ATTIC OR WHOLE-HOUSE FAN: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?, by Tijana Spasic

Despite the popularity of indoor air conditioning, the traditional means of cooling the air with a fan remains a viable and popular choice. Improvements in fan technology in the last hundred years has made its use more practical and suitable for a modern times. And then there's the cost savings...

Uses ten times less electricity than an air-conditioning

An attic fan or whole-house fan creates a light breeze that circulates the air in your home, allowing your air-conditioning system to work less. Besides easier breathing on hot summer days, in winter it helps the warm air circulate and spread throughout the room, and not just rise to the ceiling. This natural way of cooling and heating uses ten times less electricity than an air-conditioning system, and you will soon notice a healthy reduction on your energy bill!

Each fan has an electric motor that moves up to five blades. The fan blades usually measure from 30 to 60 inches in diameter, and can be made of solid wood, plywood or less expensive materials such as veneered composite board.

This natural way of cooling and heating uses ten times less electricity than an air-conditioning system.

Where to install the fan?

The summer temperatures are toughest to bear in the attic. Whether or not you spend a lot of time in there in summer, you should think about installing an attic fan which would regulate the heat that the attic radiates to the living spaces below it. It would not only make the attic healthful and well ventilated, but also extend the life of your roof by preventing moisture buildup, ice dams and roof leaks in winter.

Attic fans are usually installed in the roof, or at a gable of the attic. The simplest and least expensive solution is installing an attic fan in the gable with the existing vent. The latest invention is a solar-powered attic fan that costs nothing to run. Environmentally friendly as well, but with a single disadvantage - it runs only when the sun shines.

Whole-house fans cool the whole house

While attic fans reduce the amount of energy used by regulating the attic temperature, better yet, whole-house fans cool the whole house, including the attic. They are turned on early in the morning and after sunset, when the fresh air is drawn into the house through the windows, and then up to the attic, which forces heat outdoors through roof vents.

Wherever the fan is installed, you need to get it wired for 110 volts of power. It is important to note that due to its heavy weight, a whole-house fan requires substantial support that could be achieved by attaching the fan to a strong ceiling box, or by using hooks, metal crossbars and special hangers.

Get professional advice

If you are still not sure, or you'd like help calculating the best solution possible, you should consider seeking help from a contractor who could assist you with both practical issues and design. There are various important factors that you might want to get advice on, in order to find a match between the measurements of your home (ceiling height, square footage of the hallway or the attic) and the characteristics of the fan that would suit you best (the number, length and pitch of the blades, strength of the motor).

Many choices to stay “cool”

Nowadays whole-house or attic fans often come with a remote controller, or other amenities such as decorative fitters that hold lamps, glass pearls, etc. There are many “cool” possibilities to choose from!

To get a preliminary idea of the costs of various types of fans, use the Cost Estimator.