Whole house fans are a low-cost and easy way to benefit a home from cooling to venting stale, tired air.
Since an attic can become very hot in the summer blowing the hot air out can be of benefit to cool the entire home.
What Is a Whole House Attic Fan?
A whole house attic fan circulates air from the attic and, in some cases, the house.
An attic can become very hot during the summer, which can make cooling the interior of the home harder.
Attaching a fan to the attic that pulls out old hot air and brings in outside cooler air can help to cool the interior space.
One thing to note is that whole house fans and attic fans are classified separately.
The difference between the two is that a whole house fan pulls air out of the interior of a home, while an attic fan pulls air out of the attic only.
Both have their benefits, with most people choosing a whole house fan.
After an attic fan pulls hot air out of an attic, the interior of a home will, in theory, be easier to cool.
While a whole house fan, after pulling air from the interior of a home, can cool the whole house and freshen the air. They also can vent through the attic doing the same job an attic fan does.
So let’s take a look at popular whole-house fans and attic fans.
There are many units available, with some of our favorite picks below.
As always, be sure to read the reviews on Amazon, forums, or elsewhere to be sure a unit is a good fit for you.
*This post contains affiliate links.
Our Picks for the Best Whole House Attic Fans
- Air Vent Inc. 24″ Whole House Fan 54301
- AirKing 9166
- Cool Attic CX24BDM-2SPD
- Cool Attic CX1500UPS
This is a 24-inch whole house fan that can move 4500 cubic feet of air a minute.
It is a good unit for the DIY type of person.
This is a whole house fan that is meant to be fitted in a window. This makes it easy installation with no major home modifications.
It has a 3-speed 1/6 HP 120 Volt motor. It can also reverse direction pulling air in or out. This is a good unit for someone who is looking for an easy setup.
Another good house fan is this unit can move 4,500 cubic feet of air a minute. Belt-driven models such as this are known to be much quieter than direct-drive models.
Belt-driven units can remove roughly 75% of the vibration that is inherent in all fans. In comparison, the direct drive is nosier by comparison because of the vibration.
This is a good attic fan that will blow hot air out of an attic.
It can move 1,300 cubic feet of air a minute and is rated for 1,850 square feet of space. It does come in larger sizes if more air needs to be moved.