The Pros and Cons to Having a Whole House Fan

A Whole House Fan is a large fan mounted in the ceiling separating the living space from the attic. Its function is to remove warm air from the occupied area of your home, to create the circulation of air and to force the hot air out of the attic through the roof vents.

There are pros and cons to having a Whole House Fan installed in your home. It is a matter of personal preference whether or not to have one. Some people do not care much for air conditioning and would much rather have an attic fan drawing fresh air into their home and forcing the stuffy old air out. I myself like the option of having both. I do not care for humid days and appreciate the air-conditioning system removing the damp clammy air from my home. While on the other hand, on low humidity days I do like to open my windows and feel a nice breeze flow in. Here is a list of pros and cons on having a Whole House Fan installed I think need to be thought about:

Pros

·        Remove stale air

·        Use less energy than air-conditioning

·        Less complicated than air conditioning

·        Easier to repair

·        Much cheaper than an air-conditioning system to install and operate

·        Less complicated to understand

·        Great on low humidity days

·        Easy to replace motor

·        Great during Spring, Fall and less humid days

·        It will cool the house down quickly

·        Cheaper operating costs

Cons

·        They tend to be loud (they may sell less-noisy units these days)

·        Blows insulation fibers onto stored items in attic

·        Very dangerous if access to attic is attempted while fan is in operation

·        Does not remove humidity

·        Light structural framing may be needed for installation

·        Allows for heat loose through the vents in the Winter

Hector’s Hint:

Here is a mistake that many people can easily make when identifying an attic or roof fan. An attic or roof fan is only used to remove hot air from the attic not to cool down the home.

I do not recommend using the Whole House Fan when all the windows in the home are closed. That is the only time I can see where it may be unhealthy. Let me explain, if all the windows in the home are closed, air can be pulled from the diverter on top of the hot water heater and boiler, causing carbon monoxide to be drawn into the home. Carbon monoxide gas can cause fatalities with little or no warning signs. If a Whole House Fan is used while the air conditioner is running it will pull the air-conditioned air from the occupied portion of the home. The Whole House Fan really poses no risk to your health if it is used to cool down the home and pull-in fresh air from opened windows.

If you do decide to get an air-conditioning system installed, now is a slow time for air-conditioning installations and you may be able to get a much better price instead of waiting for their high season to kick-in and having to wait for a possible opening.

A Hector Hint:

When purchasing a Whole House Fan make sure to measure the size of your home in square feet and to take that information with you when you purchase the fan. This will help you to size the unit adequately for your home.

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