- What are the benefits of whole house fans? Greatly reduce or eliminate your AC usage. Save up to 90% on your AC bill when used properly. Save money, power, and the planet :) Very low operating cost with the new whole
House fan motor technology. Cool down your attic and home at the same time. Environmental stewardship. Breathe cool, clean, fresh outside air. Remove humidity, odors, pet dander and smoke in minutes. Naturally cool down those hot sleepless nights. - What if I have solar and feel I don’t need to “save” any power with a whole house fan? You're HVAC system gets wear and tear from over or extra use. HVAC Maintenance and service is expensive as where a whole house fan costs pennies to run all day. Reducing power usage is a great way to lower pollution, strain on public utilities and reduce power outages. “The Whole House Fan is the single most effective tool to reduce your energy bill.”
- Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) “Whole house fans are the number one energy-saving device available” - So Cal Edison The U.S. Dept. of Energy says: “Whole house cooling using a whole house fan can substitute for an air conditioner most of the year in most climates.” - How do Whole house fans work? Every night when the outside temperature drops to a comfortable level all you need to do is turn off your expensive AC, open some windows in rooms you want to rapidly cool down, then flip a switch and immediately feel a cool, clean, fresh breeze pull the outside air through your living spaces up and out your attic. This will not only cool down the house but the attic as well. This will keep your home much cooler all night and into the next day. - How long does it take to cool my house down? Depending on the size of your home a properly sized fan will exchange the air on your home in less than 10 minutes. You will feel instant air movement.
Whole house fans are literally a breeze on a switch! - Doesn’t My AC do the same thing on Fan only mode? No. Not even close. Your existing air conditioner is a closed system that simply recycles the same inside air over and over again. A whole house fan pulls cool, clean fresh air in from the outside of the home and removed the stale air from your home. - How much air does a whole house fan move? 5-10 times more air than your existing AC. - What does a whole house fan cost to run? Pennies per hour. - What is the ROI on a whole house fan?
New variable speed motors have revolutionized the whole house fan industry by greatly reducing energy consumption which means you can see these fans pay for themselves in one to two years. They will also save your costly HVAC system wear and tear and maintenance fees in the long run. - Do you also install the old belt drive whole house fans? Are they cheaper? Yes. We install belt drive, wall mount and other speciality fans. Yes. They are much cheaper. Cost is typically less than the modern fans. They are loud. Really loud but the new variable speed motors are pretty darn efficient. - Will a whole house fan work in my house? Yes. 95% of conventional homes with an attic are suitable. On rare occasion a home will not have an attic suitable for a whole house fan in which case we can try and select one of quite cools specialty fans. - Can a whole house fan be installed without an attic? Yes. We carry a line of specialty fans that can be installed in a wall or roof application without an attic space. We have even installed a specialty unit on a window! *Old belt drive units cannot be installed without a traditional attic. - What about the installation process? Once onsite the installation will only take 2-3 hours for a typical install. Large homes and commercial applications vary by project. We will come out and verify proper attic venting requirements are meet, determine the best location for the installation in your attic, plastic off an area in your home, cut one hole in the ceiling for the ducting and the rest is out of sight out of mind in the attic! You will see the louvers in the ceiling and a nice wall switch that has an 8hr timer and fan speed control. - Does this tie into my existing HVAC? No. This is a separate fan system that costs pennies to run compared to your central AC. - What if I have allergies? Quiet cool offers a Pollentec window screen material and we have the ability to replace a few select window screens with a new screen material that will filter 99% of the allergens that would be pulled into the home. - Are they noisy? They are in installed in the attic so they are no louder than a floor fan on high in your room. Compared to traditional belt drive whole house fans the new units are very quiet.
- Do I have to open all my windows for the whole house fan to work? No. We recommend that you only partially open the windows nearest the room(s) you would like to cool down first each evening. Then you can close them and move to another room as you get ready for sleep. Then partially open the bedrooms for sleeping. You do have to open some windows as whole house fans pull a very large amount of air. If you leave all the windows closed the system will not work and air may be pulled in from other open venting systems inadvertently. - What if I don’t like leaving my windows open at night? You can easily install a lock on your windows or a dowel rod that will only leave 2-4” open on select windows. - What if I’m worried about falling asleep and leaving the fan on all night? Every installation comes with a timer buttons that has preset intervals. I.e. 1/2/4/8 hrs then it will auto shut off. The fans are incredible efficient and only cost pennies to run per day. - Is there a warranty on the fans and installation? Yes. Each manufacturer has their own warranty period. Most are near 15 years for the top tier fans likes Quiet Cool, Zephyr and others. Installation/craftsmanship is warranted for 10 years. - Isn’t the air in my home cleaner than outside air? According to the EPA not necessarily. Some homes indoor air quality is 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Due to common household products that contain VOC’s and other chemical off gassing from furniture, clothes, carpets, paint etc. - What’s the difference between a whole house fan and a central HVAC system? A whole house fan removes your indoor air and replaces it with fresh outdoor air. A HVAC system recycles the same air inside your home over and over cooling it a little bit each time. - Can I use my AC and a whole house fan at the same time? No. Typically a whole house fan will be used first thing in the morning, evenings and throughout the night if desired with the AC off. - Do the fans need any maintenance? No. Top tier fans like Quiet Cool, Zephyr and others are virtually maintenance free and require no service or maintenance ever. Yes on belt drive units. The good units motors will last a lifetime but the belts will need to be replaced. - What are the attic venting requirements? Most high (CFM) Cubic feet per minute fans require approx. 1 square foot of net free exhaust area (N.F.A) for every 750 CFM roughly. Most homes that meet construction code requirements will have sufficient venting.