Could a Whole House Fan Be All You Need to Keep Your Home Cool?

Southern California has one of the best climates in the world. One of the best things about this is the fact that this means we don’t always need to be running the air conditioning or the heat. Other parts of the country seem to have either the heating or cooling running most days, while we can get away with rarely running either. In fact, with the right whole house fan, you may be able to get away with not running your air conditioner at all.

How Do Whole House Fans Work?

It’s actually simple. A whole house fan, also known as an attic fans, pulls air in through your open windows. It then runs the hot air out through your roof and attic. This does two things. First, it gives you great ventilation in your attic – which means it may become a livable or useable area – and second, it cools your entire home. You may wonder how much it can really cool down a house – the answer is that it depends on your home. You can ask your local residential electrician to give you a better answer about how much it could cool your specific home.

Would a Whole House Fan Work Well in Your Home?

There are a few things we will consider when we assess whether your home is a good candidate for a whole house fan. Ideally, a whole house fan should offer somewhere between 30 – 60 air changes each hour. For some homes, this is plenty to keep it cooled. For others, it is not nearly enough.

The factors that will affect whether or not it works for your home including the specific floor plan of your home, where exactly you live, and how much sun your home naturally gets. You can always count on Sonner Electric to offer an honest assessment of whether or not your home is a good candidate.

You Need a Professional to Install Your Whole House Fan

The bottom line is that it can be tricky to install a whole house fan. The first step we take is to double measure your attic. We then have to install dedicated circuit wiring for the fan. We may also need to install new attic vents, depending on the location and condition of your current attic vents. Once these steps are completed, we can begin actually installing the attic fan.

An improperly installed attic fan will not do its job correctly. This could lead not only to a lack of cooling, but serious issues such as backdrafts to your furnace and combustion products being pulled into your living space. For these and other reasons, we do not recommend that a layperson attempt to install this fan. Instead, contact Sonner Electric at 661-728-0126.