Whole House Fan Opinions
Suzanne
5 years ago
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5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoSuzanne
5 years agoRelated Discussions
Please share your opinion of whole house humidifiers
Comments (4)johnhvac - Thank you for the response! I'm glad you have a lot of questions. :) Questions = input, and I really need that. I'm cautiously optimistic because I had read so many bad reports of whole house units I halfway expected a "steer clear" consensus. We live near Kansas City, MO. Distinct seasons. After revisiting our floorplan it looks like our total used sq.ft. will be closer to 3975 sq.ft. (we're planning a basement finish that will account for about 1/3 of the total sw.ft. and are going with a larger area left unfinished than we had originally planned). Our house is relatively tight - we just finished construction this fall and invested in heavily upgraded insulation throughout, when the house was framed we had all the door & window framing sealed with foam and/or caulking, we had all outlets draft proofed, etc. We moved from a drafty house and did not want to go there again. Our house seems to default, during the winter, to around 22% humidity. We haven't lived there during the summer yet, so we don't know what to expect then. Our hardwood floors are complaining! (major contraction gaps) That's the general info I could think to add. Here are answers to your questions: I assume the $600 is for the unit and the installation, but that could be wrong. It was a conversation my husband had, and he then told me "He quoted me $600 to do it." Is that high, or low? (It's lower than what I would expect, but we're also linked to a builder that sends his company all of their HVAC work, so I don't know...) I googled the thermostat you mention and that's not what we have. But I know he suggested also changing the termostat if/when we added the humidifer, and that looks like the one he told us about (we have a brochure, but I don't have it accessible right now). I do know he said it would run about $250 more. You're pointing out how little I know, which means I need to make some calls and get some more information! I can give the HVAC guy a call this afternoon and get some more information on what all his quote/proposal included. You have a lot of experience installing these - how many problems have you run into? Were the issues mostly negated when the technologies changed (cool stagnant water vs. heated water, etc.)?...See MoreWhole house fan - solution that does not require opening windows?
Comments (22)"Next thing we knew the house started smelling like soot! The fan was actually drawing the air down through the chimney to replace the air drawn out." This is known as back drafting. This is dangerous situation if you have a gas fired hot water heater or furnace within the living space. You could be pulling carbon monoxide gases without realizing it. People living in houses with no AC tend to keep the windows open throughout the summer. It was rare a whole house fan would be turned on with the windows closed. But in a house where there is AC, the windows will be closed when the AC is operating. There is a greater chance of turn on the fan without opening the windows. For safety reasons I suggest the switch for the whole house fan be placed out of reach of children. I also think it is a good idea to use a timer switch in case the fan is left on and someone closes the windows....See MoreIn-line vent fan as whole house fan?
Comments (10)I have a recommendation for whole-house fans, and that is to go with the ones made by Triangle Engineering of Arkansas (made in the USA!). These things move more air than any other brand. As an example: the 36" belt-drive model sold at Lowes & Home Depot moves 6,900 CFM on its highest speed. The 36" one that Triangle makes moves 10,600 CFM. I just put one of these in last week and am so taken with it that I'm evangelizing for Triangle now. These things are much higher quality than the other brands too -- these are made with very heavy-gauge solid welded steel (as opposed to the thin, flimsy metal - often aluminum - that other brands use). They use a very solid motor made by Emerson, the best of the top three motor-making companies (the other two being Fasco and A.O. Smith). They come pre-framed on a wood frame for installation, AND they have sponge-rubber noise-dampening material between the fan and the frame, so they are much quieter than the other brands. Also, Triangle holds a patent on an automatic belt-tensioning system these things use, so you don't have to worry about getting the tension right when you install the fan (or in the years thereafter as the belt loosens up). Also, they come in more sizes than the other companies -- from 24" all the way up to 48" blade diameter (which moves a ridiculously whopping amount of air; no one else makes one that big). They're sold online at Southern Tool amongst other places that ship nationwide, so they're available wherever you live. Also, Triangle re-brands some of these as a private label for Dayton, which is the "store brand" of Grainger - so if you have a Grainger store near you (check your phone book or their website), you can buy one there. I will say this, though - Grainger/Dayton makes their own shutters, and those shutters are much better than the one Triangle makes. Triangle makes great fans, but crappy shutters. Luckily, they're sold separately -- so buy a Triangle fan and Dayton shutters; money can't buy better products. They also re-brand some for a company out in San Francisco called "Fanman" (a/k/a "Delta Breeze"). A word to the wise -- these fans move a lot of air, so make sure to install at least the recommended minimum amount of attic exhaust space (gable vents, soffit vents, roof vents, some combination thereof, whatever works for you) - if you don't have enough, the fan will operate at reduced capacity, and there will be a backpressure which will cause the shutters to rattle when the fan is in operation (any time you hear whole-house fan shutters rattling, you know there isn't enough exhaust space). Oh, and one other thing -- only buy a belt-drive whole-house fan, don't EVER buy a direct-drive model...the direct-drive models are at least five times louder, they sound like standing on an airport runway next to an old prop plane getting ready to take off. Several of the dedicated whole-house fan installing companies have chosen to use Triangle fans; that should tell you something. These companies want satisfied customers, so they use Triangle and only Triangle. Refer to http://www.trianglefans.com/wholehouse.html for more info Here is a link that might be useful: Triangle whole-house fans...See MoreWhole house fan / attic fan combo
Comments (1)Can't help you with your questions but as a 13 year owner of a WHF I tnink maximum capacity (cfm) is an overrated subject. We end up turning out fan down slower because its quieter but also cause we don't need to get ALOT of air exchanges. We crack a few windows like 5 inches and we get excellent air velocity (breeze)....See MoreSuzanne
5 years agoElmer J Fudd
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoSuzanne
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5 years agoLynneO
5 years agoJoanna Cucchi
5 years agoshivece
5 years agoSuzanne
5 years agoEdward Low-Bills
5 years agoopaone
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agobkimble
5 years agoopaone
5 years ago
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