Whole-House Fans for Cooling

A whole-house fan is an effective means of cooling a house, and is far less expensive to run than an air conditioner. Whole-house fans can reduce indoor temperatures by 3 to 8 degrees F, depending on the outside temperature.

Find out how a whole-house fan can save you money by cutting your air conditioner use 15 to 55 percent.

Through prudent use of a whole-house fan, you can cut air conditioner use by 15 to 55 percent.

If a well-insulated house is closed up during the heat of the day, it will heat up inside slowly like an insulated ice cube. In the evening when it’s cooler outside than inside, and you open the windows, a whole-house fan blows
the hot air out of the house.
The fan should be centrally located so that it draws air from all rooms in the house. Be sure your attic has sufficient ventilation to get rid of the hot air.
To ensure a safe installation the fan must have an automatic shutoff in case of fire.
Ceiling, paddle, and portable fans produce air motion across your skin that increases evaporative cooling.
A moderate breeze of one or two miles an hour can extend your comfort range by several degrees and will save energy by allowing you to set your air conditioner’s thermostat higher or eliminate the need for air-conditioning altogether.
Less frequent use of air conditioning by setting the thermostat higher will greatly cut cooling bills.

Read more: Home, Reduce, Recycle & Reuse

Excerpted from the Real Goods Solar Living Source Book,edited by Doug Pratt and executive editor John Schaeffer.Copyright (c) 1999, Real Goods. Reprinted by permsision of Chelsea Green Publishing Company and Real Goods.
Excerpted from Real Goods Solar Living Source Book,edited by Doug Pratt and executive editor John Schaeffer.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

New G.

1:56AM PST on Jan 25, 2012

Thanks.

send a green star

Michele W.

6:50AM PDT on Aug 19, 2011

Thank you

Sulette M.

1:33PM PDT on Jul 24, 2011

Thanx for the info!

Jennifer C.

7:03PM PDT on Jul 21, 2011

Thanks for posting.

Susana L.

7:25PM PDT on Jul 13, 2011

Thanks

Robert O.

12:48AM PDT on Mar 25, 2011

Thank you.

KS G.

4:58AM PST on Nov 29, 2010

Thanks for the article.

Elaine M.

1:52PM PDT on Jul 13, 2010

I installed 4 QuietCool QC1500 fans in my home, and no longer need to use my Air. They Cool the house down quickly, and cost only about 10% of what an air conditioner cost to run.

Jenni M.

3:40PM PDT on Jul 6, 2010

I live in an apartment too! Do you have any suggestions for people like me?

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Borg D.

12:49PM PDT on Jul 3, 2010

Cool !! Ha Ha