Gas and oil prices are skyrocketing! As I write this, gas is over three dollars per gallon at the pumps here in California. What next? We can all expect to see rising electricity rates from our utility providers this upcoming summer, it is inevitable. What does this mean to the average homeowner running their air conditioning units? Higher utility bills over the summer months. How can one reduce, if not eliminate these higher air conditioning costs? The answer is a whole house fan. A whole house fan is not air conditioning; it does not cool the air. Rather a whole house fan, can be very effective at cooling your home when outside air temperatures are cooler than the temperatures inside your home. Like during evening and early morning hours. A whole house fan works by bringing cooler outside air into your home. A whole house fan is installed in your attic, mounted onto the ceiling. A small hole is cut into the ceiling and a grill is placed over the hole from inside your living area (it looks like an air conditioning return grill). When turned on the whole house fan creates a negative pressure in your living area, opening windows will cause the cooler outside air to flow into your home, cooling your living area. But thats not all. Once the air flows through your home, the whole house fan pulls the air into your attic, also cooling your attic area. This constant flow of air removes the stored heat that has built up during the hot day in the attic. The warmer air is pushed out of the attic passive roof and attic vents. Homeowner savings can be quite significant depending on usage, from total elimination of their air conditioning, to 30% plus savings off their summer utility bills. Utility companies in California recognize these benefits, and have been offering rebates directly to homeowners who install a whole house fan in their homes. All whole house fans are not created equally. Tamarack whole house fans continue to revolutionize the whole house fan industry. These fans are designed to fit into standard 16 or 24 on center attic joists, are easy to install, require no maintenance, quiet and insulated. When not in use, an air-tight seal is formed between the attic and living area with a minimum insulation value of R-22. All homeowners interested in saving money this summer can learn more about whole house fans by visiting www.wholehousefan.com |
