whole House Fan Opinions

red347lx

red347lx

Club Member
Looking at putting one in my home, just want to see if anyone has anything to say about certain brands or styles to look for or to stay away from. Opinions of those who have them, how well do you like them and how often do you use them.
Are the belt drive units that much better than direct drive units?
 
Cant speak for the brand since I didn't install it but I LOVE our whole house fan. Don't use it a ton but when we have cool mornings and hot afternoons I make sure to run it in the morning. Will usually drop the temp in the house 3-4 degrees in 15-20 mins. Ours is belt driven and way oversized for the house. That's the only downside on low it is loud and on high its like an airplane is in the hallway.

Make sure you either get an insulated self opening unit or build a insulated box around the non insulated ones to keep the heat in during the winter. I just go up in the attic and cover or uncover it twice a year.
 
They are wonderful for cooling your house, especially in the summer. Here is some basic information:
A belt driven fan is quieter than direct drive. But even direct drive is not particularly loud, in my opinion.
The size to get is based on the square footage you wish to cool. They typically come 24 or 30 inches square.
You will need adequate attic ventilation for it to work correctly. The fan instructions will tell you how many square inches/feet of ventilation you need. You should be able to look up the instructions online before you purchase one, to read up on that first.
Run it at night. Choose particular windows to open to create the wind path you desire. Shut it down in the morning before the outside air gets too warm. An additional tip - shut all of the interior doors in your house during the day. If one room gets hot, this will help contain the heat to just that room.
Don't open your windows all the way - many people make this mistake and then think the fan doesn't perform. Think of it like this - let's say the fan moves 5,000 cfm, and it has a 24"x24" opening. If you open one window all the way and its opening is 24"x24", you will get 5,000 cfm through that window. If you open 24 windows all the way, you will only get 208 cfm per window. If you want to open a bunch of windows to cool every room in the house, typically you just want to open each one about 2 inches - this will create a nice breeze through each window.
Air Vent is a popular brand, and is made in the U.S.
By the way, Menards carries Air Vent and they are having an 11% off sale this week. There is one in Livonia and another in Toledo.
1500sq. ft/4500cfm model:
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...23378193-c-13258.htm?tid=-2342685155873155667
1900 sq. ft/5700cfm model:
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...23378541-c-13258.htm?tid=-2342685155873155667
 
I treat the belt driven systems like a traditional V-belt car. Adjust as needed, maintain annually to what one might see preventable when executing scheduled maintenance. Stock mine came v-belt. I have a tentative upgrade to put in place making it a serpentine belt configuration.
 
A power attic vent also does wonders for your a/c because it pulls the trapped heat out out of your attic space
 
derbydad276 said:
A power attic vent also does wonders for your a/c because it pulls the trapped heat out out of your attic space
Click to expand...

I second this. It makes a dramatic difference on a two-story house when added. Make sure you have adequate ventilation on the roof as well.
 
red347lx said:
What are your thoughts on running both a power gable vent fan along with the 24" Air Vent unit?
Click to expand...

The power gable vent will control temps in attic to extend roof life and keep house slightly cooler. They will work perfectly fine together since the gable vent will not run once the attic fan kicks on and cools the attic.
 
RacerX said:
They are wonderful for cooling your house, especially in the summer. Here is some basic information:
A belt driven fan is quieter than direct drive. But even direct drive is not particularly loud, in my opinion.
The size to get is based on the square footage you wish to cool. They typically come 24 or 30 inches square.
You will need adequate attic ventilation for it to work correctly. The fan instructions will tell you how many square inches/feet of ventilation you need. You should be able to look up the instructions online before you purchase one, to read up on that first.
Run it at night. Choose particular windows to open to create the wind path you desire. Shut it down in the morning before the outside air gets too warm. An additional tip - shut all of the interior doors in your house during the day. If one room gets hot, this will help contain the heat to just that room.
Don't open your windows all the way - many people make this mistake and then think the fan doesn't perform. Think of it like this - let's say the fan moves 5,000 cfm, and it has a 24"x24" opening. If you open one window all the way and its opening is 24"x24", you will get 5,000 cfm through that window. If you open 24 windows all the way, you will only get 208 cfm per window. If you want to open a bunch of windows to cool every room in the house, typically you just want to open each one about 2 inches - this will create a nice breeze through each window.
Air Vent is a popular brand, and is made in the U.S.
By the way, Menards carries Air Vent and they are having an 11% off sale this week. There is one in Livonia and another in Toledo.
1500sq. ft/4500cfm model:
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...23378193-c-13258.htm?tid=-2342685155873155667
1900 sq. ft/5700cfm model:
http://www.menards.com/main/buildin...23378541-c-13258.htm?tid=-2342685155873155667
Click to expand...



Good info. My house used to have a fan in the hallway. I might want to add one again. Do you have any other info on which windows/optimized % open for best airflow? Just curious I'd there's a calculation or online tool
 
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