Whole House Fan Blows Away Our A/C Bill.

by dewey302

42K12523

Intro: Whole House Fan Blows Away Our A/C Bill.

In certain climates a whole house fan (WHF) is an effective way to offset the high cost of air conditioning. The theory works particularly well in areas with very hot days and nice cool nights like the Central Valley of California where we happen to live. The WHF is installed in the ceiling and blows upward into the attic to force the hot air accumulated during the day out your roof vents while sucking cool nigh-time air into the house through open doors and windows. In the morning, the fan is turned off and windows and doors are closed up to prevent the cooled interior from warming up.

For many homes, installation of a pre-manufactured WHF is quite simple. Calculate the volume of your home (square feet of floor space times average ceiling height) and use readily available formulas to determine the size of the fan you need. Then cut a properly reinforced hole in your ceiling based upon the size of the fan you are using and mount the unit. You also need to calculate and allow for the proper amount of roof venting. There are many pre-manufactured WHF units which can be found at big box stores and on the internet.

In our case, however, we ran into two snags during the planning phases of the project. While our home has a relatively modest 2,383 square feet of floor space, our ceilings are 10 feet tall rather than the normal eight. As a result, the volume of air we needed to move was larger than most typical homes and beyond the capacity of most lower cost WHFs.

Our second, and larger, problem was that whole house fans are designed to operate in a horizontal position. Unfortunately, due to truss design and a maze of duct work, there was virtually no area in our attic where a “store bought” WHF could be mounted horizontally.

As a result, we ended up designing and building our own vertical WHF. We used a “drum fan” which is made to operate an a vertical position and has the additional benefit of moving large amounts or air at a lower cost than typical whole house fans.

[Note to readers: After publication of this instructable, member g1981c offered some additional information about fan design and effectiveness which can be found in the comments section. Based on those comments, I just (6/12/14) swapped out the original drum fan (which is NOT designed as an exhaust fan) and installed a fan specifically designated as an exhaust fan. The improvement in air movement and cooling is clearly evident. We can run this new fan for half the time we ran the drum fan and draw in more cool night air than we did before. I was also able to find just enough unobstructed flat surface in the attic to get this new fan installed in the horizontal position. This note is just to recommend that readers not only insure that the fan they select is installed in the correctly designed position (vertical or horizontal) but that the fan be designed specifically as an exhaust fan.

Fortunately, our drum fan is being put to good use keeping out breezeway and my workshop cool and usable during the heat of the day.]

STEP 1: Prepping the Fan.

After doing a good bit of comparison shopping on the web we chose the Q Standard 36" belt drive drum fan model #10265. The fan has a 2/3 HP 2-speed motor and delivers 11,200 CFM of air transfer which is more than adequate for our home. We paid $307 (Northern Tool via Amazon) delivered to our door. The cost per cubic foot of air movement is typically much better for drum fans than for whole house fans. Our fan did arrive with a few dents and dings due to poor packaging. But these were easily hammered out and made straight.

To mount this fan vertically and draw air up out of the house a large plenum must be built. This can be constructed of sheet metal or plywood. For our fan we used two 4x8 sheets of 7/16" USB plywood. The first step in constructing the plenum is to remove any wheels, handles or fan guards that might be attached to the drum fan. Then level the fan on a flat, level floor. Note the stack of 2x4's used to get the fan mounting bracket to a vertical position. Also note the closed cell foam under each foot of the fan. The foam is used to help reduce vibration and noise transfer and must be in place during mock up and final assembly to insure the plenum opening will be at the proper height.

STEP 2: Building the Plenum

The front and the back pieces for the plenum are 42" tall by 47 7/8" wide (USB is not quite a full 48" wide). Center the fan against the front USB panel piece and temporarily clamp it in place. Make sure the panel is resting flat against the floor. Scribe a line on the plywood panel around the inside AND outside of the fan casing.

STEP 3:

On the outside line mark each spot where the fan guard screws were attached. There will be a slight indentation for each screw position as show by the arrow in the photo. Make your mark as close to the center of the indentation as you can.

Remove the plywood panel from the fan and extend each of the marks you made and drill a hole half way between the inside and outside line. For my fan the screws required a 5/16" hole.

To cut out the opening for the fan, first drill a pilot hole just to the inside of the inner circle. Then cut out the fan opening using a saber saw or sawzall staying just inside the inner line. The plywood panel should look something like the final photo.

STEP 4:

The screws which came with the fan for mounting the guard screen are not long enough to go through the plywood panel. Substitute proper length screws (I used 1 1/4") and use the original flat washers and lock washers if possible.

Screw the plywood panel to the fan.

STEP 5:

Cut four corner supports from 1x3 pine. These supports will allow you to screw the four sides of USB plywood together. The four corner supports are 41 9/16" which will allow you to install a 7/16" top on the plenum which will then end up flush with the side height.

Cut the side panels from USB and screw the corner supports to the edge of each panel. The side panels for this plenum are 31 7/8" wide x 41 9/16" tall. The width of the panel is determined by the width of your floor opening and the position of your floor joists. So it may vary depending on your situation. The finished plenum should sit directly on top the floor joists.

Set the side and rear panels together and screw pilot holes through the plywood at each corner so that the screw tips will hit near the center of the 1x3 corner support. Cut and screw in place 1x3 supports for the lid of the plenum. You will note that the front 1x3 support can not extend the full width of the plenum since it will interfere a bit with air flow at the top center of the fan. So make the front support in two pieces with enough gap in the center so that the fan is not covered. Also note that the 1x3 pieces are mounted 7/16" below the top edges of the front and rear panel. This will allow the lid to slip down inside the box just far enough to make everything flush on the top.

STEP 6:

The plenum mock up now completed. The unit is disassembled and all the inside surfaces are painted with a couple coats of flat black paint. The paint is necessary to help protect the USB from moisture and will also prevent being able to see the inside of the plenum through the grate once the unit is installed.

STEP 7: The Ceiling Opening.

Cut out the plenum opening in the ceiling. The opening is cut just to the inside of each ceiling joist and the center joist is left in place. Our opening was 32" X 45". The photo shows how the vent opening is framed out on each end with 2x6s (arrows). A small platform of 7/16 USB is constructed in the area where the fan legs will rest. The USB rests on 1x3 cleats which are set 7/16" below the top edge of the floor joists. This allows the top of the USB to remain flush with the top of the floor joists.

STEP 8: Putting the Unit in Place.

Most homes have very limited access to their attic areas. In our case we had to move the fan and disassembled plenum pieces all separately into the space and then assemble them in the attic. The fan unit is BIG, so make sure during your design and construction phases that you will be able to get the unit into position. The fan unit is also relatively heavy. So if you are lifting the unit up though your ceiling opening as we did, make sure you have some strong helpers.

STEP 9: Grill, Cover and Cost.

The electrical wiring is not shown since there are a variety of ways you may want to hook yours up. We routed our wiring down through the ceiling into a closet and then hid our switch in there.   You can turn the fan on and off manually but it is much better to put it on a time so that it can be programmed to come on during the coolest part of the morning when you will probably be fast asleep. We used a nifty timer switch from AutoChron (model #ACRT) that fits right over the top of traditional light switch and wall plate.

The hole to the plenum should be covered with a grate or grill. We used six 16x16 metal grills from Home Depot mounted on a framework of 1x4 pine. During winter months when the fan is not needed, the grill should be covered to prevent hot air from escaping from the living area.   We use a simple panel made of 1" insulation and painted to match the trim of the house.

The total cost for the fan installation was:

    Drum fan           $307
    Plenum materials 33
    Grill sections         67
    Digital timer          30
    Cover                     12

    Total spent          $449

We have been quite pleased with the effectiveness of the WHF.   The Central Valley is typically 90 to 100 degrees during the day throughout the summer months. This past summer, after installing the WHF, we only had to run our A/C on 5 or 6 occasions. Our normal practice was to manually run the house fan for approximately an hour after the sun went down, primarily to blow the accumulation of hot air out of the attic.   Then we programed the timer to turn the unit on from 3:00am to 7:00am while we slept to draw in the cool 50-60 degree temperatures that sweep through the valley at night. Granted, we have learned to tolerate short episodes of temperatures in the high 70's to low 80's during the heat of the day, but we save an estimated $200-$300 a month over what our neighbors are paying for operating their A/Cs.   Whole house fans have become increasingly popular in this area and easily recoup their cost in energy savings and in the value of the home if it is ever sold.

21 Comments

tim321 6 years ago

I note that your final fan choice, CX30BD2SP, is not supposed to be mounted vertically according to the manufacturer. Did you modify it somehow? I'm sure the stock backdraft damper won't work vertically but perhaps a different one could be added. (I don't see a backdraft damper in your system.) At first I thought this would be the only issue with mounting a WHF vertically but at least one manufacturer told me the motor mount is designed to be horizontal. I really need to mount one vertically and would really like to find a solution.

dewey302 6 years ago

Yes, we mounted the new fan horizontally in the ceiling hole we had already made. We had to do a little bit of framing and drywall work because the new fan was a slightly different shape than our old hole. BTW, the CX30BD2SP is still performing great.

NoQuartyr 7 years ago

The main thing is it is giving you your desired results. I'm sorry if I sounded negative. I think it's awesome anytime someone identifies a problem and makes the effort to create a solution. Good job!

NoQuartyr 7 years ago

This is a first. I've seen the roof mounted ones that the lid raises as the fan turns on when a certain degree is reached removing the air from the attic, although; the air throughout the entire house wouldn't get vented. I would think a fan that big, with the opening on your ceiling would be pretty loud. Myself, I just installed a zone cooling system.

robin6061 8 years ago

how about the noise I live in Miami townhouse only have 5ft of attic I pay $450. a month in a 2000 sq ft Ill try anything thank you very much

dewey302 8 years ago

All whole house fans will create noise. Some are worse than others but there is no industry-wide data to compare one to another with any degree of accuracy. Also, fan noise might be a huge distraction to one individual while quite comfortable to another. Location of the fan will also make a difference (too close to bedrooms, too close to tv etc.)

Regarding your location in Miami, my best advice is to consult with as many other WHF owners as possible regarding their experiences. WHF's are not a cure-all for all environments. We happen to have very hot days and fairly cool nights where we live, so the WHF is perfect...turn it on to cool off the house over night then close up the house and shut off the fan during the day. If you have hot/humid nights AND hot/humid days, then I would be less optimistic about the effectiveness of a WHF. Fortunately, a WHF is far less expensive than many other alternatives, such as A/C, so you can install one without risking a fortune.

CharlieM10 8 years ago

I'm wondering what the model you settled on was? I'm considering a similar project for my attic, but wanted to see if you had the model of the exhaust specific fan. Thanks!

dewey302 8 years ago

I bought the Cool Attic CX30BD2SP (30", belt drive, two speed). It was $384 on Amazon with free shipping. You might have sales tax depending on your location. The fan has been great. We installed a timer which automatically turns it on from 4-7 in the morning. If it gets hot enough during the day, we also turn it on manually for about an hour in the late evening (when outside temps drop under inside temps) for about an hour to blow out the hot air in the attic and to draw in some cooler evening air for sleeping. We live in the central valley of CA and have only had to run our A/C on just three days this summer (May-July) and will probably need it a couple more days here in Aug and Sept. Other than that the whole house fan does it all to keep us comfortable.

CheckyCPSO 9 years ago

What size fan is that? I was looking at some fans that were 24in, but that doesn't seem big enough. Great idea!!

walter g 9 years ago

Some of the newer style of whole house fans are extremely quiet and do not require any framing. We recently purchased a ducted whole house fan from Centric Air and hired an electrician to install it. It took him a couple of hours to do the job but after he was done he said it was the easiest whole house fan he ever installed. We often sleep with our whole house fan on; it's so quiet you can barely hear it.

walter g 9 years ago

g1981c 10 years ago

what you may have not realized is that blower fans are not designed to work against a pressure gradient - they are designed to work in zero static pressure environment. using a blower fan as an exhaust fan is like using a sports car to tow a boat - a sports car may have more horsepower than a diesel pickup - that doesn't mean it will tow better, because it has lower torque and different transmission gearing. as such, your CFM / dollar calculations are somewhat meaningless because once the blower is placed in an exhaust fan application its CFM will plummet. it would be wiser IMO to use tools for their intended application and not to try and be smarter than engineers who designed them. i like your project overall - more fresh air, less electrical bills - but the choice of fan for the job i disagree with.

dewey302 9 years ago

To Follow Up: Based on the observations of g1981c I ordered a fan specifically designated as an exhaust fan and just this week swapped it for the drum fan shown in this instructable. I don't understand the physics of intake vs. exhaust fans nearly as well as g1981c but I can report that the dedicated exhaust fan does create a notable increase in the amount of air it moves through the house and the overall cooling effectiveness. I would therefore agree with g1981c's comments and recommend that readers not only insure the fan you buy is intended for either the vertical or horizontal position but that it be designed specifically as an exhaust fan. We are even happier now with our WHF thanks to g1981c.

thatotherguy1 9 years ago

How did you know that the fan couldn't be upright? Some drum fans have that position as an option?
Great idea and work and instructions!!!

dewey302 9 years ago

Sorry if my introduction wasn't clear. The drum fan IS built to operate in the upright (vertical) position. And most whole house fans are manufactured to operated in the horizontal position. This is why I chose the drum fan. To determine if any particular fan can be operated in the horizontal or vertical position you can usually find that information in the product description on line, by bringing up the installation manual on line (if available) or by emailing the manufacturer or supplier.

One note of caution. As another individual posted here a few weeks ago, fans are ALSO rated as intake fans and exhaust fans. The drum fan I used is, unfortunately, not rated as an exhaust fan. Therefore it is less effective and not as efficient when used in this manner. I'm no engineer so I can't tell you the design differences. But just this week I did swap out the drum fan for a fan specifically designed as an exhaust fan and the resulting improvement in air movement is quite noticeable. So folks should not only insure fan choice is designed for the position you want to install it (vertical or horizontal) but also for its use (intake or exhaust).

dewey302 10 years ago

Not sure my response to g1981c posted up correctly...so I'll try it again. Hopefully it doesn't appear twice now.

Looks like I need to go fan shopping. Fortunately, I was thinking about buying the identical fan I used in this project to cool my shop, which has no A/C. Based on g1981c's comments, I think I'll swap out the drum fan and move that out to the shop and then purchase a new dedicated exhaust fan that will work in the vertical position and mount it to the existing plenum.

Thanks for the info and education.

Dewey

KCSCAMP 10 years ago

I grew up in OH using an "attic fan"....and I just loved it...plus it was in my bedroom ceiling...
I went to sleep listening to the sounds.
I had a super little room with 2 doorways..I would shut one and get twice the air....YUM!
After I moved out my Dad added a fan at the end of the house too...so they had 2 attic fans...
I miss them....

Living in TX these past 31 years sure would have had a use for them!

damianzuch 10 years ago

Hi Dewey, I bought a big drum fan years ago to help cool our shop down during the hotter summer days but we had a heat wave last summer and ended up taking it to the house and placing it at the foot of the bed at night. It almost takes the sheets off. I really like this system you have!

wallys-whacky-wheezes-www 10 years ago

Hi, good one. have you considered increasing the thermal capacity? How's about epoxying ally soda cans end to nd