Whole House Fan - cool down in the evening

Using a whole house fan is closely related to one of the techniques in the discussion of "use a fan." The technique involves pushing air out of the house so you can pull it through the rest of your house.

This is what the phrase "whole house" means when we talk about this type of fan. You only need one fan to ventilate the entire house.

Typically, a whole house fan is mounted in the attic, but it can be mounted in a wall too. Some of the fancier models have timers associated with them.

To use the fans, you simply open up windows in parts of the house that are farthest away from the fan, then turn on the fan so it can push air out of the house (usually through an attic), thus pulling air through the house from the open windows.

It's typical to use this type of fan in the evening and during portions of the night when outside air is cool. Nearly every part of the country can use this type of cooling device, especially when it's "good sleeping weather."

If it's hot and muggy in your bedroom, the use of a ceiling fan or oscillating fan will be more effective because the air can be directed on you as you try to sleep.

When the fan is mounted in the attic, it's probably a good idea to build a deflector so the wind created by the fan doesn't disturb your roofing boards or insulation.

Regardless of where it's mounted, make certain you have enough window area open for air to flow through. These fans create quite a draft.

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