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How To Cool Your Home With A Whole House Fan

A whole house fan is a cost-effective way to cool your home and improve indoor air quality. Here’s how to use it:

  1. Open windows: When the temperature outside is cooler than inside, open windows in the rooms you want to cool.
  2. Run the fan: Turn on the whole house fan. The fan will pull cool air in through open windows and exhaust hot air out of the living space and attic.
  3. Keep indoor doors open: Keep doors open between rooms to allow cool air to circulate.
  4. Close windows and doors when you turn off the fan: Be sure to close the windows and turn off the fan before the temperature outside starts to rise. This will allow the home to stay cool longer.
  5. Repeat as needed: Repeat the process as needed to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.

Note: It’s best to use a whole house fan when temperatures outside are at least 10 degrees cooler than inside, typically in the early morning, evening or at night.

To learn more about how whole house fans work see our explainer on how whole house fans work.

What Is A Whole House Fan Used For?

A whole house fan is a type of ventilation system that is used to cool a home by exchanging indoor air with outdoor air. The fan is typically installed in the attic or upper level of a home and is designed to pull hot, stale air out of the living spaces and replace it with cool, fresh air from outside.

The main purpose of a whole house fan is to provide an energy-efficient alternative to air conditioning, especially during the cooler months of the year when the temperature outside is pleasant. The fan can be used to cool the entire home or just certain rooms, and it can be operated in conjunction with other cooling systems, such as a central air conditioner or a window air conditioner.

By removing hot air from the home and replacing it with cool air, a whole house fan can help reduce the temperature inside the home, improve indoor air quality, and reduce the need for artificial cooling. This can result in lower energy bills and a more comfortable indoor environment.

A decorative photo of a couple sitting on their sofa trying to cool down in front of a portable fan. They need a whole house fan!

How Much Does It Cost To Install A Whole House Fan?

The whole house installation costs can vary greatly depending on the size of your home, the type of fan you choose and the complexity of the installation. On average, the cost of a whole house fan installation can range anywhere from $600 to $1000 or more. Factors that can influence the cost of the installation include the cost of the fan itself, the cost of any necessary electrical work and the cost of any additional ventilation required


It’s recommended to get a quote from a licensed contractor that has experience installing whole house fans. Keep in mind that investing in a quality whole house fan and professional installation can provide long-term energy savings and improved indoor air quality, so it’s worth considering the investment as part of your overall home improvement plan.

A photo of a CentricAir ducted whole house fan installed in an attic, showing how the fan is attached to the attic framing, and that the fan itself is at the end of a duct and around a corner to so that it is very quiet.

Are Whole House Fans Worth The Money?

Whether a whole house fan is worth the money depends on several factors, including:

Climate

Whole house fans are more effective in climates that have milder temperatures at night. If you live in a hot and humid area where temperatures remain high even at night, a whole house fan may not be as effective.

Energy Costs

A whole house fan can be a cost-effective way to cool your home if you live in a region with cool evening or nighttime temperatures. Whole house fans can actually save you up to 90% on your electricity bill. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) claims that whole house fans use up to 90% less energy air conditioners.

Home Insulation

If your home is poorly insulated, a whole house fan may be an effective way to cool the home.  A hot attic that is poorly insulated, can cause heat to migrate throughout the entire house. In warm climates, where the sun constantly beams down on to the roof the attic quickly fills up with hot air and pushes down into the house and as a result raises the temperature. A whole house fan brings in cool fresh air from outside and pushes out the hot stale air that’s trapped inside the home and attic.

Ultimately, whether a whole house fan is worth the money depends on your specific needs and circumstances. If you’re interested in purchasing a whole house fan, it’s a good idea to do some research and speak with an expert to determine whether it’s the right choice for you.

Is an Attic Fan Good or Bad?

Are attic fans good or bad? It depends on the specific situation and purpose. Attic fans can have both benefits and drawbacks.

Benefits of an Attic Fan

Attic fans can help reduce heat buildup in the attic during hot weather, which can help lower the temperature inside your home and reduce your air conditioning usage.

Attic fans can also help reduce moisture buildup in the attic, which can help prevent mold and mildew growth.

Drawbacks

Some attic fans can be noisy and disruptive, especially if they are located close to living spaces. CentricAir attic fans are they quietest in the industry. They are acoustically designed and precision balanced making for an ultra quiet operation.

Some attic fans can also increase your energy bills, especially if they are used frequently or left on for long periods of time. CentricAir attic fans are extremely energy efficient and use just 1.5 amps and come with a 15 year fan motor warranty.

Overall, a quality attic fan can be good if properly installed and used in a way that balances the benefits and drawbacks for your specific situation.

When Do You Use A Whole House Fan?

A whole house fan is typically used in the evening or early morning when outdoor temperatures are at least 10 degrees cooler than indoor temperatures. The fan is used to exhaust hot, stale air from the living space and attic, and draw in cool, fresh air, providing a natural and efficient means of cooling the home. This can be an energy-saving alternative to air conditioning, especially in regions of the country with cool evening, nighttime or morning temperatures. However, it’s important to use the whole house fan only when windows or doors are open to ensure proper air flow and to prevent negative air pressure in the home.

How Does a Whole House Fan Work?

A whole house fan works by drawing cool outside air into the home through open windows and expelling hot, stale indoor air through the attic and roof vents.

The fan is typically installed in the attic and is connected to a vent system that runs through the attic and into the rooms of the house. When the fan is turned on, it pulls cool air into the home through open windows and pushes hot, stale air out through the attic vents.

This creates a natural “stack effect” that cools the house and improves indoor air quality. Whole house fans are typically used in the evening or early morning when outdoor temperatures are cooler than indoor temperatures, which makes it more efficient and cheaper to cool the house. Whole house fan can be operated by switch or remote control.

Visit our detailed page about how whole house fans work.

A diagram showing that whole house fans pull fresh air in through a home's windows and push the old air out through the attic, cooling the home and attic at the same time.

Benefits of a Whole House Fan

Energy efficiency

Whole house fans use significantly less energy than air conditioning systems, making them a cost-effective option for cooling your home.

Improved indoor air quality

The quality of the air in your home dramatically affects your health. Whole house fans can be used to ventilate the home, bringing in fresh outdoor air and expelling stale indoor air.

Increased comfort

Whole house fans can quickly cool down a home when the temperatures outside are at least 10 degrees cooler than inside and it creates a refreshing breeze.

Improved sleep

Whole house fans can help create a cooler and more comfortable sleeping environment.

Low maintenance

Whole house fans require minimal maintenance, typically only needing to be cleaned periodically.

Is a whole house fan good for the environment?

A whole house fan can be good for the environment because it uses significantly less energy than traditional air conditioning systems. Because it is powered by electricity, the environmental impact will depend on the source of the electricity.

If the electricity is generated from renewable sources, such as solar or wind power, then the environmental impact of a whole house fan would be minimal.

Additionally, because whole house fans do not use refrigerants like traditional air conditioners, they do not contribute to ozone depletion or global warming.

Furthermore, by circulating fresh outdoor air throughout the home, whole house fans can improve indoor air quality and reduce the need for chemical air fresheners and other products that can have negative environmental impacts.

Overall, when compared to traditional air conditioning, a whole house fan can be a more environmentally friendly option for cooling your home, especially if it is powered by clean energy.

Artwork showing the contrast between a green-energy powered paradise and a polluted wasteland. Whole house fans are an environmentally-conscious choice to help achieve the paradise.

Get Ready for Another Energy Price Spike: High Electric Bills

Rates have jumped because of a surge in natural gas prices and could keep rising rapidly for years as utilities invest in electric grids

Portland General Electric’s operations center in Tualatin, Ore. About 35 percent of the utility’s electricity comes from renewable energy.Credit…Mason Trinca for The New York Times

The New York Times. By Ivan Penn. May 3,2022

Already frustrated and angry about high gasoline prices, many Americans are being hit by rapidly rising electricity bills, compounding inflation’s financial toll on people and businesses.

The national average residential electricity rate was up 8 percent in January from a year earlier, the biggest annual increase in more than a decade. The latest figures, from February, show an almost 4 percent annual rise, reaching the highest level for that month and approaching summer rates, which are generally the most expensive.

In Florida, Hawaii, Illinois and New York, rates are up about 15 percent, according to the Energy Department’s latest figures. Combined with a seasonal increase in the use of electricity as people turn on air-conditioners, the higher rates will leave many people paying a lot more for power this summer than they did last year.

The immediate reason for the jump in electric rates is that the war in Ukraine has driven up the already high cost of natural gas, which is burned to produce about 40 percent of America’s electricity. And supply chain chaos has made routine grid maintenance and upgrades more expensive.

What is particularly worrisome, energy experts said, is that these short-term disruptions could be just the start. They fear that electricity rates will rise at a rapid clip for years because utilities and regulators are realizing they need to harden electric grids against natural disasters linked to climate change like the winter storm that left Texas without power for days last year. Power companies are also spending more on new transmission lines, batteries, wind turbines, solar farms and other gear to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Rising Price of Home Electricity in the U.S.

By The New York Times

U.S. utilities could spend hundreds of billions of dollars in the coming years to repair and upgrade grids.

Almost all of those costs will filter down to monthly electric bills.

“This is an affordability emergency,” said Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, or TURN, which represents ratepayers in California, where rates in February were up 12 percent from a year earlier and utilities are asking regulators to approve further increases. “If you want to control inflation, one of the things you have to control is energy costs.”

Natural gas prices have surged in recent months as U.S. producers have sent more fuel to Europe, which wants to use less Russian gas. Utilities in a few places, like Hawaii and Puerto Rico, rely on some power plants fueled by oil, which has also become much more expensive. The price of coal, which accounts for roughly 20 percent of U.S. electricity, has gone up, too.

The Biden administration has been urging the industry to produce more oil and natural gas, but energy experts say it could take a year or two to significantly increase supplies.

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Demand for electricity is also rising because of climate change. The National Weather Service expects this summer to be hotter than average in most of the country. People who can least afford higher bills could feel the pain the most because most moratoriums on power shut-offs during the pandemic have ended. Last month, the White House sought to soften the blow of higher bills by making hundreds of millions of dollars available for home energy assistance.

“Consumers are going to pay the price for this,” said Gordon van Welie, chief executive of ISO New England, the electric grid operator in the Northeast, where electric rates are among the highest in the country. “The reality is we’re going to be dependent on gas for a very long time.”

How Home Electricity Rates Have Changed Around the U.S.

By The New York Times

Even the cost of wind turbines and solar panels, which had been falling for years, has risen recently because of supply chain problems. But analysts said that over the next decade those renewable sources should help tamp down energy costs, reducing the toll that volatile oil, natural gas and coal prices can take on family budgets and business profits.

The problem is that building new wind and solar installations and the related power lines and batteries will have an upfront cost.

“Wind, solar and hydro are exactly what you need,” said Mark Cooper, a senior fellow for economic analysis at the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School. “We should have been much further along in the transition, which we haven’t been.”

Relying more on the grid

Residents of Massachusetts and other New England states have long endured some of the highest electricity rates in the country. Then in January, rates jumped again. And government forecasters say summer temperatures in the Northeast will be far above normal.