The following are the most Frequently Asked Questions, however, we would love to hear from you to answer your questions in depth. Use our Contact Form or give us a call to find out more! 408-377-4WHF
A Whole House Fan (WHF) is a home improvement appliance used to cool and ventilate your home. It is suspended in the attic pulling air through a grille in your ceiling exchanging the air 12-15 times an hour with fresh outdoor air. WHF’s are not a new concept and have been around for many, many years. Go to our How it Works Page to learn more!
WHF’s bring outside air into your home to cool it while flushing out the warm stale air and ventilating the house at the same time. AC takes the existing inside air and keeps recirculating it and cooling it slightly each time.
YES! The WHF should be used when the outside air temperature is cooler than the inside temperature. The AC is used when the reverse is true. Normally, the whole house fan would be used in the evening, night and early morning hours, and the air conditioner during the heat of the day. Although you will find that using your WHF every day it never accumulates heat as it did before and the need for AC becomes just a hand full of the hottest days of the year. Check out our Benefits Page to find out about the savings!
You do not need to open every window in your home. You can selectively open particular windows to direct the flow of cool air to specific rooms or areas in your home. The amount of windows opened should at a minimum be equal to the amount of Net Free Area Venting (NFA) required for each fan.
WHF’s are rated based on the volume of air that they can move. This is measured in Cubic Feet of air per Minute (CFM). In order to be sized correctly for maximum effectiveness, a whole house fans CFM rating should be 2 to 3 times the square footage of the home.
Yes! WHF’s will cool your entire home from the living space to your attic. Attic fans ventilate only the attic during the heat of the day when your WHF is not operating.
Generally only if it is cooler outside. However, you can run the WHF in Fall or Spring to create a comfortable breeze in your home during the day. Sometimes in the Winter it may be warmer on the most sun exposed side of the house than it is inside and you can take advantage of a natural heat source by using your WHF to take off the chill. Generally they can be used year round to exhaust cooking odors, improve IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) and protect against Covid-19. See our Benefits Page to learn more!
You can expect an instant cooling effect however every home is different and the greatest cooling benefit will occur when temperatures are cooler outside than inside. Depending on the speed setting it can be anywhere from 5-15 minutes. In fact, we recommend running your WHF on low during the night to really cool the thermal mass of your home so that it will stay cooler longer during the day.
We recommend installing your WHF in a centrally located area, such as the hallway. Our Expert Estimator will evaluate the specifics of your home for the best location based on your home/attic design. For larger homes we can install a “Zoned System” use our Contact Form to make an appointment today!
You need to follow one simple formula: Choose a single fan in a central location or a combination of fans creating a zoned system that have a total air flow to circulate at least 2 Cubic Feet of Air (CFM) per Minute per 1 Square Foot of Living Space. You can use our CFM Calculator to determine what your home needs. Ask about the Zoned Air Pathways to learn how to dial in your comfort even more!
Many people confuse a WHF with Attic fans but the two accomplish different goals. Attic fans cool only your attic space helping to alleviate the heat trapped during the day. When used in conjunction they offer the best ventilation and cooling combination for your home.
You only need to clean the QuietCool core-cubed grille now & then as it will collect dust over time, this frequency depends on conditions such as pet, cooking, oils, etc. To clean you can use a vacuum with bristle brush to clean the grille in place. If it requires deeper cleaning simply use the provided tool to carefully pull down the grille to detach it then hose it off outside.
We install the fan in a direction aiming toward the center of the attic with consideration for noise and airflow. The fan will be mounted in a level angle to eliminate or lessen the disturbance of blown insulation. Often we notice that vents are clogged or blocked by insulation; our all inclusive services can address this issue as well.
In order for the system to work properly, you will need the required Net Free Area Venting (NFA). Proper attic ventilation is determined by total airflow CFM divided by 750. This will give you the minimum amount of net free venting required. You can use our CFM Calculator to determine what your home needs. The more Ventilation, the better your home will breathe!
QuietCool Fans have a 15 year warranty Please see the following QuietCool Warranty Information.
We can offer installations in a range of Good, Better & Best depending on your ventilation/cfm needs and your personal budget. We will always recommend the best CFM to Square Foot ratio to give you the best cooling experience for your size home. Contact Us for prices and packages.
We offer a full 1 year workmanship warranty on the effectiveness of the installation only. If you have an issue with the product after installation related to it’s manufacturing this will be addressed by the manufacturers warranty. However being a Platinum Dealer we will be able to provide you quality service in working with QuietCool on your behalf.
Covid-19! WHF’s are extremely effective at exhausting and exchanging the air in your home 12-15 times per hour providing fresh, clean air to breathe, piece of mind and confidence in improving your IAQ (Indoor Air Quality). Click here to go to our Benefits Page to learn what the Experts are saying about WHF’s!
YES! All WHF’s are listed in the CEC Directory and meet California Title 24 requirements. Click for more information
Unfortunately, the answer at this time Is no. However QuietCool is always innovating and manufacturing new products all of the time so continue to check back in to inquire about upgrading capabilities.
Many utility providers offer rebates for energy efficient appliances. Contact your energy provider today to ask. If they do not include WHF’s, ask for them to do so!
You can purchase the Consumer grade models for your home at the local big-box store if you are a confident DIYer, but when working directly with a Platinum Dealer such as us not only do you get top tier products at our Dealer rates, you also get an expert installation with all of our hard learned trade secrets and professional customer support for your all inclusive WHF experience!
Call to speak to one of our Service Representatives to get more answers! 408-377-4WHF
It is our Mission to educate the greater public about Whole House Fans and by doing so making “WHF” a household acronym.