Looking for the Best Whole House Fans in 2023? Today, we will explain the three basic types of whole-house fans, the pros and cons of each type, and finally, help you select the best-rated and best whole-house fan for your type of home.
Fun Fact: It’s estimated Whole House Exhaust Fans cool homes by using up to 90% less energy than central air conditioning. That is a lot of savings regarding electricity usage, and a heat exhaust fan costs substantially less than an Air Conditioning unit to install.
This is one home improvement that is well worth considering.
A whole house fan is a large exhaust fan that is ceiling mounted in a central location of your home. Sometimes referred to as an entire house “attic” fan, it is used when temperatures outside are cooler than inside the home.
To operate, you open your windows and turn on the fan, which removes the heated air – and replaces it with outside cool air. Whole-house fans can be controlled by a manual switch or by an automatic timer.
Video: How Does a Whole-House Exhaust Fan Work?
Benefits of Using A Whole House Fan:
Whole-house exhaust fans have been used in homes for over 100 years because of their affordable and effective method of cooling any warm interior space. Whole house fans pull cooler(evening) air in through open windows and doors and push the warm air into the attic.
Warm attic air is dispersed upward and outside through the roof vents, cooling it with a house fan. Overall, this is the cheapest way to cool any home.
Identified initially as “Attic Fans,” the modern house fan is gaining more popularity as an effective tool to cool homes due to its many innovations and improvements. Additionally, if you choose the correct size whole home fan and live in a moderate and relatively dry climate, You can avoid using an air conditioning system entirely.
Whole House Fan – “The Pros”
- Uses far less (up to 90%) Energy than central air conditioning systems (using condenser and blower)
- Work best in dry climates with 20 degrees (or more) Day to Night temperature swings.
- (In-Line) Whole-House fans are much quieter as they are mounted in the attic (not the ceiling) and ducted to shutters that are mounted in the ceiling.
- An Insulated Whole House fan includes self-closing Insulated ceiling louvers.
Whole House Fan – “The Cons“
- Does not dehumidify interior spaces
- Not suitable for very humid regions
- Cools home only when the outside temperature is more relaxed than the inside house temperature
- Windows and/or Screen doors must be left open – before turning the exhaust fan on.
- A homeowner can install whole-house fans, but a professional HVAC contractor is recommended.
*Caution: Before using a whole-house fan, you must OPEN your windows and/or doors. If you don’t, a whole-house fan will draw dangerous fumes from gas appliances, such as the furnace or water heater, and backdraft their perilous carbon monoxide and exhaust fumes into the living space.
Also, check with your local building authority to make sure whole-house fans are permitted in your jurisdiction.
How To Choose a Whole House Fan:
Choosing the suitable model for your house can be a little intimidating if you’ve never installed a fan that evacuates all the air from your living space. Plus, you don’t want to install a small house fan that isn’t be effective.
Choosing the right size whole-house cooling fan for your home is simplified by using the whole-house fan sizing formula we provide below.
Step one: determine how much CFM you need for your home:
To Determine the Correct Size whole house fan for your house, we first need to determine the CFM (cubic feet of air movement per minute) required to cool your size house effectively. The formula recommended by the Department of Energy, PG&E, and the California Energy Commission states you should move your air volume 3-6 times per hour.
Whole House Fan Sizing Method: Determine your “CFM” rating
Use a multiplier of 2 to 3 x the square footage of your house. Example: 2,000 square foot home x multiplier of 2 = 4,000 CFM. If your house is 2,000 square feet with standard 8’0″ ceilings, consider a whole house fan with a CFM of 4,000. The range, however, can be between 4,000 and 6,000 CFM*
The Dept. of Energy considers the above CFM method the ideal CFM ratio, used to circulate your air volume 3-6 times an hour, which may be a little excessive for most homeowners’ needs.
*Note: If you have higher ceilings than 8′-0″ or multiple floors, or wish to cycle the insider air quicker, order the next size up or two sizes higher CFM whole-house fans. In our sample above for higher ceilings, you would order a 5,000 or 6,000 CFM-rated fan.
Note: After you determine your CFM rate, use that rate to decide on the best type of whole house fan for your needs (See Three Types of Whole House Fans – Below)
How Is the Air Exchange (CFM) Rate Determined?
Not to get too far “into the weeds“, but some people like to know how the CFM rate is actually (scientifically) determined, and for those (nerds), here is a detailed chart from Cool is how CFM is determined:
*NOTE: Most HVAC (heating, venting, and air conditioning) contractors simplify the method by using the 2 – 3 multiplier formula, which we show you in our Whole House Fan sizing Method above.
Best Types of Whole House Fans in 2023
These are the 3 Different Types of Whole-House Fans:
- Standard Fan – Least Expensive, Loudest, Non-Insulated
- Insulated Fan – Mid Range Cost – Insulated Dampers
- In-Line Fan – Most Expensive, Easiest installation, Includes Insulated Dampers
Choosing the whole house fan system for Your Needs all depends on what your best hope to accomplish is. Is your top priority simply and quickly replacing the hot air inside your home?
Are you concerned about heat loss through whole-house fan louvers in the winter, or is the noise level of a whole-house fan an issue for you when sleeping? Let’s review each “type” of whole house fan below:
Type 1 – “Standard” Whole-House Exhaust Fan
If you’re considering an exhaust fan for your house, The least expensive and most powerful whole-house fan option is the standard whole-house fan. Standard exhaust fans are large (up to 30″) and can produce as much as 4,000 – 6,000 cubic feet per minute of air exchange.
However, they may require additional joist framing in your attic and extra attic vents due to the vast amount of CFM they deliver.
In addition, because of their design, the Standard whole-house fan is a ceiling-mounted, whole-house ventilation fan, and Because the fan and motor are mounted directly to the ceiling, they are much noisier.
In addition, the louvers are non-insulated – almost like an open window in the winter, producing more significant heat loss for your home. The louvers, however, can be insulated by adding a modified insulated cover for the winter season.
Editor’s Choice: “Cool Attic” 30″ 2-Speed Whole House Fan
VIDEO: How To Install Cool Attic House Fan (Standard)
Type 2 – “Insulated Door” Whole-House Exhaust Fan
To combat the winter heat loss from a Standard Whole House Fan, you might consider an Insulated fan like the Tamarack whole-house fan, which, while delivering less CFM capacity, automatically keeps heating bills lower in the winter months.
These whole-house fans have insulated louvers (R38) and include an operation that opens and closes the insulated louvers each time the fan is turned on and off. Not only does this whole-house fan keep heat from escaping in the winter, but it also prevents heat from entering the home through the attic in summer.
Limited to 1,000 – 1,800 CFM, however, the insulated whole-house fans will take 3-4 times longer to cycle the air volume of your interior than a standard whole-house fan.
Live in a climate with huge fluctuations between summer and winter temperatures. The insulated fan model can keep you comfortable without worrying about heat loss or heat gain from a standard fan.
Editor’s Choice: “Tamarack” – HV1000 R-38 Insulated Fan
VIDEO: “Insulated” Whole House Ceiling Fan
Type 3 – “In-Line” Whole-House Exhaust Fan
The last type of whole-house fan (and our first choice) we recommend is the “In-Line” whole-house fan. By design, it is the most effective whole-house fan and one that is also centrally located in the home.
Models such as the Quiet Cool Smart Gable mounted fan are, in our opinion, the most modern, efficient, and quiet in-line whole-house fan you can buy for your home.
The main difference with an In-line fan is that they are mounted to a truss up in the attic, without boxing or cutting ceiling joists, and are then vented with a flexible duct down to a ceiling-mounted insulated damper. This makes the whole house fan installation easier and the operation very quiet.
In-Line fans come in various sizes and move air based on the CFM volume required per house size.
These house exhaust fans are pricier than standard or insulated whole-house fans. However, In-Line house fans offer a small damper that is less obtrusive to look at than large whole-house fans and much easier to install.
To order, or check the pricing and details on an In-line fan with 5,500 CFM, Timer, and Insulated Dampers, check out our first choice from Quiet Cool below:
Editors Choice: Quiet Cool Fan “In-Line” Whole House Fan – 4505 CFM
VIDEO: “In-Line” Type of Whole House Fan
Whole House Fan – Safety Tips:
- Consider installing window stops at all windows you intend to open. Window stops mount on the window jambs and prevent the window from being raised beyond the limited height you need to operate the whole house fan. Usually, window stops can be set at a 6 – 8″ maximum opening to prevent unwanted entry.
- Always – Open windows and, if necessary, screen doors to allow fresh air to enter the home – BEFORE turning the whole house fan ON.
- Note: This is critical to prevent a backdraft of gas-burning appliance fumes from entering the home and introduce fresh air to protect the whole house fan motor from overwork and burn-out.
How to Install a Whole House Fan
As mentioned earlier, you may want to consider or get an estimate to have a professional install your House fan.
On the other hand, Installing a fan of this type is very straightforward for capable DIY homeowners. Since each fan type has very different installation methods, we recommend carefully following the installation instructions for the type you select.
Suggestion: Look at the short video below before installing the fan yourself.
After watching the installation video, decide whether you are comfortable installing it yourself or whether it would be best to hire a professional:
Remember, the installation involves using power tools, ladders, and possibly new electrical wiring or attic framing.
How to Install Quiet Cool Gable Fan (In-Line Fan Installation) Video:
Conclusion
Whole house ceiling fans are an extremely efficient and affordable means of dispursing interior home heat to the outdoors. While cooling off your home, they can also be used with or without an air conditioning system. Some owners choose to run the A/C during the day and the whole house fan in the evening.
And others prefer fresh air over the stale recirculated air that A/C systems produce and use the whole house fan exclusively.
Our advice: If you prefer fresh air and like the idea of saving money on your electric bills, then a House fan may be the perfect cooling source to consider.
For the most peaceful (quietest) sleep, insulated efficiency, timer control options, 4500 CFM rated, quiet whole house fan with generally easy installation, Our First choice is the Quiet Cool Whole House Ceiling Fan model QC- CL-4700.
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