Whole house fan

Hi all,

I’m considering installing a whole house fan and wanted to hear from anyone who has done this. How did install go and how effective is it for cooling? Any recs for installers and approximate price? Any and all info would be great. Thanks in advance!

eamonnsbest

in Heating and Cooling 2 years and 1 month ago

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justinromeu26 | 2 years and 1 month ago

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I did a home inspection on a brownstone that had a whole house fan that had been installed like when fdr was president. It no longer worked. They had a fan cover that you see on some commerial buildings. The fan was right there under the cover and a duct beneath it ran probably in the cock loft to walls where it ran down between walls. The duct was made to fit the wall cavity. So yes, walls are being open to retrofit. In this case, this was done when extensive renovations had been done. It included running electric to the roof. It was made to exhaust meaning it pulled air out the top and fresh air came in below.

Op, if you want to see how you like this, buy a window fan and put it on exhaust in a top floor window. Open windows on the first floor as the sun goes down and pull some cool air in. It will work, we do it here in the spring. But there is only a brief period where it is effective

I can see doing this more in a rural area like the hudson valley. The city just stays too hot even at night. And down by the water it gets too humid.

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 1 month ago

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Yes, in the spring and fall i wish we has a skylight that opens so we could pull air into the house in the evening. I have a window fan i use in our bedroom that is reversible that i use in the spring and fall before things heat up. But at a certain point things not only get too warm, but the humidity kicks up.

RobertGMarvin

in Heating and Cooling 2 years and 1 month ago

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I have no idea how you install a vent fan in a flat-roofed house? but a large exhaust fan in a top floor window is fairly effective. This won’t adequately replace AC on a really hot night, but it’s often enough.

RobertGMarvin

in Heating and Cooling 2 years and 1 month ago

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A vent fan used at night, when the air is cooler, WILL cool the house. You DON’T use it during the heat of the day.

justinromeu26 | 2 years and 1 month ago

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People don’t seem to do this anymore. i had a long dead uncle who had one in Nassau County on long island. the house dated from the close of the second world war and because of the duct work, i will guess they system was installed as the house was being built. these old guys (my grandfather and his brother) thought this giant blade in the attic come plenum and the duct work were cutting edge technology. By the 1970’s when they were telling me about it, it was no longer cutting edge technology.

The thing about these is, they do not cool air. the simply move hot, sometimes clammy air around.

if you open a few windows and turn one on in a house that had been locked up for a week during the summer, this thing will move the hot, stale air out. but then what? it will pull hot, humid air in. you run it when it is raining out or on a damp night, you pull damp air in and humidity can be worse than the heat. then what? run a dehumidifier which itself chew s electricity and generates heat?

There is a reason why people are putting these mini splits in all over this city.