An attic fan may not reduce your air conditioning costs but a whole house fan is a different story.
How much does an attic fan help.
If the attic fan keeps the house cool enough so that the owners leave the ac off there is almost certainly an energy benefit.
Attic fans are intended to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outside air from attic vents soffit and gable and pushing hot air to the outside.
An attic s intake vents are most commonly installed directly in the soffit either as individual vents spaced every few feet or as one continuous perforated soffit running the entire length of.
Adding an attic fan may help to lower the ambient temperature in the attic but it s not an ideal solution.
In such doing the attic fan will reduce the temperature in the attic space that in turn cools down the whole house.
One better option for you is to seal and well insulate the ductwork and the unit itself check the owners manual for clearances needed especially for gas units.
How does an attic fan work.
The attic fans are fitted with thermostats that will switch on and off the fan depending on the homeowner s preference.
If you choose an energy star rated solar attic fan for your home then you might qualify for tax credits that equal up to 30 of your initial expense.
They can cool your home in less than an hour.
A typical fan can t do both the work of an attic and the whole house fan but a whole house fan does both.
This prevents hot air from seeping into your home and driving up the temperature in the living space which reduces the load on your air conditioner.
Just make sure you have the right climate to use one.
They can cool your home in less than an hour.
However if your attic has blocked soffit vents and is not well sealed from the rest of the house attic fans will suck cool conditioned air up out of the house and into the attic.
If the attic fan increases the comfort level of the house it may be worth it.
Because you ll usually need two fans to create the results you want instead of a single traditional product your expenses are going to double.
An attic fan works by drawing in cool air to the attic space that pushes out the hot air through vents.
This means your air conditioner will not have to work as hard to do its job and may even cycle on less.