When weather is moderate in the Dallas, Texas area you could benefit from using a whole-house fan to reduce your needs for air conditioning. Whole-house fans keep your home cool through the usage of a powerful suction that pulls indoor war air out, replacing that stale warm air with cooler outside air. Whole-house fans can be manually turned on or automatically. But, in order to achieve the desired effects, windows for the home need to be open. When outside temperatures drop below inside temperatures, if automatic the whole-house fan will kick on. It will draw in warm inside air and exhaust it through the roof vents, while drawing in cooler outside temperatures into the home.
To keep the inside of your home cool as long as possible, you should do run the whole-house fan right before sunrise. Afterwards, close the windows to seal in the cool air as the day warms up. In the evening when outside temperatures begin to drop, you can turn the fan on to assist in cooling down the home. This can take on average around 5 minutes per 500 square feet. For example, a 2,500 square foot home would take around 25 minutes to cool down.
Generally, whole-house fans are much more effective in multi-story homes than in single-story homes. Certain regions of the country will also have better results from a whole-house fan than others.
Design Options
The most popular design option for whole-house fans are ceiling-mounted variations. These types of fans are installed in the attic between the ceiling and living space. Ducted whole-house fans run much more quietly than ceiling-mounted fans. With ducted whole-house fans, the ductwork will vent the inside warm air directly out of the home, rather than through attic vents likes the ceiling-mounted variation.
With whole-house fans you also have variable speeds where you can control the speed of inside warm air being expelled from the home. You can adjust it to high speed to flush air out quickly or low speed to allow for a continuous, gentle air flow. Programmable thermostats and temperature controls add to the convenience by automating the whole-house fan. However, before operation you should have your home prepared by:
- Making sure the heating and cooling system is turned off.
- Do not have a fire in the fireplace so that the fire will not get sucked out into the home.
- Ensure that windows are open, without proper ventilation this can create a dangerous backdraft with gas appliances
Some whole-house fan models will come with insulated doors that will create an air seal. If your whole-house fan does not have insulated doors, make sure to cover it in the winter, otherwise it will be like leaving a window open.
How to determine the size needed for a whole-house fan
A whole-house fan should be able to complete air exchange in 2 or 3 minutes. This should create a continuous breeze throughout the home. The recommended flow rate is roughly calculated by multiplying the square footage of the entire home by two. For example, a 3,000 square foot home would need a whole-house fan with around 6,000 CFM of capacity.
Your home should also have an adequate amount of roof ventilation to allow for the inside warm air to be exhausted through the vents. You should consult a professional technician in order to determine the correct size unit and required exhaust area.
Benefits in Cost
Whole-house fans cost anywhere from $150 to $550 on average. These costs do not include installation costs or the fact that you may also need additional roof vents installed.
Our Cooling Services
- Air Conditioning Installation
- Air Conditioning Maintenance
- Air Conditioning Repair
- Air Conditioning Systems
Why Choose K&S Heating & Air
When you choose to use K&S Heating & Air for your whole house fan needs you can rest assured in your decision as we are one of the leading experts in the field within the Dallas, TX area. All of our professional technicians go through a rigid screening process, drug and alcohol tests before they are hired. Our technicians also stay up to date by continuing their education in the HVAC field by taking ongoing classes to help them stay on top of emerging technologies, techniques and innovations in the field. All of this helps K&S Heating & Air provide you with the service you want and need. You can count on us to get the job done correctly, professionally and with your safety in mind.
Additional Air Conditioning Services
K&S Heating and Air’s professional technicians can take care of all of your air conditioning needs. From providing general repairs to installations, you can count on K&S Heating & Air to provide you with what you need. Some of the following air conditioning services provided are as follows:
- Central Air
- Duct Systems
- Ductless Systems
- Evaporative Cooling
- Fans
- Forced Air
- Mini Split Systems
- Thermostats
- Zoned Systems
Contact K&S Heating & Air
K&S Heating and Air provides indoor heating, air, and indoor air quality solutions for both residential and commercial customers in the Dallas, TX metropolitan area. We offer a full line-up of professional indoor air quality services. There is no job too big or too small that we cannot handle. If you are in need of service for your home or office then give us a call today. K&S Heating and Air is available twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week for your convenience.
We are a family-owned and operated business that has been providing heating and cooling service solutions for many years in the Dallas area. K&S Heating and Air is also a proud member of the Better Business Bureau where we maintain a solid A+ rating. If you are in need of service and have questions or concerns then you can give us a call and one of our professional and friendly HVAC technicians will assist you.