What is a Whole House Fan Used For?
A whole house fan is a ventilation cooling system that uses less energy than a traditional air conditioner. This energy-efficient system works by pulling cool, outdoor air into your home and out your attic vents. This helps keep the mass in your home cooler than an air conditioner can. These whisper-quiet and energy-efficient wonders are the #1 residential cooling & ventilation appliance on the market. With a whole house fan, you’re able to turn off your most expensive appliance, air conditioning, while improving the air quality and comfort of your home for just pennies per hour.
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THIS JUST IN FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
“Whole-house fans can help protect people indoors from airborne transmission of Covid-19 because they increase ventilation with outside air to cool indoor spaces. When used along with other best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operating a whole-house fan can be part of a plan to protect yourself and your family. “ – EPA
Why Owning A Whole House Fan is Worth It
There are many benefits that whole house fans bring to homeowners.
Instantly feel 5-10º cooler
With the active ventilation of a whole house fan, the powerful breeze coming through the windows in the home allow homeowner’s to feel 5 to 10º cooler within seconds of turning the whole house fan on.
Save up-to 50-90% on A/C costs
Homeowners are saving tons of money on their A/C usage due to the energy efficiency the whole house fan brings. With a whole house fan, A/C usage can be cut dramatically, or even eliminated completely in certain climate zones.
Expel Airborne Annoyances
With the insane amount of airflow a properly sized whole house fan is able to bring into the home, say goodbye to cooking odor, pet dander, smoke, germs, gases, & other unwanted airborne annoyances.
Feel refreshed, cool, and comfortable
A properly sized whole house fan completely exchanges the air volume inside the home every 3 to 4 minutes while improving the indoor air quality .
Prolong the life of your AC
Using a whole house fan to cool your home reduces the amount of time your A/C is in operation during the year, prolonging it's lifespan and the cost to repair or replace your A/C system.
Help keep the world green
By reducing your energy usage with a whole house fan, you are able to lower your carbon footprint, effectively lowering your energy bill all while making a difference to make our earth healthier.
Keep your attic cooler
Whole house fans also cool your attic by up to 50 degrees. A hot attic makes the inside of your home hot and can cause issues with appliances located in your attic. A whole house fan keeps both your home and attic cool and ventilated.
Heat and ventilate your home in winter
In the winter, homeowners can use a whole house fan during the warmest times of the day for just a few minutes to bring in fresh air and exhaust the stale, stuffy air.
Comfort Explained in 4 Easy Steps
 | OPEN WINDOWSOpen a few windows any time it’s cooler outside than inside, typically in the morning and evening. |
 | TURN IT ONTurn your QuietCool fan on by setting the speed and timer. |
 | BRING FRESH AIR INQuietCool pulls in cool, fresh air from outside and expels hot, stale air out attic vents. |
 | ENJOY COMFORT & SAVINGSYour home has now been made cooler, healthier, and more comfortable. |
Comfort Explained in 4 Easy Steps
 | Instantly feel 5-10º cooler With the active ventilation of a whole house fan, the powerful breeze coming through the windows in the home allow homeowner’s to feel 5 to 10º cooler within seconds of turning the whole house fan on. |
 | Save up-to 50-90% on A/C costs Homeowners are saving tons of money on their A/C usage due to the energy efficiency the whole house fan brings. With a whole house fan, A/C usage can be cut dramatically, or even eliminated completely in certain climate zones. |
 | Expel Airborne Annoyances With the insane amount of airflow a properly sized whole house fan is able to bring into the home, say goodbye to cooking odor, pet dander, smoke, germs, gases, & other unwanted airborne annoyances. |
 | Feel refreshed, cool, and comfortable with clean, outdoor air In our current times, indoor air quality is one of the number one concerns of homeowners. With a whole house fan, you are able cool your home while improving the indoor air quality to create a cool and comfortable environment. A properly sized whole house fan completely exchanges the air volume inside the home every 3 to 4 minutes. |
How to size a whole house fan:
A properly sized whole house fan is very important for homeowners to get the maximum benefits.
Most manufacturers recommend sizing a whole house fan at 2 to 3 CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) per square foot of living space. This recommendation is typically based on the location that your home is located in.
For example, for coastal or mountain climates, the recommendation is typically 2 CFM per square foot.
For more inland climates, the recommendation is typically 2.5 CFM per square foot.
For desert climates, the recommendation is typically 3 CFM per square foot.
How to size a whole house fan:
A properly sized whole house fan is very important for homeowners to get the maximum benefits.
Most whole house fan manufacturers recommend sizing a whole house fan at 2 to 3 CFM (cubic feet of air per minute) per square foot of living space. This recommendation is typically based on the location that your home is located in.
For example, for coastal or mountain climates, the recommendation is typically 2 CFM per square foot.
For more inland climates, the recommendation is typically 2.5 CFM per square foot.
For desert climates, the recommendation is typically 3 CFM per square foot.
HOW TO USE A WHOLE HOUSE FAN
When to use a Whole House Fan and how is a crucial aspect of receiving as many benefits as possible from these fans. The first important step is to ensure that the outdoor air is a temperature you would like in your own home. If it is, simply open 3-4 windows 2-3 inches wide and turn on your whole house fan. This process will flush in the outdoor air and flush out your stale, indoor air.
A whole house fan is most effectively used when it is run at the proper time, however, the way in which it is used is very important as well.
When using a whole house fan, the first important step is making sure the outside temperature is lower than the inside temperature.
If the temperature outside is lower than the temperature inside, the next step is to open 3 to 4 windows, 4 to 6 inches each. Make sure to open windows in the locations that you want the breeze to come from.
Lastly, turn your whole house fan on high speed. It is always best to start on high speed, and as the temperature in your house begins to drop, you can lower the speed of the fan.
HOW TO USE A WHOLE HOUSE FAN
When to use a Whole House Fan and how is a crucial aspect of receiving as many benefits as possible from these fans. The first important step is to ensure that the outdoor air is a temperature you would like in your own home. If it is, simply open 3-4 windows 2-3 inches wide and turn on your Whole House Fan. This process will flush in the outdoor air and flush out your stale, indoor air.
Using Whole House Fans in high pollen areas
One of the biggest concerns consumers have is about dust and pollen entering the home through open windows. A whole house fan moves up to 10x more air than a typical A/C unit so people think that this amount of airflow will bring pollutants, dust, dirt, and more inside their home. In most markets, this is not the case. Most places do not have a high level of dust or pollen so this is not an issue. However, in areas that do get dusty, a homeowner can simply purchase anti-pollen and dust screens that are very affordable. They can block up to 99% of the dust and pollen from entering your home. You typically only need to replace a few window screens in your home because with a whole house fan system you will understand that there are only a few windows you will open up when in use.
Using Whole House Fans in Humid Climates
Many people think that a whole house fan cannot be used in humid climates. While it is true that it is never good to run a whole house fan during the most humid times of the day, most areas in the United States that have high humidity have a large drop in the humidity percentage around the time when you would run your whole house fan.
The humidity level is usually high in the early morning and drops down to its lowest point in the late afternoon. Homeowners in these areas will turn their whole house fan on in the late afternoon or early nighttime hours and enjoy the benefits of the whole house fan while the humidity is at an ideal level. By the time early morning comes, the homeowner will shut off the whole house fan and enjoy a cooler house all day long.
Here you will find the US states and the average humidity level during different times of the day. ASHRAE* suggests a range of 45% – 55% humidity to manage health effects and illnesses.
Per ASHRAE and other health agencies, the most ideal range for humidity inside of the home is 30% to 65% with a suggested range of 45% – 55% to manage health effects and illnesses.
Difference between Whole House Fans and Attic Fans
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between an attic fan and a whole house fan. They’re very different products but they work in tandem to cool and ventilate your home during the day and night. During the 1960s, when whole house fans were invented, they were very popular in the south and people called them attic fans. This is what has caused the confusion today.
A whole house fan is used for cooling both the home and attic. You typically run them during the evening through into the early morning – basically any time it is cooler outside. This cools, ventilates, and exhausts all the hot, stale air in your home and attic. You would never run your whole house fan during the middle of the day when it is the warmest. This is where an attic fan comes in.
Attic fans ventilate and exhaust your attic only. You use them primarily during the day but they work well in the evening and night as well. Attic fans pull air from the outside through existing vents in your attic. This allows your attic to stay within 10ºF of the outside temperature at all times when the fan is running. Without an attic fan, your attic can get up to 150ºF during the summer, which can ruin the integrity of your home and cause high electric bills.
Even during the winter months, homeowners can use an attic fan. In the winter, moisture and mold can build up due to the air in the home being very warm versus the air in the attic being very cold. The snow on the roof then becomes ice and holds the excess water. This is called ice damming and it is what creates mold, mildew, and premature roof rotting. With an attic fan, the constant flow of air in the attic lowers the overall humidity level and helps keep the attic healthy.
The best system combines an attic fan and a whole house fan to cool, ventilate, and exhaust the entire home, day and night, and year-round.
Difference between Whole House Fans and Attic Fans
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between an attic fan and a whole house fan. They’re very different products but they work in tandem to cool and ventilate your home during the day and night. During the 1960s, when whole house fans were invented, they were very popular in the south and people called them attic fans. This is what has caused the confusion today.
A whole house fan is used for cooling both the home and attic. You typically run them during the evening through into the early morning – basically any time it is cooler outside. This cools, ventilates, and exhausts all the hot, stale air in your home and attic. You would never run your whole house fan during the middle of the day when it is the warmest. This is where an attic fan comes in.
Attic fans ventilate and exhaust your attic only. You use them primarily during the day but they work well in the evening and night as well. Attic fans pull air from the outside through existing vents in your attic. This allows your attic to stay within 10ºF of the outside temperature at all times when the fan is running. Without an attic fan, your attic can get up to 150ºF during the summer, which can ruin the integrity of your home and cause high electric bills.
Even during the winter months, homeowners can use an attic fan. In the winter, moisture and mold can build up due to the air in the home being very warm versus the air in the attic being very cold. The snow on the roof then becomes ice and holds the excess water. This is called ice damming and it is what creates mold, mildew, and premature roof rotting. With an attic fan, the constant flow of air in the attic lowers the overall humidity level and helps keep the attic healthy.
The best system combines an attic fan and a whole house fan to cool, ventilate, and exhaust the entire home, day and night, and year-round.
Difference between Whole House Fans and Air Conditioning
A whole house fan can cool your home, just like an air conditioning system, but in a completely different way. A/C systems work well but is much more expensive to install and is the single most expensive appliance to run in your home causing higher energy bills during the warmer months of the year.
Central A/C works by pulling the air that is inside your home through a condenser to cool the air down and pushes it out the A/C vents in your home. This is a closed loop system that offers no indoor air quality benefits as it is just recycling the existing air in your home.
This process is much more complicated than a whole house fan and uses a lot of energy.
With a whole house fan, you simply open a window when it is cooler outside than it is inside and turn the fan on. This will bring the cool air in and exhaust the hot air out.
The only advantage with an A/C system is that you can run an A/C system regardless of how warm it is outside whereas a whole house fan you should only run it when it’s cooler outside during the warmer months of the year.
Difference between Whole House Fans and Air Conditioning
A whole house fan can cool your home, just like an air conditioning system, but in a completely different way. A/C systems work well but is much more expensive to install and is the single most expensive appliance to run in your home causing higher energy bills during the warmer months of the year.
Central A/C works by pulling the air that is inside your home through a condenser to cool the air down and pushes it out the A/C vents in your home. This is a closed loop system that offers no indoor air quality benefits as it is just recycling the existing air in your home.
This process is much more complicated than a whole house fan and uses a lot of energy.
With a whole house fan, you simply open a window when it is cooler outside than it is inside and turn the fan on. This will bring the cool air in and exhaust the hot air out.
The only advantage with an A/C system is that you can run an A/C system regardless of how warm it is outside whereas a whole house fan you should only run it when it’s cooler outside during the warmer months of the year.
Savings and ROI of a whole house fan
According to the United Stated Department of Energy, whole house fans are the most cost-effective way to cool your home. UCLA states that whole house fans can eliminate A/C usage in 10 of the 16 climate zones in California.
While these two major research organizations praising the benefits, whole house fans are being recognized in the new home construction industry as one of the best products that can be installed in a home. With a whole house fan, builders are using smaller solar systems, better rated insulation, and a whole house fan to reach a net zero home.
A Net Zero home is a home that creates the same amount of energy as it uses, meaning its load is effectively zero on the electricity grid. The goal for California is to get to Net Zero home construction by 2024. Since A/C makes up between 60 to 80% of homeowners utility bills, a whole house fan is one of the best ways to get to a Net Zero home cost effectively.
The average home uses between 1200 to 3000 hours of A/C usage, depending on the climate zone in which the house is located in. With a whole house fan saving up to 90% on A/C usage, homeowners are able to achieve an average return on investment between 1 and 3 year, or better put, one of the fastest ROIs available for green energy products.
Savings and ROI of a whole house fan
According to the United Stated Department of Energy, whole house fans are the most cost-effective way to cool your home. UCLA states that whole house fans can eliminate A/C usage in 10 of the 16 climate zones in California.
While these two major research organizations praising the benefits, whole house fans are being recognized in the new home construction industry as one of the best products that can be installed in a home. With a whole house fan, builders are using smaller solar systems, better rated insulation, and a whole house fan to reach a net zero home.
A Net Zero home is a home that creates the same amount of energy as it uses, meaning its load is effectively zero on the electricity grid. The goal for California is to get to Net Zero home construction by 2024. Since A/C makes up between 60 to 80% of homeowners utility bills, a whole house fan is one of the best ways to get to a Net Zero home cost effectively.
The average home uses between 1200 to 3000 hours of A/C usage, depending on the climate zone in which the house is located in. With a whole house fan saving up to 90% on A/C usage, homeowners are able to achieve an average return on investment between 1 and 3 year, or better put, one of the fastest ROIs available for green energy products.
Cost of Whole House Fans vs Air Conditioning
Depending on the size of the whole house fan you are installing, you can expect to pay between $500 to $3000 installed. The pricing varies based on the type of whole house fan, the sizing requirements, and the motor type.
Depending on the size of your home, a brand new central air system installed can cost up to $20,000 and is a very complicated installation.
As well, many homeowners are choosing to install a whole house fan if their A/C breaks and are in need of A/C repair. A/C repair can be extremely expensive.
The climate in which you live in is the main factor that will dictate if you should install a central air conditioning system or a whole house fan. Some climates will still need to use A/C, even with a whole house fan, while other climates can completely eliminate their A/C usage.
Cost of Whole House Fans vs Air Conditioning
Depending on the size of the whole house fan you are installing, you can expect to pay between $500 to $3000 installed. The pricing varies based on the type of whole house fan, the sizing requirements, and the motor type.
Depending on the size of your home, a brand new central air system installed can cost up to $20,000 and is a very complicated installation.
As well, many homeowners are choosing to install a whole house fan if their A/C breaks and are in need of A/C repair. A/C repair can be extremely expensive.
The climate in which you live in is the main factor that will dictate if you should install a central air conditioning system or a whole house fan. Some climates will still need to use A/C, even with a whole house fan, while other climates can completely eliminate their A/C usage.
Experience a More Comfortable Way to Live
Being comfortable in your own home is essential. This is why our products ensure you can experience a relaxing breeze, whenever you need it.
Simply turn your Whole House Fan on and experience a natural, cool breeze in the matter of seconds. This creates an active breeze across you home making you feel instantly 5 to 10 degrees cooler.
During the summer months it can get really hot upstairs in a 2 or 3 story home. Sometime not even an air conditioning can cool off the upstairs of a home on a hot summer day. Whole house fans are the best way to cool a hot upstairs and allow you to stop having those hot sleepless nights.
Experience a More Comfortable Way to Live
Being comfortable in your own home is essential. This is why our products ensure you can experience a relaxing breeze, whenever you need it.
Simply turn your Whole House Fan on and experience a natural, cool breeze in the matter of seconds. This creates an active breeze across you home making you feel instantly 5 to 10 degrees cooler.
During the summer months it can get really hot upstairs in a 2 or 3 story home. Sometime not even an air conditioning can cool off the upstairs of a home on a hot summer day. Whole house fans are the best way to cool a hot upstairs and allow you to stop having those hot sleepless nights.
Whole House Fans Noise Levels by Decibels
Advanced whole house fans have a decibel range between 40 to 52 decibels. The sound level of an advanced whole house fan is very comparable to a normal A/C running in your home. Check out this graph to see a comparison in decibel levels of your most common in-home appliances and other things that make noise. You will see that the advanced whole house fans are very quiet. This is accomplished by separating the motor housing away from your air register directly at the ceiling level. Remember that the old traditional style whole house fans that are very noisy are not comparable to the new, advanced whole house fans which can be over 40dB quieter.
Improving your home’s Indoor Air Quality
With new viruses emerging and homes and buildings being built tighter and tighter, it is very important to make sure the air quality inside your home is good.
Whole house fans have many benefits besides just cooling the home and help reducing electricity costs. They help to greatly improve the indoor air quality of a home by exhausting and ventilating the hot, stuffy and polluted air that is inside the home. Many homeowners think that the air outside is dusty and dirty and oppose to opening their windows, however, according to the American Lung Association, the air inside the home is up to 2 to 5 times more polluted than the outdoor air. This is due to the chemicals that are used in the home, pet dander, germs, allergens, etc.
This means that when a homeowner is running their whole house fan, they are getting rid of the polluted air inside their home and replacing it with cool, fresh outdoor air. Many customers state that their allergies went away when they installed the whole house fan!
Improving your home’s Indoor Air Quality
With new viruses emerging and homes and buildings being built tighter and tighter, it is very important to make sure the air quality inside your home is good.
Whole house fans have many benefits besides just cooling the home and help reducing electricity costs. They help to greatly improve the indoor air quality of a home by exhausting and ventilating the hot, stuffy and polluted air that is inside the home. Many homeowners think that the air outside is dusty and dirty and oppose to opening their windows, however, according to the American Lung Association, the air inside the home is up to 2 to 5 times more polluted than the outdoor air. This is due to the chemicals that are used in the home, pet dander, germs, allergens, etc.
This means that when a homeowner is running their whole house fan, they are getting rid of the polluted air inside their home and replacing it with cool, fresh outdoor air. Many customers state that their allergies went away when they installed the whole house fan!
Bad Indoor Air Quality
We have performed many different tests using the best equipment in the industry to measure the indoor air quality inside of homes. This picture shows the air quality in a typical home. As you can see, the air quality was very poor due to lack of ventilation in the home. This is where a whole house fan can make the biggest difference in your home.
Good Indoor Air Quality
This picture shows the air quality in the home after running a whole house fan for 10 minutes. You can see how the whole house fan significantly improved the home’s indoor air quality score. You can see the VOCs, PM 2.5, dust and carbon dioxide levels improved dramatically within just a few short minutes. This shows just how powerful of a difference a whole house fan can make inside your home. Whole house fans are the best indoor air quality product money can buy for a single family residence.
Good Indoor Air Quality
This picture shows the air quality in the home after running a whole house fan for 10 minutes. You can see how the whole house fan significantly improved the home’s indoor air quality score. You can see the VOCs, PM 2.5, dust and carbon dioxide levels improved dramatically within just a few short minutes. This shows just how powerful of a difference a whole house fan can make inside your home. Whole house fans are the best indoor air quality product money can buy for a single family residence.
EVERYWHERE IN THE US THERE IS 20-50º F TEMPERATURE SWING
A typical family only focuses on the high temperature forecast when looking at the weather data for the week. This is because you normally are planning your day and focusing on what attire you should be wearing for the conditions. It is very rare to focus on the low forecast during the warmer months of the year. The low forecast is exactly what you need to pay attention to when running a whole house fan. There is a huge change between the high of the day compared to the low of the day in practically all locations in the US. It can range anywhere from 20 to 50 degrees difference, and in some cases, even more. This is why whole house fans work in just about every climate zone. As soon as that temperature swing kicks in and it cools off outside, it is the perfect time to run your whole house fan.
Whole House Fan Climate Zone Map
Whole House Fan Climate Zone Map
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage almost year around! Homeowners can run their whole house fan year around saving up to 75% off A/C related costs. On average, a homeowner can run their whole house fan anytime except for about 4 to 6 weeks of the year, where it may be too hot or too humid.
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage during Spring, Fall, and Winter. Typically during the Summer this region experiences high humidity and a warmer nighttime climate which would not allow for whole house fan usage. However, if you live closer to the coast or at higher elevations, you may be able to eliminate A/C usage completely. If you live more inland in a desert climate, you may be able to save up to 50-75% off A/C related costs.
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage year around! If you live closer to the coast or at higher elevations, you may be able to eliminate A/C usage completely. If you live more inland in a desert climate, you may be able to save up to 50-75% off A/C related costs in the Summer, and possibly even more in the other seasons.
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage year around! If you live closer to the coast or at higher elevations, you may be able to eliminate A/C usage completely. If you live more inland in a desert climate, you may be able to save up to 60-75% off A/C related costs, and possibly even more in the other seasons.
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage year around! If you live closer to the coast or at higher elevations, you may be able to eliminate A/C usage completely. If you live more inland in a desert climate, you may be able to save up to 50-75% off A/C related costs, and possibly even more in the other seasons.
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage year around! If you live closer to the coast or at higher elevations, you may be able to eliminate A/C usage completely. If you live more inland, you may be able to save up to 70-75% off A/C related costs, and possibly even more in the other seasons.
This climate zone allows whole house fan usage year around! If you live closer to the coast or at higher elevations, you may be able to eliminate A/C usage completely. If you live more inland, you may be able to save up to 70-75% off A/C related costs, and possibly even more in the other seasons.
Whole House Fan FAQ
Do whole house fans bring in dust?
Many homeowners may think their house will get dustier by running the whole house fan. However, due to the amount of air a whole house fan moves when properly sized to the home, dust does not have any time to settle in the home! Most customers, even in the dustiest of areas, do not notice a big increase in the amount of dust in the home. For homeowners that are still concerned with bringing in dust or allergens, there are new window screen products that are designed to block 99.9% of dust and allergens. The screens are very easy to install by simply replacing the standard screens already installed in the home. Also, since whole house fans only require a few windows to be open, homeowners do not need to replace every screen in the home! The screens will also tint the windows to keep your home cooler.
Where do whole house fans work best?
Whole house fans are designed to cool, ventilate, and exhaust your home of all the hot, stale air built up in your home and attic.
There are still some people out there that doubt if whole house fans really work. The efficacy of whole house fans depends on the climate zone that the home is in.
Whole house fans work in almost every climate zone, even in high humidity or desert climates.
Whole house fans are designed to be used year-round. From spring all the way to fall, a whole house fan can be used to cool, ventilate, and exhaust the air in your home in the majority of areas in the country.
In high humidity and desert regions, whole house fans are the most effective during spring and fall for cooling benefits and year-round indoor air quality benefits. Due to humidity, you wouldn’t want to run your whole house fan for cooling during summer.
How Long Will It Take For My Home To Cool Down?
The amount of time it takes to cool your home depends on many factors such as type of system, location, time of day, etc. The QuietCool Whole House Fan System will instantly start cooling your home with 15-22 complete air exchanges per hour.
Does the Quietcool work during the daytime?
Yes, you can run it in the day time but only when it is cooler outside then the temperature inside your home.
How Does A Whole House Fan Work?
A whole house fan pulls air into a home from open windows and exhausts it through the attic and out the attic vents. This provides good home and attic ventilation in addition to a great cooling affect in your home. We recommend installing a system that provides 15-22 complete air exchanges per hour. Learn more about our QuietCool whole house fan products on our How it Works page.
When Should You use your Quietcool Whole House Fan?
The QuietCool whole house fan system works best in the early morning and evening time. You want to run your system whenever the outside temperature is cooler than the inside your home. You can also use your QuietCool whole house fan system in the winter during the warmest time of the day for several minutes to remove any odors, pet dander, smoke or any foul smells.
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