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View Full Version : Should I get a whole house fan?


gatorpants
Apr 26, 2009, 11:29 AM
My home is cape cope style home approx. 2200 ft. The upstairs two bedrooms have vaulted ceilings and are extremely hot in the summer. Even with the AC running in the house, we have to put in window AC units in the bedrooms just to make it comfortable enough to be in the rooms! Would a whole house fan help cool the upstairs down in combination with the AC running in the house? --we do have attic space available above the hallway and bathroom upstairs and have two ceiling vents on either side of the house, along with venting on the bottom side of the overhang around the house.

Thanks!

Joshdta
Apr 26, 2009, 12:14 PM
It would only help if your ac was oversized to begin with. If you take that much air out of the house the ac can not keep the humidity down

21boat
Apr 26, 2009, 12:17 PM
I'm a firm believer in a whole house attic fan, Grew up with one in the attic and 2 gable vents. Now they can be set on a thermostat and louvered that are auto shut and close.

If you can use a fan perfect. A ridge vent would be normally used but if you have soffit vents and gable cross vents a ridge vent could have an adverse effect and back draft through the gable vent

This is to cool the attic down when its hot and AC is on. When its spring and you have a door to attic or an access panel the attic fan can become a whole house fan when the A.C. is off. To get that right air flow open a room at a time to get CFMs out of that room. Too many times people will open ALL of the windows and the attic fan does nothing. Restriction on opening and closing windows from room to room cools the house down a lot quicker. After it cooled from room to room then all the windows can be opened.

Joshdta
Apr 26, 2009, 12:19 PM
Do you have attic space above the 2 bed rooms? If not the a attic fan will not do much either