A gable vent isn't hard to install either.

Being a cheap skate I use the fan till the humidity gets high. It does suck a lot of crap into the screens.

The whole house fan is what This Old House installed.

If it does not vent to the outside you are inviting mold in the attic. Especially if it is a bathroom/ shower fan. I have an old house (50's) and they did not outvent it. It cost me a fortune to remediate the mold we had. Once it was vented to the outside all was well.

You need cross-ventilation. Soffit to ridge is best. Vents 'High' in the gables would help, if you don't have a hip roof.

IMHO you should fix the attic ventilation before installing a fan.

For the whole house fan, you MUST have adequate outventing/exhaust of the attic.

Otherwise you are just wasting your time putting the fan in. Without enough venting/exhaust, the fan won't do anything but make a bunch of noise.

BTDT. I thought I had enough venting, but it wasn't. When I had more vents in the roof installed, the difference was night and day with the whole house fan.

Whatever fan you buy, it will give the minimum specs for square footage of the venting.

I installed a whole house fan about 6 or 7 years ago and I think it was one of the best investments I've made. I rarely use the A/C anymore (only when it's 100+) as the whole house fan cools the house and is much more comfortable than A/C and is way cheaper on the utility bill. But, when it's over 100 degrees, the whole house fan is like turning on a hair dryer.

My thoughts:

Detailed installation instructions are usually included with the fan - I followed then and the entire project took a few hours.

Get the biggest fan you can fit and afford. My house is 2100 sqft and I got a fan that is rated for up to 3500 ft. The larger fans are quieter and generally have more options (i.e., multi speed, belt driven, etc.)

You need to find a good spot for the fan. Preferably, the center of the house and not too close to bedrooms or living areas (ie., family room). This is because you don't want to be hearing the fan while sleeping or watching tv. A central hallway is best.

You need to check out the attic before purchasing & installing. The fan requires some space over it, so you don't want to cut a big whole in you ceiling only to find out that there is a/c ducting right there.

Your attic must have a minimum amount of venting. This is because the whole house fan will be pumping a large volume of air and it needs a way to escape the attic. If you don't have enought venting, the fan will blow fuses as it overheats trying to move air. The fan details will tell you how much sq. inchs of venting you will need - it won't be a huge amount but may be a combined venting of 1.5' x 1.5'. Think of it like running your car a/c on high but closing all the vents - the blower is strained.

To install, you will have to cut a whole in the ceiling - depending on the size of the fan, mine was 3' by 3'.

Once you cut the whole in the plaster/drywall, you will probably expose ceiling joists (the beams that the sheetrock was mounted to. The fan will require a perfect 3' x 3' square hole without any beams in the middle.

In addition, the fan has to sit a few inches above the hole to make clearance for the louvers to open & close. This will require you to build a frame out of 2x6's that will allow the fan to sit on top of the frame and leave room for the louvers. This is actually pretty easy to do and took me a few hours to completely install everything.

You will need an electrical source. I tapped into a junction box that was in the attic. You will have to install a switch - it is reccomended that you install the switch in a secure location so that kids do not accidentally turn on the fan. This is because windows need to be cracked when operation the fan. If the house is completely sealed up, the fan can suck air from the fireplace as well as soot & ashes.

I reccomend a fan that is belt driven. That is, the motor is a couple of feet away and connects to the fan with a belt - these types are quieter than a direct drive.

Check to see if there are any utility company rebates. My fan was about $300 and I got a PG&E rebate of $500, so I made money on the deal.

If you are not capable of installing yourself, you can ususlly get them installed for about $500. My parents had theirs installed from a ceiling fan company.

just install a ridge end attic fan at the end of youre attic should sit flush against mesh and you can screw it or nail it against any studs , the best fan for an attic is one that will keep the circulation and the hot air moving out of the space not ones centered that will just move the air around the room, the best disapation method is moving it directly out

yup, it's a 2 1/2 beer project.


stuck one in the garage as well, it helps remove bad odors