fan according to these measurements, you need to have it installed in the right place. Ideally, it should be installed at the top level of your home, whether that is the top floor or the attic. It needs to be near a window or door, or installed directly into the roof of the attic.
Know When Not to Use the Fan
While the whole house fan can be used regularly, nearly year-round, there are some days when you should keep it turned off. Among them, it is most important to not use the fan when it is a high-humid day.
Get a Proper Balance of Air Flow
When using the whole house fan, you need to have a good balance of airflow. You may need to maximize the airflow in certain rooms that are used more often when it gets warm. For example, you should have better airflow in rooms like the living room or kitchen when you occupy these rooms. During the day, close the windows in rooms you occupy while you have the whole house fan operating. In the evening, reverse it by opening the windows in these rooms.
Follow These Additional Operation Tips
If you have a fireplace in your home, make sure the damper is closed when you run the whole house fan. This helps prevent the soot from being blown into the room. The whole house fan should be turned on in the evenings when the air outside is cool and dry, as this will provide cool air throughout the night and the following day.