How To Use Your
Whole House Fan
Installing a whole house fan is only the first step! Using your whole house fan according to these best practices will prolong the lifespan of your system, optimize the benefits, and maximize cost savings.
How To Use A Whole House Fan
When the outside air temperature is cooler than inside your home or attic, do the following:
1 Open a few windows 4-6 inches
2 Turn on your whole house fan using the switch or portable remote and timer
3 Feel the nice, cool breeze as air passes through to the attic and fresh air replaces stale, trapped air
4 Experience complete indoor air exchanges in your home every 3-4 minutes
5 Save energy as warm air passes right out of your attic, allowing the entire home to stay cool for hours
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Don't forget: While some choose to benefit from a good fan in the morning and evening, because of Colorado's cool, dry climate, using your whole house fan and ventilation system when appropriate can remove indoor air pollutants year-round.
Optimizing Your Home Ventilation System
Managing intake
It is vitally important that you open enough doors and windows to support the airflow generated by your whole house fan. Use the ceiling grate as a reference to open windows and doors.
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For QuietCool fans:
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At least 1x the area of the grate on low and 2x on high for targeted cooling. For general cooling, double the open areas of fans.
For Triangle fans:
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42" fans need 25 square feet of opening
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36" fans need 18 square feet of opening
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30" fans need 12 square feet of opening
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24" fans need 8 square feet of opening
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Directing airflow
Direct indoor airflow by opening specific doors and windows in your home. If you want to direct a strong airflow through your bedroom, open windows in that room only. It is important to note that with any combination of openings, you must ensure that you have provided enough air intake. Opening more windows will result in less of breeze coming through each window.
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Optimizing timing of use
For best results, run your whole house fan for at least 10 minutes first thing in the morning to bring a cool breeze through the house and into the attic. This will expel any hot stale air buildup from the night before. Then, close windows, doors and the blinds on the sunny side of your home. Experiment with your fan and home openings to maximize both your comfort and the performance of your fan.
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Do not run your whole house fan during the day unless the temperature outside is cooler than the house is inside, though you may want to run the fan during the day to push air out of the attic. To do so, direct airflow from either the basement or the shady side of the home.
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You will get better cooling results for the next day if you run your fan longer into the evening, though, running the fan too long may cause you to become cold. Set your fan timer accordingly. Your whole house fan may also be used in mild winter days to bring fresh, clean air into the home, expel indoor air pollutants, and moisture buildup in your attic.
Maintaining Your Whole House Fan
Your whole house fan has sealed bearings and should not require any maintenance besides occasionally cleaning the dust from your ceiling shutter, but preventative maintenance by our technicians can help reduce the likelihood of your fan needing service during the high season.
If you get a new roof installed on your home, make sure that the new roof provides the same amount of ventilation as your old roof. Any reduction in ventilation will compromise the ability of your fan to move air, make the fan run louder, shorten the lifespan of the fan, and will potentially void the manufacturer warranty. Do not assume your roofer will know the ventilation requirements for your fan — please contact us with any questions specific to your fan during a roof replacement.
If your fan is damaged or in need of service, please contact us.