Whole house fans - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

SideWorker · 08-09-2009, 12:26 AM

I don't know if this belongs in the Off Topic forum or here.

I want to install a whole house fan in my house for the fall and spring.

For the people who either have them in their house or installed them in customer's houses and tested them out, how do you like them? Any tips on types, models CFMs?

TOOL_5150 · 08-09-2009, 12:48 AM

My parents had one installed, which I had to rewire, but thats another topic. The whole house fan - theirs is a 36" works great. I am actually getting ready to install one in my house because it gets so hot during the day, and the evenings it cools off, but the wind isnt always blowing so my house stays hot. Same issue for my parents. The whole house fan fixed that problem immediately.

~Matt

SideWorker · 08-09-2009, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOOL_5150

My parents had one installed, which I had to rewire, but thats another topic. The whole house fan - theirs is a 36" works great. I am actually getting ready to install one in my house because it gets so hot during the day, and the evenings it cools off, but the wind isnt always blowing so my house stays hot. Same issue for my parents. The whole house fan fixed that problem immediately.

~Matt

That's exactly the reason I want one. I'm sick of nice 65 degree nights when I turn off the A/C and open the windows and the lack of wind makes my home stay 75 degrees or higher. I want to be able to draw that cool air in.

TOOL_5150 · 08-09-2009, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SideWorker

That's exactly the reason I want one. I'm sick of nice 65 degree nights when I turn off the A/C and open the windows and the lack of wind makes my home stay 75 degrees or higher. I want to be able to draw that cool air in.

For once - it will actually do as advertized! and do it will, I might add.

Im sitting in my hot house right now @ 12:30 am and its nice and cool outside, but theres no breeze, so my house will stay hot till tomorrow.

~Matt

mcclary's electrical · 08-09-2009, 07:19 AM

They work really nice, I've put them in several homes. The ceiling mount work the best. The ones with powered louvers are impressive. Take your sq ft. x 3 and that gives you cfm.

John Valdes · 08-09-2009, 02:59 PM

I thought everyone had air conditioners or central air in this day and age. Is this a local or territorial type of thing? I would actually die without AC. How can you sleep if it's that hot?

knowshorts · 08-09-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Valdes

I thought everyone had air conditioners or central air in this day and age. Is this a local or territorial type of thing? I would actually die without AC. How can you sleep if it's that hot?

Where I am at it can get up to 115 degrees during the day and as low as 60 at night. It can get up to 140+ in the attic. Your AC fights all day long, but when it is cooler outside than in your house, you can open your windows turn the whole house fan and basically get a nice cool breeze in your house for the cost of 100 watts. This also will cool your attic to close to outside air temp. Your AC will not cool your attic, and even with all the vents it's still hot as hell up there. By cooling the attic, you also keep your house cooler.

Most houses I have seen within 5 miles from the ocean or above 4000 feet do not have AC. If they are lucky they have a window shaker. How many AC's you think are up in the Seattle area? They got hammered this summer.

MDShunk · 08-09-2009, 05:26 PM

Keep your attic cool and you can extend the life of asphalt shingles too.

knowshorts · 08-09-2009, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MDShunk

Keep your attic cool and you can extend the life of asphalt shingles too.

Works for concrete tiles also.

Magnettica · 08-09-2009, 06:12 PM

I just put one in for a lady and she couldn't be happier. Be sure your read the instructions before cutting out the ceiling for the shutter. I had a world of trouble with mine because I miscalculated that step and wound up having to repair some sheetrock. Other than that good luck.

Toronto Sparky · 08-10-2009, 01:08 AM

Was going to put the blower fan out of my old furnace in the attic and run duct around to all rooms to exhaust them , But alas never got around to it. I used to have a old 16" fan mounted on a board that fit in the attic access hole in my bedroom closet.
Worked great at cooling down the house but made all everything in the closet get covered in dust.. Wife didn't like that..