Most systems offer two fan settings: On and Auto . Multiply the number of square feet of the floor area you want to cool by the room height from floor to ceiling. using a whole house fan at night can eliminate the need to run air conditioning in moderate climates. The net free area of a vent takes into account the resistance offered by its louvers and insect screens. Compared to an air conditioning unit, whole house fans are much less expensive to operate, more environmentally friendly, and more efficient at cooling. Drawing cool fresh air in through open windows and exhausting hot stale air out through the roof vents, whole house fans create a fresh and comfortable living environment while they draw heat out of the structure to reduce air conditioning load for the next day. So if you’re not in the room, you’re just wasting energy by leaving the fan on. If you switch between air conditioning and cooling with a whole house fan as the summer weather changes, build a tightly sealed, hinged door for the fan opening that is easy to open and close when switching cooling methods. This system works well when the outside temperature is cooler than the temperature inside of your home. Just make sure you have the right climate to use one. The air is re-circulated from the condenser back to the furnace, where it is turned into cool air … Home improvement experts agree that a whole house fan can be run at one-tenth the operating cost of air conditioning, you may be able to reduce your energy costs by 80 percent by installing an energy efficient whole house fan. She is a former teacher and librarian, and she holds a bachelor's degree in education from Augustana College and master's degrees in education and library science from North Park University and the University of Wisconsin. Pros to Running Fan on Air Conditioner Continuously: Keeping the fan on creates a more even distribution of heating and cooling, circulating the air if you have cold or hot spots in your house, like a bedroom above a garage. Whole house fans can be noisy, especially if improperly installed. The only other time your blower fan should be running on its own is if you've flipped the thermostat switch to "on" to temporarily run your blower fan for increased air circulation. And if you have allergies, it's better to have your fan running continuosly to filter more air anyway. You will save money by running the fan because it costs only about one-tenth of the cost of air conditioning. Many heating and cooling appliances with a fan option that, while still blowing warm or cool air, is not using the main power of the unit. When using fans with air conditioning to boost the cooling effect in your home, you have multiple, powerful options to choose from. Turn off the fan during the day when temperatures outside rise higher than in the house. If you choose to run a central air unit, insulating your ducts, and inspecting and maintaining the whole system is important, although it adds to the cost. Gwen Bruno has been a full-time freelance writer since 2009, with her gardening-related articles appearing on DavesGarden. Whole house fans combined with ceiling fans and other circulating fans provide acceptable summer comfort for many families, even in hot weather. at night you open windows and draw cool night air to cool the house and contents. How to Keep Cool While Working in the Attic, Iowa State University Extension: Whole-House Fans For Summer Cooling, U.S. Department of Energy: Cooling Using a Whole House Fan, How to Have Cross Ventilation in a Single-Window Room, How to Get Cool Air From One Room to Another. Leaving Your Fan on Auto. Super quiet modern engineering advances. Fuel Efficient & Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Humidity and the temperature outdoors will determine when it would be more ideal to use your whole house fan over your air conditioner. Using a whole house fan reduces the need for air conditioning. Typical usage of your Whole House Fan is less than $1 per day. An attic fan may not reduce your air conditioning costs, but a whole-house fan is a different story. Without proper ventilation, powerful whole-house fans can create a backdraft in your furnace or water heater, potentially causing carbon monoxide to be pulled into your rooms. You'll need 2 to 4 times the normal area of attic vents, or about one square foot of net free area for every 750 cubic feet per minute of fan capacity. Whole house fans can provide effective natural cooling for a fraction of the energy cost of air conditioning. Installing a whole house fan by QuietAir fans can significantly reduce your air conditioning bills. Whole house fans combined with ceiling fans and other circulating fans provide acceptable summer comfort for many families, even in hot weather. Although such fans don’t remove humidity from the air like an air conditioner, they provide a powerful degree of ventilation throughout your home. This whole-house fan is installed on the ceiling between the attic and living space. How It Works. then close the windows and shut off the fan in the morning (8AM), close shades to the south as much as can while still giving good light. It provides good attic ventilation in addition to whole house cooling. Most air conditioners are designed to provide air that is about 20 degrees cooler than the temperature inside the home.For example, if the temperature inside the house is 82 degrees, the A/C unit will produce 62 degree air which in turn will cool the house about 1 to 2 degrees each hour. Purchasing a whole house fan and installation will cost you around $ 700 to $ 1,500, but for the air conditioning unit, you will spend $ 5,000 to 7,000 dollars. Besides requiring precise measurements and added dedicated wiring, a whole-house fan may require the installation of new attic vents. Whole house cooling using a whole house fan can substitute for an air conditioner most of the year in most climates. Whole house cooling using a whole house fan can substitute for an air conditioner most of the year in most climates. This can easily be fixed by having a good air conditioning contractor come in and seal your ductwork — it’s not very expensive and is usually done in less than a day. Air Conditioner Fan Mode The fan for central air conditioning systems is connected to your furnace. More vent area is better for optimal whole house fan performance. By moving air over your skin, a fan can lower your body temperature, but will do nothing for the heat inside a room. A whole-house fan can provide an energy-saving alternative to air conditioning, particularly when the air outside becomes cooler at night. Reduced dependency on costly Air Conditioning. By turning only the fan on in your air conditioner, you are still keeping things cooled off. A whole house fan is an exhaust system that vents a home’s air into the attic, circulating air throughout the entire building. Turn on the fan and open the windows during a hot day if maintaining an inside temperature about the same as the outside temperature is acceptable. If you live in an area with hot days and cool nights, stop throwing money away on air conditioning and save by drawing the cool night air into your home. The moving air helps make people inside feel more comfortable and uses less energy than an air conditioner. The air-change rate you will choose depends on your climate and how much you will depend on the whole house fan for cooling. Turn off the fan … When the fan is set to On, it blows continuously, circulating and filtering air regardless of whether the air conditioner is in cooling mode. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable EnergyForrestal Building1000 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20585. | Photo courtesy of Allison Casey. In most parts of the country (including Colorado), and during most parts of the year, a whole house fan can adequately substitute for an A/C system and provide a lovely living environment. In fact, even your central air conditioner is equipped with a fan powerful enough to force air through your entire home. Whole house fans ventilate your home by circulating air throughout the whole house, pulling the hotter air out of your living space and drawing in cooler, fresh outside air through open windows. Do not use the controls to automatically switch on the fan as it is essential that you open windows and close the fireplace damper before operating the fan. The latest whole house fan models are extremely quiet, they no longer emit the loud and annoying sound that we traditionally associated with older fans. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Installation of a whole-house fan is best left to a professional. If enough ventilation isn't provided, the fans can cause a backdraft in your furnace, water heater or gas-fired dryer, pulling combustion products such as carbon monoxide into your living space. In many systems, the blower fan runs a minute or so before heating or cooling begins and ends to get air flowing. Installing a whole house fan is tricky and should be done by a professional. Running a fan is always a lot cheaper than running an air conditioner. Open windows in your house when operating the whole-house fan to avoid creating concentrated suction in any one spot. Common Fan … The louvers close when the fan is not operating. In Region 6 – Your whole house fan could be used to as a air conditioning assist – meaning you would use your fan to remove a large percentage of the ambient heat in your home and attic. Less frequent starts and stops of the fan can reduce the stress from startup, and potentially help extend it’s lifespan. And lastly, fixing this problem, usually isn't an expensive repair. One way to cut back on the energy bill is to just use the fan option on the air conditioner. Operating the fan without open windows may also cause the fan to overheat. Auto helps distribute air in the beginning of the cooling or heating cycle and then cuts off when the set temperature is reached. There are some small wall- or window-mounted models, but the majority are central, whole-house ventilation systems with their own duct system or shared ductwork. Keep in mind that they're doing two separate things. After exhausting your home (and turning your fan off), your air conditioner will run … If your fan doesn't come with a tight-sealing winter cover, you should either buy one or build one. An air conditioning unit that shuts off the cooling part after a short run may have water sitting on the coil, and when the fan is run after the cooling part shuts off, the water on the coil may evaporate and go right back into the air, claims Energy Vanguard. 8. Multiply this number by 30 to 60 air changes per hour, depending on the desired degree of power. Using the setting during the winter season may also circulate colder air throughout the home. Run Your Whole House Fan Before You Use Air Conditioning A home that's been closed up all day is full of hot air, especially in the attic. An experienced professional should take your attic measurements and install your dedicated circuit wiring and, if needed, your new attic vents. Whole house fans should provide houses with 3 to 6 air changes per hour (varies with climate, floor plan, etc.—check with a professional to determine what is appropriate for your home). Both types include a heat exchanger, one or more fans to push air through the machine, and controls. This is far less than even a moderately sized room air conditioner which would cost close to $1 per hour to run or $10 per day and that doesn't even cool your whole house! When you do turn on your air conditioner (after shutting your windows and turning off the whole house fan), it will work faster to cool your home. Your air conditioner's fan operates independently from the cooling unit, circulating air throughout your home. Check with a local professional to find out if this option is right for you. The auto setting turns the fan on only when the air conditioning or furnace is actively running. Although your fan never shuts off, your heating and air conditioning still works fine. 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