How to Choose a Whole House Fan

Once you make the decision to install a whole house fan, it’s important to make the right decision about which fan to buy. Otherwise you run the risk of missing out on the many benefits whole house fans deliver homeowners.

Also keep in mind that whole house fans work by exhausting the stale, hot air it draws out of the living area in your home into the attic. This means you also must have an attic ventilation system appropriately sized to exhaust this warm air from your attic. Make sure the two are compatible if you have an existing attic fan. Otherwise, it’s important to add an attic fan or update in inadequate attic fan while installing your whole house fan.

Choosing the Right Size for Your Whole House Fan

Size is important for anyone seeking to achieve maximum benefits from a whole house fan. An appropriately sized fan for your home, makes a world of difference in energy bills.

This is especially true in the state of California where nighttime temperatures are generally much cooler than daytime temps. Homes can retain the coolness brought in during the night throughout a good part of the morning.

To get the proper whole house fan size, you should first calculate the square footage inside your home, excluding the basement, attic, and garage. Multiply the square footage by 3. For instance, if your home is 2,200 square feet, you’ll need a fan that can move 6,600 CFM of air per minute or more.

If you can’t get a fan in the exact size your home requires, it’s best to round up to the next size and have a little extra cooling power. This is much better than rounding down and discovering that your fan is slightly underpowered to adequately cool your space.

Divide the CFM of your whole house fan by 750 to determine the square feet of attic space ventilation required.

Climate Preferences

We all have preferences when it comes to comfort in our surroundings. Your climate preferences aren’t only about temperature preferences but also include things like your tolerance for noise and whether or not you prefer to feel a breeze inside your home.

Most whole house fans come in two different styles. One is the direct drive fan. The blades of this fan are attached to the motor’s shaft.

The other is a belt-driven fan. In this model, the blade assembly is separate, driven by a pulley and belt in order to circulate the air. This model, is generally quieter than the direct-drive model.

The benefits of whole house fans, both from a cost and comfort perspective make your investment in a whole house fan a sound one — provided you purchase the appropriate size fan for your home.