View Full Version : Attic Fan or save for A/C?
Buying a house in Cheyenne that DOESN'T have a/c. It's got gas forced air, so I would just have to buy a unit and condenser, run the lines, drywall, yada yada yada. Would it be worth it to take a shortcut and just install an attic fan? How hard is the install, and will it drop house temperatures enough to feel cool on a 90* day? Thanks
And by attic fan, I mean WHOLE HOUSE fan. Sorry.
Attic fans work great depending on your home's overall insulation efficiency, and they're a snap to install. I had one at my last place which was a multilevel and I'd use it to draw in cool air in the evenings which kept the place pretty cool through the day so the central air didn't have to work so much. Only draw back is the noise near the unit, leaving windows open, and having to chock doors in the house.
It will never work as great as AC, but an attic fan should make those hot days tolerable. You can always get a window rattler too.
I thought all you had to do is open a few windows in WY for a nice 90mph breeze?? lol
BushMasterBoy
05-29-2015, 19:10
I use a swamp cooler. A window unit cools the whole house. Your mileage may vary...
I vote for doing both as your budget allows. The fan will be nice most of the time but when it really gets hot it will be nice to kick the AC on.
I have had both for 15 years. I would not be without the whole house fan. In this area we have cool nights as a general rule. It is nice to have the ability to open any window in the house and have significant breeze coming in. With the fan you can only cool as low as the outside temp. So if the night temp only goes down to 80 over night that's as cool as it gets. I run the A/C in June, July and August just because it's easier. The fan does not raise the utility bill by any noticeable amount. The A/C will increase the bill by $100-$150 per month.
X2 on the swamp cooler, inexpensive to buy/run and typically there's only 2months a summer when it's hot enough to need some kind of cooling. A house fan would also be to nice have if you wife cooks like mine.......
What they all said. We have both, and rarely run the AC. Keep in mid though, the attic/roof MUST have enough additional ventilation added to efficiently vent out the air that the fan will be pushing into the attic! A whole house fan moves a LOT of air, and it has to be able to get out or else you'll just pressurize the attic and kill the effect of the fan. Probably burn out the fan motor too.
This guy installed ours and the roof vents. http://www.colohomecool.com/?gclid=COC43eTG6MUCFQ4oaQodWqoAug
What they all said. We have both, and rarely run the AC. Keep in mid though, the attic/roof MUST have enough additional ventilation added to efficiently vent out the air that the fan will be pushing into the attic! A whole house fan moves a LOT of air, and it has to be able to get out or else you'll just pressurize the attic and kill the effect of the fan. Probably burn out the fan motor too.
This guy installed ours and the roof vents. http://www.colohomecool.com/?gclid=COC43eTG6MUCFQ4oaQodWqoAug
If you don't mind, what was the scope of work and ballpark cost?
If you don't mind, what was the scope of work and ballpark cost?
Been too many years, you'd have to call him. Installed fan, wiring, switch, and several large roof vents. Seems like it was ~$1800-ish. But all I had to do was write the check and enjoy the breeze.
SideShow Bob
05-31-2015, 15:14
There seems to be a lot of confusion here on what a attic fan and a whole house fan is.
An attic fan draws cooler air in from the soffit vent and exhausts hot air either though a roof vent or gabble vent, and only ventilates the hot air build up in the attic.
A whole house fan is mounted in the ceiling of the upper most level and draws cooler air from the house's windows, exhausts it into the attic and out a gabble vent or roof vents that needs to be sized to the CFM of the whole house fan.
http://www.airscapefans.com/learn-about/whole-house-vs-attic-fans.php
We have both. We use the A/C to keep the house reasonably comfortable (to take the edge off) during the day and then at night when it cools down, we open the windows and cool the house down with the whole house fan. If it's really hot out, we can crank the A/C as needed. I also have my office on the 2nd floor in a southern-facing room. In there I rigged up one of those portable A/C unites and built a vent to the outside. So in my office I can crank that up and I don't have to keep the rest of the house as cool.
I don't know that I can recommend one over the other, necessarily. The A/C is really nice and convenient and gives comfort during the day. The whole house fan is inexpensive to run, cools the house really fast, and can drop the temp a ton more (and faster) than the A/C. You can also run it first thing in the morning and cool the house down a bunch to start the day. But on a really hot day, the house fan won't do much during the daytime. Just kind of depends on where you are, what you prefer, etc. If you can afford both . . . I say both.
We have both. We use the A/C to keep the house reasonably comfortable (to take the edge off) during the day and then at night when it cools down, we open the windows and cool the house down with the whole house fan. If it's really hot out, we can crank the A/C as needed. I also have my office on the 2nd floor in a southern-facing room. In there I rigged up one of those portable A/C unites and built a vent to the outside. So in my office I can crank that up and I don't have to keep the rest of the house as cool.
I don't know that I can recommend one over the other, necessarily. The A/C is really nice and convenient and gives comfort during the day. The whole house fan is inexpensive to run, cools the house really fast, and can drop the temp a ton more (and faster) than the A/C. You can also run it first thing in the morning and cool the house down a bunch to start the day. But on a really hot day, the house fan won't do much during the daytime. Just kind of depends on where you are, what you prefer, etc. If you can afford both . . . I say both.
That is the problem. We plan on being in the house maybe 2 years MAX and have no budget what so ever until the house in Texas sells. What hoping to do one and be done, but it sounds like the house fan wont be enough.
Thanks for the advice all.
Not to be offensive but have you been to Cheyenne in the summer? The temps rarely exceed 90* and cools down to the mid 50's at night, factor in lower humidity and the breeze.
Since you're talking a 2yr stay why have the expense of AC?
http://www.climate-zone.com/climate/united-states/wyoming/cheyenne/
SideShow Bob
06-01-2015, 16:44
That is the problem. We plan on being in the house maybe 2 years MAX and have no budget what so ever until the house in Texas sells. What hoping to do one and be done, but it sounds like the house fan wont be enough.
Thanks for the advice all.
Get a large window unit swamp cooler, put it in a ground floor window near the outside water faucet, or run a cheap flexible plastic line like for a refrigerator, and open the upstairs bedroom window. Initial cost around $450,Cools just as good as A/C and quicker, electric bill stays low and you can take it with you when you move.
I did this for about 10 years and three rentals, then donated it to Habitat for Humanity when we bought a home with central air.
newracer
06-01-2015, 16:51
Get a large window unit swamp cooler, put it in a ground floor window near the outside water faucet, or run a cheap flexible plastic line like for a refrigerator, and open the upstairs bedroom window. Initial cost around $450,Cools just as good as A/C and quicker, electric bill stays low and you can take it with you when you move.
I did this for about 10 years and three rentals, then donated it to Habitat for Humanity when we bought a home which central air.
^^^^^ I agree, a window mounted swamp cooler is the best option for short term. I did them same for two different houses.
Get a large window unit swamp cooler, put it in a ground floor window near the outside water faucet, or run a cheap flexible plastic line like for a refrigerator, and open the upstairs bedroom window. Initial cost around $450,Cools just as good as A/C and quicker, electric bill stays low and you can take it with you when you move.
I did this for about 10 years and three rentals, then donated it to Habitat for Humanity when we bought a home with central air.
!!!! Good call!
Hell, I bet I could get one of those window fans to assist in pushing air out. Thanks!
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