Your attic should already be vented enough to allow the incoming air a place to push the hot air out. If you where to make an opening for the fan to vent it, the cool air will just travel straight to it and not cool the attic as well.

Does a whole house fan need to be vented?

Venting Requirements



The higher the CFM, the more venting area is required to keep the system working efficiently. A rule of thumb is that you should have one square foot of “net free venting area” for every 750 CFM of airflow. So at 3000 CFM, you’ll want four square feet of venting.

Where does a whole house fan vent?





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 cooling.

Does an attic fan need to be vented?

And since just about all attics are vented, the pressurized attic air is then naturally pushed outside through those vents. However, without enough venting area, pressure can build up, slowing down airflow and reducing efficiency, potentially pushing hot attic air back into your living space.

What’s the difference between a whole house fan and an attic fan?

In a nutshell, whole house fans are designed to run after sundown, using cool night air to ventilate and cool your entire living space. Attic fans are designed to run on hot sunny days to clear super-heated air from your attic.

How many windows should be open with a whole house fan?

A: Opening two or more windows half way or more is recommended. Basically you should make it easy for the home ventilation system to pull in air. As for which windows to open, for general cooling you want to open windows far away from the fan to provide airflow to the whole house.

How do you vent a whole house fan?





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Quote from Youtube video: To make a nice tight seal between the bottom of the fan. And the top of the floor we're going to stick on some weather stripping. The weather stripping also cuts down on any vibration the fan might.

How long should you run your whole house fan?

For best results, run your whole house fan for at least 10 minutes first thing in the morning to bring a cool breeze through the house and into the attic. This will expel any hot stale air buildup from the night before. Then, close windows, doors and the blinds on the sunny side of your home.

Do whole house fans use a lot of electricity?

A whole house fan uses 200-700 watts while an air conditioner uses 2,000-5,000 watts. It will cost 90% less to run a whole house fan than the central air. For example, if your bill is $150 for a month, using a whole house fan will allow you to save up to $135 a month!

Can Whole house fans cause mold?

Many homeowners that have a whole house fan love running them when they get out of the shower to exhaust all that steam and humidity that builds up and can cause mold.

What happens if you run a whole house fan with the windows closed?



Warning. Without proper ventilation, powerful whole-house fans can create a backdraft in your furnace or water heater, potentially causing carbon monoxide to be pulled into your rooms. Operating the fan without open windows may also cause the fan to overheat.

Are attic fans a fire hazard?

“Most attic fans are put up there and forgotten,” says Kenneth Kent, deputy marshal of the Arlington County Fire Department. “They’re not inspected for years, and when they malfunction, they can start a fire.” How common is it that ventilation fans overheat? It depends on how they’re manufactured.
19 июл. 1994

Does attic fan work with windows closed?

Can You Run An Attic Fan With Windows Closed? You can run an attic fan with your attic and house windows closed if you so choose. However, if you do, you’ll want to make sure that the soffit vents in your attic and the vents in the rest of your home are open.

Is it safe to run an attic fan all night?



Running your attic fan for too long runs the risk of blowing out the fan motor. Further, nighttime is usually cooler, so you do not need to run your attic fan as often. It is ok to run the fan for a few hours at a time, but then you should let it cool off before firing it up again.

What are the pros and cons of an attic fan?

There are numerous advantages to installing an attic fan, but below are the most important benefits…

  • Asphalt Roof Protection. …
  • A Cooler House. …
  • Stop Mold Growth. …
  • Eliminate Ice Damming. …
  • Carbon Monoxide Risk. …
  • May Increase Energy Costs. …
  • Roof Leak Risk.


How do you cool down a hot attic?

Install electric ventilators and attic fans, which remove hot air from an attic. They have thermostats that turn the fan on at a recommended preset temperature of 100-110 degrees. Alternatively, install passive vents such as gable, soffit and ridge vents, which are openings in the roof that allow hot air to escape.

Do attic fans actually work?



An attic fan moves that cool air up and through the house as it vents out the hot air. Attic fans can work even better when you have good attic insulation. If your HVAC breaks down, you can use your attic fan to try and reduce temperatures in your house.

How do you tell if your attic is properly ventilated?

How to determine whether you need better attic ventilation

  1. Look at your eaves and roof. …
  2. Touch your ceiling on a warm, sunny day. …
  3. Thick ridges of ice on your eaves in winter are a sign of poor attic ventilation. …
  4. Warm air that escapes living space also carries moisture that will condense on rafters or roof sheathing.