Anyone Have A whole House Fan?

[PurplePoison]

With the weather in the triple digits this past week in Lake Elsinore and my wife runnin the air conditioner ALL DAY I was reminded of our $500-800 month electricity bills from last summer. I recently got a flier in the mail from a company claiming that with a whole house fan you can cut your electricity bill in half. My question to anyone with a W.H.F. is this:
Are you happy with its ability to cool your home?
What brand do you own?
What is the typical $$ savings experienced last summer?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[yopengo]

Click http://www.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154640

[andy01]

I live 5 miles or so from the beach. I don't have A/C, I have a well insulated atic, a atic fan and a whole house fan. I use the house fan at night and in the morning. If pulls the cooler air in and pushes the hot air in the atic where the atic fan pushes it out of the atic. I like it, A/C would be nice on those realy hot days/nights but I leave my house totally closed up after 8am or so and it will stay cool till around 4-5 depending on how hot it is outside. Then re-open the house around 7pm and turn the whole house fan on, 30 minutes or so and it is cooled off like outside. It also works great if you cook something that smells bad or fart a lot and stink the house up, it can work like a whole house fart fan.
Andy

[Riverkid]

I'm just up the road from you. I put one in 5 years ago. We use it all the time. Great in Morn and evenings, but won't do much when it's 100 outside during the day....

[HM]

I am up in Canyon Lake and just installed one about 1 month ago. I love it. We turn it on as soon as the outside gets to about 75 and run it until about 11PM. Turn it back on at about 6AM for a couple hours, then close up the house. I am ALL electric up here, so our basic electric bill is about $300. The wife doesn't mind the heat as much, so she sets the thermostat on the AC at 85. AC hasn't kicked on for her yet. On the weekend, I drop the AC down to 80, and it only has to kick on a little bit.
I had one in my last house just down the street in Menifee, and later in the summer, we end up turning the thing on around 11 PM and run it all night. Our electric bill was 1/3 of everyone around us.

[prop check]

I am in Murrieta and I installed it about six years back and we love it I have honestly never seen a energy bill over 270.00 I installed the 130.00 36 inch two speed from home depot. AND THEN..... mailed the reciept to Edison and got 130.00 energy saver refund. I installed it my self ( EASY three hours) It is a winning deal out here. P.S. check edisons web site for rebates and deals on this kind of stuff.

[prkr247]

My uncle has one and they work great until it gets into triple digits...

[david_396]

Are you happy with its ability to cool your home?
What brand do you own?
What is the typical $$ savings experienced last summer?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
__________________
love mine although they do draw in quite a bit of dirt. When the mosquitoes come out and someone opens a door , in they come being pulled in with the incoming air. Mine is a 2 speed 36" belt driven unit (quiter then direct drive). I put mine on a wall timer. I only run mine on low speed. Need to have lots of windows open to lessen air speed thru just a couple of windows and and quite a bit of attic vents to allow the air to vent out of the attic. I think I'm supposed to have 10 square feet of attic venting, I have felt air coming though some outlets and wall switches in the past because of lack of venting. I usually leave my garage ladder down to allow the air to vent into the garage. not sure on the savings but have used blankets in the summer when the air outside is cool.
Check with your utility co. they may have a rebate for on the purchaxe of a fan. SCE has a $100 DOLLAR rebate. PGE? I'm currently looking at a evap cooler. as long as the temp is below 95 they work quit well. Also i was thinking of using the cooler as a air filter for the whole house fan. the pads will trap the dirt?? PM me if ya need more info. david

[talkinghead]

I installed an attic fan in at a cost of ~$50.
IMO if it's not 72 degrees or less outside a whole house fan is not that useful.
I have found that an attic fan, in particular for ~ $50, works very well.
You could install an attic fan and then buy a window based whole house fan(s) (made by air king I think) and that should work well.

[BrianB]

You heard it from two know it all high posters.RK and HM are right,these things work great. My AC didn't turn on until 1pm today.
Pick a location,measure the joist and get the biggest fan possible.
Good luck

[FREIND OF AA AND TA]

I am on my 3rd day! Get one! I have a breeze going through right now that is awesome. I bought it a Depot and it came with a $100 Edison coupon that was good at the register. I paid $84 for it. My air ran about 1/2 hour last night instead of 5 hours! WOW!!

[J540]

With the weather in the triple digits this past week in Lake Elsinore and my wife runnin the air conditioner ALL DAY I was reminded of our $500-800 month electricity bills from last summer. I recently got a flier in the mail from a company claiming that with a whole house fan you can cut your electricity bill in half. My question to anyone with a W.H.F. is this:
Are you happy with its ability to cool your home?
What brand do you own?
What is the typical $$ savings experienced last summer?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I have one from Homedepot, Two fan self opening 3 speed deal w/remote. UUMMM its still in the box,:)
They work great both neighbors have them, I just haven't had the time to put it in + we are trying to move any way.
But If you want to try something, Goto Depot and get one of thous $20.00 square box fans and put it in your opening to the attic blowing into the attic.
This has nowhere near the CFM but you will see just that little stupid fan works and you will go get a real one.
I turn the misters on (westfaceing back porch) for the dog and open the sliding door 2" and tried it. It works couldn't believe it so went out and got one just haven't put it in yet. And I live in Palmdale its a dryer heat:) :) lol.

[Debbolas]

Our house was built in the late 70's and it has a whole house fan. It works great:D In fact, if you don't open a couple windows and turn it on, it will suck the ashes out of the fireplace:jawdrop:
We turn it on in the afternoon to suck the cool evening air into the house.
:D

[Wheeler]

I use swamp coolers and power them with solar, it never got over 85 deg. in the house last year, hottest day was 122 deg. The pay down on the solar might take some time, but I do not have access to public utilities.