Here Comes the Desert Heat...

[Evans, Marv]

Actually I've always loved the desert - the wide open vistas, plants, colors, etc. Other than the hottest part of the year, the only other season I don't like is the black fly season.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

So what's the purpose of a whole house fan when it's damn hot outside?
I have one in a back bedroom ceiling...20", 2 spd.
I've used it in the fall and spring to pull cool air in and to freshen up the joint.

To cool or get rid off the extremely hot attic air to help with cooling the house. At 120, nothing helps. The AC works under those conditions? With temps above 100 during those few summer days, the AC is on all day long here and it doesn't seem to help much. This weekend is the big test. Still I must go out and get my bike riding donw early and hopefully be home by 11am

[Don Ro]

So if I turn on my whole house fan with no window or doors open and it's 100+ outside...or let's say it's hot as hell.
that lowers the temp in the attic?
That will suck out the cool air in the house, no? Then my A/C kicks in, no?
No comprende.

[Don Ro]

BTW, when I had my roof replaced last year the roofer told me that an exhaust fan in the attic was a waste. I thought it would be a good idea.

[Tobra]

A whole house fan blows the air in your house up into your attic. You open the windows, hit the fan for a bit and the air in the attic the same as it is outside. If it is 100* it is liable to be 140* in the attic. It cools off at night here, so you run the fan at 05:00 and get that air to 70* or less. The attic has to heat up before the house will, and if you have decent insulation, you run the AC a lot less.

It can get your house a little dusty though.

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by Tobra

A whole house fan blows the air in your house up into your attic. You open the windows, hit the fan for a bit and the air in the attic the same as it is outside. If it is 100* it is liable to be 140* in the attic. It cools off at night here, so you run the fan at 05:00 and get that air to 70* or less. The attic has to heat up before the house will, and if you have decent insulation, you run the AC a lot less.

It can get your house a little dusty though.

Yep. It may hit 100+ during the day but at night it cools to below 75. The whole house fan exchanges the inside and attic air for cooler outside air. In the morning you kill the fan, close the windows, and set the ac to a reasonable level.

[tabs]

A hunnnnndred and TWENTY....!!!!!!

[Don Ro]

Whole house fan:
I get it now...thanks, gents.

[ckelly78z]

In NW Ohio, I run a portible A/C unit downstairs when it gets over 80 degrees in the house...usually from the time I get home from work about 4:00, until I go to bed about 10:00. I then open up the windows, and let the (generally) cooler night air into the house. A whole house fan would help pull out the hot air at night, and pull in the cool air.

[masraum]

I'm from the Gulf coast of FL, I've lived in NoVA and now the Gulf coast of TX. I spent 2 or 3 days in the Phoenix area once in Jul or Aug. I'd heard the whole "at least it's a dry heat" thing before. I can tell you that it doesn't matter. The inside of your oven is a dry heat too, but I wouldn't want to be there either. I'll stick to my hot and humid (really, warm compared to Phoenix).

I remember visiting Boston, MA once in Aug. I was driving the rental car with the windows down thinking, "wow, it sure is nice here." About that time the guy on the radio said something about being careful to stay cool because they were having a heat wave and X of people had already died from the heat.

[Rtrorkt]

solution. Just got to find my beer

[Sooner or later]

Originally Posted by JavaBrewer

Not looking forward to this heat wave. Our 70's single story 2200 sq/ft home is poorly insulated and we will kick off the AC tomorrow morning. My SDG&E electric bill will jump from $200 low season to $700+ the next billing cycle.

My bad, I should have not waited to self install a whole house fan.

Insulate that puppy. Payback time would be nothing.

I used tax credits and sales at lowesd/HD to put in R79.at less than 60 cents per s/f. Less ac/heat loads and far lower monthly bills.

I live in sw Ok. 103 today.

[GH85Carrera]

When I spent a week in Savanna, Ga in fricking AUGUST one day the heat index was 135! Walking outside was like walking into a sauna and that is not an exaggeration! Walking from the hotel room to the car was brutal. I was soaking wet in seconds.

Going through Needles, CA back in 2014 I saw 114. The AC in my 911 struggled to keep me cool and as soon as I got into the low 100s the AC was doing great again.

[Don Ro]

I just heard on the weather report this AM...
Hottest day here in the Phoenix Valley - 122 degrees June 26, 1990.
We may see that again this coming week.
Hate to see that high of a temp...makes my pool water warm. Boo.

[Jolly Amaranto]

No afternoon departure from Sky Harbor for the Heavies.

[recycled sixtie]

I was wondering how you folks managed in the desert in summer. Now I know. However in the winter there is no better place to be.

[Don Ro]

Yeah, it's the definitive Paradise here in the 7 - 8 month winter. Makes tolerating the heat worthwhile

[Jrboulder]

115° F out right now. People are riding bikes and eating lunch outside.

[mikehinton]

We saw 109 yesterday in the Napa Valley. I have about 20 years of daily records, and yesterday was the hottest since 8/27/2010, when it was 110.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally Posted by Jrboulder

115° F out right now. People are riding bikes and eating lunch outside.

Yeah, they're crazy. On the plus side, I went out to lunch today and the girls in crop tops and short-shorts were out in force. So it ain't all bad.