Whole-House Fans Pros and Cons
Pros of whole house fans
Whole house fans provide high energy savings, and are cheap and
tested cooling devices.
They use one-tenth of the energy or an air conditioner and
according to
EERE
in most USA climates using whole fans can
lower cooling costs by around 30 percent.
Anyway, whole house fans
has some important drawbacks that
you should ponder.
Noise:
a disadvange of most traditional models
Traditional whole house fans can be noisy, especially small
units operating at high speed. That's a first con, valid to
traditional models.
A proper installation is also crucial for noise control. All
whole house fans should be installed with rubber or felt gaskets
to dampen noise.
Some manufacturers are publicizing quiet operation whole house
fans, that also do not demand wide ceiling openings.
Outside temperatures and humidity
A
whole house
fan demands cool
outside fresh air (and low humidity) to operate. Besides, it does
not dehumidify and eventually can pull dust and pollen into the
house… That's also a disadvantage - the bigger one, in many
climates and weather conditions.
Opening in the ceiling
The installation of a whole house demands a opening in your
ceiling… making it a prime place for cold air intrusion or air
conditioning loss… The opening can be closed and insulated in
winter time, but it may still be a problem in the other
seasons…
This traditional drawback of whole house fans can be surpassed with a new generation of these devices. Some manufacturers are
now presenting whole house fans with special insulated covers
that eliminate the inconveniences listed above. The cover of
these new models tightly closes over the fan blades whenever the
fan is off.
Extra roof venting
Another disadvantage involves
the extra roof venting:
hole house fans may demand additional roof venting for good
operation, with the resultant costs…
Pulling combustion gases
Be cautious when operating a whole house fan. Whole house fans
are powerful devices, and you shouldn’t forget to open the
windows.
Without open windows, the fan can cause a concentrated suction
involving furnaces, gas-fired dryers or other appliances: the
fan can pull carbon monoxide or other combustion products into
other rooms.
See also:
Basics and Usage Whole House Fans
Sizing and Installing
Selecting Whole House Fans
Costs, Payback and Manufacturers
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Pros and Cons of
Whole House Fans
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