A whole-house fan can substitute for an air conditioner most of the year in most climates. Whole-house fans provide acceptable summer comfort for many families, even in hot weather.
How Whole-House Fans Work
The whole-house fan pulls air in from open windows and exhausts it through the attic and roof. It provides good attic ventilation in addition to whole-house ventilation. You can regulate cooling by simply closing windows in the unoccupied areas and opening windows wide in occupied areas. Many people cool the bedrooms at night and the living areas during the daytime.
Cooling Your Home with Fans and Ventilation
Although installing the older style of whole-house fan can be difficult due to extensive framing of the joists in the attic and the need for a dedicated power source, the new style of whole house fans, like those from Centric Air, require no framing and do not require a dedicated power source. Another draw back of the older type of whole house fans is that they come with a loose cover that opens when the fan turns on and closes with the fan is turns off; however, the covers are not air tight. The new style of ducted whole house fans by Centric Air come with a gravity fed back draft damper an an available power actuated/insulated damper for cold climate region to help ensure an air tight seal with the fan is not operating.
Noise is also an issue with the older style of whole house fans. Some people have compared them to the sound of a helicopter in their attic. CentricAir whole house fans are ultra quiet and designed to operate quietly all night while you are sleeping. For more tips on cooling your home without the use of air conditioning visit: Cooling Your Home With Fans and Ventilation