Whole house fans

[RADOPT]

Anyone have one? How much did it cost to put it in? Does it do a good job?

I need to do something but really want to stay away from an air conditioner.

thanks!

 

[ticktock]

My SIL has one in N.C. it works great! I couldn't believe how cool it made the house. It is very loud though. Hers is an old model that came with their 100 year old house , I don't know when it was installed, so I can't give you any info about costs and such.

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

My parents have one and they love it. My dad installed it himself and it cost less than $200 to buy the fan.

 

[Nolcrest]

We have one and it works greatl. We've had it for about 10 years so I don't remember the price. Ours is also very loud but maybe the newer ones are quieter. We only use it in the evening once the sun is down and the temps are cooler. We still need to use AC during the day on those hot days. I really like our whole house fan.

 

[ajksmom]

We put one in when we built our house 6 1/2 years ago. It is rated for a 3000 sq.ft. house and cost just over $300. We don't use AC at all, just set the timer to run for a few hours when the sun goes down. It makes the house cool enough that I always wake up with a comforter wrapped around me. Remember though when it's raining you won't be able to turn it on.
The noise from it doesn't bother us at all and it is installed in the ceiling right outside our bedroom door. Love it!!! Can't imagine not having it.

 

[nowellsl]

I had one in a previous house and I liked it, but here in FL it creates too much moisture - you're just sucking in all that humidity!

 

[BethR]

Remember though when it's raining you won't be able to turn it on.

Really? Why is that? We have had a whole house fan in our home for as long as we have lived here (nearly 20 years) and use it when it is raining.

 

[Chicago526]

Our A/C is dieing, and last year we bought a few box window fans to suck in all the cool air in the evenings and at night (and even the mornings until about 10 AM on the weekends). They worked great so I'd guess a whole house fan would work just as well.

 

[Muushka]

In 1984 we built a house in RI and had the builder install one. He had to add several more vents around the attic for the air to escape. It worked well, and yes, it is very loud.

 

[CalvaryMike]

This is the whole house fan that I installed:

Quiet Cool Fan

We love it and it's not as loud or unattractive as the typical whole house fan. Our home is 3,500 sq ft and we have four fans installed. You can turn on each fan individually or all at once. This allows you to control the direction and flow based on the temp. And also It works great and has saved tons on the electric bill. Plus, we also received a rebate from our electric company.

 

[ajksmom]

Really? Why is that? We have had a whole house fan in our home for as long as we have lived here (nearly 20 years) and use it when it is raining.

Maybe it's just ours but if that fan is on and it starts raining I get pelted with raindrops and our bed is not right next to the window (maybe 5-8 feet away) Guess it just sucks in the rain along with the cooler air - it isn't a nice way to be woken up I tell ya!

 

[mtblujeans]

This is the whole house fan that I installed:

Quiet Cool Fan

We love it and it's not as loud or unattractive as the typical whole house fan. Our home is 3,500 sq ft and we have four fans installed. You can turn on each fan individually or all at once. This allows you to control the direction and flow based on the temp. And also It works great and has saved tons on the electric bill. Plus, we also received a rebate from our electric company.

Thanks for the link! I have never seen anything like this before! I'll have to show this to DH! This is something that I think we would benefit from at our house. Let me ask.....we live in an open, rural area and the wind blows thru here pretty frequently. Does outside windiness affect this fan in any way? Thanks!