07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Anyone have one of these? A buddy of mine recommended them to me after I was complaining of the heat that my house holds during the summertime. Here in NorCal, the outside temp reaches a good 105 during the day (summer months), but cools down nicely at night (50's - 70s). I can't stand running the A/C past, lets say 2130, because I feel like I'm wasting serious coin, when it's so cool out. So anyway, I looked into them and long story short, I'm getting one installed next Thursday, and I'm pretty excited. I was curious if anyone currently has one, and what their thoughts where on them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Team Adam's Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I've heard about them but never really pursued them. Our house holds some serious heat in the summer evenings. Drives me nuts because the air runs constantly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 I've heard about them but never really pursued them. Our house holds some serious heat in the summer evenings. Drives me nuts because the air runs constantly. Nick, check them out through Google or youtube if you get the chance. Supposedly the one I'm getting is a 6 blade, ultra quiet fan and runs on .65 a day, and costs less to operate than a coffee maker. It can evacuate my house (2850 sq ft) of all heat in all area's of the house, including the attic in about a half hour. If left on at night, provides a steady breeze throughout the house. I "should" be looking at a slash of about $150 a month is my guess, especially if I work the thermostat correctly:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savi01 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I have one installed in my house. We don't use it much, but it's actually pretty neat. Only downside is it's noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueGenCoupe Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Do you have a central A/c unit? By you shutting it down every night at 2130, when you kick it on the next day it will run for a long period of time which will cost you the same amount if not more than keeping it running throughout the night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 I have one installed in my house. We don't use it much, but it's actually pretty neat. Only downside is it's noise. Is it an older one? I hear the older ones can be pretty loud. They claim that this one can be running on high, and you should be able to sleep without issue, and even hold a normal conversation under the unit. We shall see. Do you have a central A/c unit? By you shutting it down every night at 2130, when you kick it on the next day it will run for a long period of time which will cost you the same amount if not more than keeping it running throughout the night. Yes I have one. Roger that, I understand that...I don't shut it down at night, that's my issue. It's trying to cool the warm house, all while it's 60 degree's out. The theory is to evacuate all the heat in the house, instead of cooling the already warm air in the house. With the Whole House fan, a 15 - 30 minute run of the fan at ~2130, the A/C will not have to run until at least 1730 the next day give or take the temperature out. Me and my wife both work, so no one is home during the day. The plan is to only have the A/C run for no more than an hour a day during the summer...taking out all nighttime and morning activation:thumbsup: It should pay for itself by the end of summer. BTW, the settings on the thermostat run cycles are whatever the energy star recommended settings are in the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Dylan has one, and will hopefully be helping me install mine in a few weeks here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savi01 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 It was installed when the house was built in 2006. Not super loud but still noticeable upstairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Dylan has one, and will hopefully be helping me install mine in a few weeks here Hmmm, so apparently he is happy with it. I'd like to hear his pro's and con's. Apparently they are good enough for you to decide to one. I'm hearing through the dealer out here that there will soon be a tax write-off in the works if you own one. IDK, but that would be cool. P,G&E already gives you $100 rebate if you get one. I'm getting a 36", 6 blade, steel blade type where the electric motor is cooled by the moving air. Comes with a 10 year warrantee. It was installed when the house was built in 2006. Not super loud but still noticeable upstairs. Hmmm, that's relatively new. Hopefully, mine will be quiet, or they can take it out, haha. Thanks for the info man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 My stepmom lives in southern Utah and has one. I have only seen it action only one time. It worked, but was noisy. Like everything else technology gets better over time and hopefully yours is quiet. I have severe allergies and windows open at night kill me. Typically my house stays at a constant 70 during the day and the A/C unit will only work at night when it is mid summer and hot outside. Otherwise it is doesn't come on at night. If your getting that much of a difference between day and night temps outside it may be of benefit to you. Are they going to have to cut additional vents in your roof to accommodate your new fan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 My stepmom lives in southern Utah and has one. I have only seen it action only one time. It worked, but was noisy. Like everything else technology gets better over time and hopefully yours is quiet. I'm really hoping so:lol: I have severe allergies and windows open at night kill me. I thought of this too, luckily no one in the family currently has allergies. Typically my house stays at a constant 70 during the day and the A/C unit will only work at night when it is mid summer and hot outside. Otherwise it is doesn't come on at night. If your getting that much of a difference between day and night temps outside it may be of benefit to you. That's what I was thinking, these seem like they'll be good for desert like climates where it cools substantially at night. Are they going to have to cut additional vents in your roof to accommodate your new fan? The guy that came out to survey the attic said it was going to be close, because they push such serious volume. I have 6 vents up there now, and some are the small circular type with the screen. He said the larger one's work better, so I may have a DIY project coming up if I need to open it up a little.[/QUOTE] Answered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveVY Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Don't have one of these now that I live in Florida, but my parents had one when I was growing up in Cincinnati (25-30 years ago). For a good part of the warmer months it worked well, we would open the windows in the house in the evening and the house would cool off in minutes, pulling the now cooler air in from outside. We would leave the windows open until morning then shut all the windows trapping the cool air inside. The house would stay comfortable until the afternoon. The only down side to it was the work involved with running around opening/closing windows and the noise level of the fan. I would assume the fans have gotten a quieter with the changes in materials over the years. Congrats on being able to do this! If the evenings were cool enough here in Florida I would do this again in a heartbeat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matts88yj Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 My parents have one in their house. When I helped him put a roof on the house in July (AKA HOT!) we put Ridge Vent along the entire length of the peak of the roof. This let a fair bit of heat out that builds up during the summer time. With the whole house fan on, you can really feel the air being pushed out a good bit out of the entire opening. The fan that they have is older than me and I'm going to be 27 in August. Yeah it's a bit on the noisy side but it really does pull in some air. Now on another note, the only AC we had in the house previous to this year was a big in wall unit on the west side of the house. It would cool the house but with the bedrooms being on the east side of the house, it would get a bit toasty on that side still during the entire night. That in wall unit was loud and you could hear it everywhere inside the house. With all of that being said (see my pattern here?) my dad decided that it would be best to invest in a central air system. We just had the system checked to make sure it was operating properly and all the levels are where they should be at and had it set to 62 for about 10 minutes for a test of the system. Now some windows were still open during this time but you could feel all of the humidity basically being pushed right out of the air and what felt like an Arctic cold front coming from every register. Also, it is whisper quiet, gives a nice even distribution of cool air throughout the house and is so efficient it's not even funny. While it has been getting warmer out I know they will soon turn the system on for an extended period of time. It's the first time I've seen my parents actually be excited they had to stay inside during the warmer days. We are pretty much outdoors people but when that system kicked on and pumped out that glorious cool air, it was such a great feeling. All in all whole house fans have their place, but, if it's humid out, gets foggy or anything else like that overnight, you're going to be pulling all of that in as well. Nothing like waking up and everything is sticky because the humidity went from 30% to 90% with a dew point in the 70's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I've been in a home with one and all I remember was NOISY. No doubt they'll save you some cash though. Problem here is our humidity... We get down into the 70's at night but the humidity in the summer is unbearable. I HATE sleeping in humidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I've been in a home with one and all I remember was NOISY. No doubt they'll save you some cash though. Problem here is our humidity... We get down into the 70's at night but the humidity in the summer is unbearable. I HATE sleeping in humidity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savi01 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 BTW, if you're looking to save a bit more $ with PG&E, are you in their SmartAC program? We had that control thing installed and they gave us a good discount each month since, and they do have a couple other programs, one for example they'll send a crew out to change a few light bulbs, install new weather stripping and such and you get even more of a discount. PG&E is pretty cool about those things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 My parents have powered attic fans to forceably remove the heat from the attic. They work off a thermostat and work well, but they fail every 4-5 of years. You can also hear them running when upstairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDuff Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I installed one in my house years ago and I also have AC. When it gets really hot and muggy during the dead of summer the AC stays on. I love the fan especially early spring and fall. My noise only comes from rattling louvers and the rush of cool air! It makes my wifes shears over the windows stand straight out as it brings in outside air on high. I love the fan and am really glad I installed it. It is like anything else in the convenience world, there is a time and place for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Don't have one of these now that I live in Florida, but my parents had one when I was growing up in Cincinnati (25-30 years ago). For a good part of the warmer months it worked well, we would open the windows in the house in the evening and the house would cool off in minutes, pulling the now cooler air in from outside. We would leave the windows open until morning then shut all the windows trapping the cool air inside. The house would stay comfortable until the afternoon. The only down side to it was the work involved with running around opening/closing windows and the noise level of the fan. I would assume the fans have gotten a quieter with the changes in materials over the years. Congrats on being able to do this! If the evenings were cool enough here in Florida I would do this again in a heartbeat! I was wondering that too about all the windows, so asked the guy how many windows had to be open. He said that 3 or 4 on the second floor at night is sufficient...I hope that is the case. I don't want to run all over the place doing exactly what you described:2thumbs: My parents have one in their house. When I helped him put a roof on the house in July (AKA HOT!) we put Ridge Vent along the entire length of the peak of the roof. This let a fair bit of heat out that builds up during the summer time. With the whole house fan on, you can really feel the air being pushed out a good bit out of the entire opening. The fan that they have is older than me and I'm going to be 27 in August. Yeah it's a bit on the noisy side but it really does pull in some air. Now on another note, the only AC we had in the house previous to this year was a big in wall unit on the west side of the house. It would cool the house but with the bedrooms being on the east side of the house, it would get a bit toasty on that side still during the entire night. That in wall unit was loud and you could hear it everywhere inside the house. With all of that being said (see my pattern here?) my dad decided that it would be best to invest in a central air system. We just had the system checked to make sure it was operating properly and all the levels are where they should be at and had it set to 62 for about 10 minutes for a test of the system. Now some windows were still open during this time but you could feel all of the humidity basically being pushed right out of the air and what felt like an Arctic cold front coming from every register. Also, it is whisper quiet, gives a nice even distribution of cool air throughout the house and is so efficient it's not even funny. While it has been getting warmer out I know they will soon turn the system on for an extended period of time. It's the first time I've seen my parents actually be excited they had to stay inside during the warmer days. We are pretty much outdoors people but when that system kicked on and pumped out that glorious cool air, it was such a great feeling. All in all whole house fans have their place, but, if it's humid out, gets foggy or anything else like that overnight, you're going to be pulling all of that in as well. Nothing like waking up and everything is sticky because the humidity went from 30% to 90% with a dew point in the 70's! I hear ya man, and thanks for the reply. The good thing about NorCal...the humidity is never a factor, well at least to anyone in our family. It's never really that oppressive like in the South where you can cut it with a knife! I've been in a home with one and all I remember was NOISY. No doubt they'll save you some cash though. Problem here is our humidity... We get down into the 70's at night but the humidity in the summer is unbearable. I HATE sleeping in humidity. Yeah, I hate the humidity also. When I go to the desert and tell people it's 120 degrees out that ask how do you live with it? To me, it's not nearly as bad as 90 degrees and drenching wet from the humidity. That just makes it uncomfortable. Luckily, we are good here on humidity, really never a factor in NorCal. It's really dry. BTW, if you're looking to save a bit more $ with PG&E, are you in their SmartAC program? We had that control thing installed and they gave us a good discount each month since, and they do have a couple other programs, one for example they'll send a crew out to change a few light bulbs, install new weather stripping and such and you get even more of a discount. PG&E is pretty cool about those things. Thanks for the tips. I try and save money whenever I can, who doesn't. I went to their website, and pretty much did everything I could that they suggested. I know dudes with $500 and $600 electric/gas bills, and it makes me sick. If I wasn't in the AF and I knew I was staying here, I would invest in the solar panels, without a doubt. It's federally mandated that the electric companies buy back whatever power you don't use, so you'd actually be getting a check from them instead of paying a bill. I also read online, you can get smaller solar panels specifically designed just to run you're A/C unit. That seems like a "cool" option. My parents have powered attic fans to forceably remove the heat from the attic. They work off a thermostat and work well, but they fail every 4-5 of years. You can also hear them running when upstairs. Yep, same theory. The reason why they fail is that the attic, in essence, is the hottest place on earth. They average around 150 - 160 degrees, and heat is the enemy of A/C motors. Since the attic is so warm, and it's not drawing in any cool air from the house, it's not cooling the motors. I installed one in my house years ago and I also have AC. When it gets really hot and muggy during the dead of summer the AC stays on. I love the fan especially early spring and fall. My noise only comes from rattling louvers and the rush of cool air! It makes my wifes shears over the windows stand straight out as it brings in outside air on high. I love the fan and am really glad I installed it. It is like anything else in the convenience world, there is a time and place for it. Supposedly, they fixed the louver issue is what the guy told me. We shall see. But your right, there's a time and a place for everything. Thanks for the reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
savi01 Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Well if solar panels do become an option for you, let me know. My cousin had some installed on his home in Rancho Cordova, and he can get you a pretty good discount I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Well if solar panels do become an option for you, let me know. My cousin had some installed on his home in Rancho Cordova, and he can get you a pretty good discount I believe. I will man, thanks:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDude Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 I use to not run the fan (furnace) 24/7 but now I run the fan in the ON position 24/7. My electrical bill decreased by 8 kilowatt hours a day (240 hours a month). This is with a variable speed motor on the air handler. This help keeps hot and cold spots in the house. The last that it normally comes on is around 2200 and will not normally come back on until around 1500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark L Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 I have one and it's a godsend! I'm in Stockton, and it gets very hot here during the summer too, especially those 100*+ days. They cool the house so well, I cannot think of living without one now. I run mine when it hits 75* or less, otherwise you're just circulating hot air and it defeats the purpose. As Ferris Bueller would say: "If you have the means, I highly recommend one" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07RS4 Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 I have one and it's a godsend! I'm in Stockton, and it gets very hot here during the summer too, especially those 100*+ days. They cool the house so well, I cannot think of living without one now. I run mine when it hits 75* or less, otherwise you're just circulating hot air and it defeats the purpose. As Ferris Bueller would say: "If you have the means, I highly recommend one" I'm right up the road from you man in Olivehurst. They are coming to install it on Thursday. The wording you used is exactly what the guy told me...once you have one, you will never live with out one again. Given this climate, I can only imagine this to be true:banana: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 My parents have powered attic fans to forceably remove the heat from the attic. They work off a thermostat and work well, but they fail every 4-5 of years. You can also hear them running when upstairs. I had one of those in the only gable I have on my house. When I did the framing I blocked a lot of air flow due to framing. I eventually went back and cut the excess out to increase air flow and the vent never comes on anymore. For your attic to vent properly you should have adequate soffit venting as well as proper roof top venting. Whether it be a ridge cap vent or turtlebacks. There are others out there, but these are the common ones from what I have noticed. A lot of times people will clog the soffit vents when installing insulation and block the necessary air flow. Ideally insulation baffles should be used to prevent this blockage, and maintain air flow. I use to not run the fan (furnace) 24/7 but now I run the fan in the ON position 24/7. . This is what I do as well and it helps a lot. It is quiet enough to where you don't even hear it running. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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