Tips for
Selecting a Whole House Fans
In its very essence a house fan consists of an electrical motor,
fan
blades
and an housing to support the motor and the blades.
The better models have a better insulated housing (and door, and
frames), a better and more silent electrical motor, and better
and more balanced blades. The difference are usually in these details.
But there are some features you may also want to equate: traditional
models versus recent models, multi-speed models, models with or
without controls, new sealed and insulated models.
And also the Prices and Manufacturers of whole house fans.
Tip 1: Buy an well insulated and sealed fan
Bet on a tight-sealing cover and
on a sealed system (including a sealed door for the fan opening),
namely if you want respond to weather changes in a handy way.
This features are also a guarantee of a much more silent model.
Tip 2: Choose a multi-speed model
Multi-speed whole house fans –
usually two-speed fans – have significant advantages. They allow
a wider flexibility to their homeowners: the high speed allows
the entire house to be ventilated quickly, while the low (and
quieter) speed provides an agreeable air circulation…
Tip 3: Control options
Pull-chains or wall control switches are common and handy.
Many models allow you to run or shut off the whole fan, or set
the fan speed with simple on/off wall or pull switches; some
models involve also a timer to run or stop the fan at
pre-selected times.
Tip 5: The big alternative: traditional vs modern whole house
fan models…
Traditional models– either with fan blades attached directly to
the motor (direct drive whole fan technology) or based on a
pulley and belt system to operate the blades (the belt driven
whole fan technology) - are tested, reliable and cheap… But they
can be noisy and usually demand more complementary work and
costs involving sealing and insulation...
New models are much more silent, sealed and easier to install
(and demand less insulation work). But they are also much more
expensive and less tested…
Tip 6: Prices and manufacturers
See Investment, Prices and
Manufacturers of Whole House Fans
See also:
Whole House fans Basics
and Usage
Whole House Fans Pros and Cons
Whole House Fans Sizing and
Installing
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Tips for Selecting
a Whole House Fan
Fans Manufacturer Association
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