In some climates, homeowners can substitute their air conditioner with a whole house fan for a large majority of the year. A whole house fan creates a vacuum whereby it pulls air in through the windows and exhausts air through the attic. This both cools the home and ventilates it. Depending on the size of the house, climate, and weather conditions, whole house fans are capable of producing 15-22 air exchanges per hour.
Installing a whole house fan should always be done by someone who is experienced with electrical work to avoid accidental wire cuts, incorrect wiring, and unsafe mounting of fan units. Hiring a professional will help you avoid paying for repair costs.
Another reason to hire a professional to instal the unit is because of how important ventilation is. Not having enough ventilation or having obstructed ventilation can create a backdraft in a furnace, water heater, or gas-lit dryers, which can then lead to combustible byproducts (carbon monoxide) being leaked into the household. Not properly sizing the fan or appropriately ventilating an area can lead to a whole house fan to perform poorly.
To prevent a build up of pressure in a certain location of the home, open a few windows when using a whole house fan. If you are only needing the fan in one area, make sure the fan is operating at low speed. This will save both energy and money.
As the original patent holder and leader for ducted whole house fans, QuietCool takes pride in their designs that allow for efficient cooling, quiet operations, and significant home energy savings.
It is important to understand how and when to properly use whole house fans effectively. They are best used in the morning or late evenings when outside temperatures are drastically cooler than the inside home temperatures. In turn, this permits the whole house fan to bring in and cooler air throughout the home.
A whole house fan can almost eliminate the need to use air conditioning in more mild temperature climates. Energy bills can be decreased as much as 30% when using a whole house fan. Furthermore, whole house fans can reduce A/C costs by 50%-90%. Home improvement experts have determined that the energy efficient properties of a whole house fan can yield about 80% off a homeowner’s energy costs.
If you are interested in installing a QuietCool whole house fan and being more energy efficient, please give us a call so we can give you a free quote!
