Summer is coming. While it’s a great time to get your tan on and enjoy a bit of well-earned leisure time it is also a very HOT time. Air conditioning can make things more manageable but what about the bills? Your electric bill often soars through the roof! What if there was a way to keep that bill down a little? In this article we are going to talk about the benefits of a whole house window fan for keeping cool in the summer without breaking the bank. We’ll give you a few tips and examples and before you know it you’ll be maximizing your home coolness efficiency while saving a bit on electric at the same time.
The humidity factor
What many do not realize is that cooling the air is not the only factor in setting up a cool, comfortable space. You also have to consider the humidity. You see, your body already has a cooling mechanism in place and it’s called sweating. When you sweat, beads of perspiration evaporate, drawing the heat away from you, and it turns out that this is a very efficient way of cooling you. Moisture in the air can hinder this process. This is one of the biggest reasons why just having a fan isn’t sufficient for keeping you comfortable… you have to know what to do with it and you need to take care of some other issues in the house.
Strategies for cooling
Having one or more whole house window fans can really make a difference but there are many factors you need to consider. Some things you can do around the house are as follows:
- Sunlight – Sunlight coming inside the house definitely raises the temperature. Utilize some heavy curtains to curtail the effect and it will be easier to cool the house. This only needs to be done in the areas directly facing the sun; you can keep the others open so that you still have some nice light in the house.
- Take advantage of architecture – A good example of this is cupolas. Cupolas were originally designed to help to vent off excess heat and generally get turned into attics once central air is introduced into an older home. Clearing the blocked up spaces in the attic or any blocked vents can help to re-introduce this cooling feature into your home.
- Face a fan outward – If it is cooler outside then it is inside then by placing a window fan to blow outward you can draw the hot air outside to be replaced by cooler air inside. If you live in a 2 story home then this is where you will want to concentrate your window fans for best effect.
- Create a cross-breeze – Fans don’t so much cool the air as they set it in motion. You can take advantage of this by creating a cross-breeze. With
“You can take advantage of this by creating a cross-breeze.”
- one window fan pulling out the hot air you can place another nearby that blows the cooler air on you at the same time.
- Time your AC use – By combining your AC with your window fans you can cool a house more quickly and maintain a certain level of comfort to switching to the fans once the house is cool and comfortable. This is very useful for sleepy-time when you don’t want the air conditioner running all not and eating tons of power.
How do you pick out a good window fan?
When it comes to selecting a good window fan the things that you want to keep in mind are power consumption, number of fans, and features. We’ve collected a few to give you a good example of what you can obtain in order to maximize the coolness in your home.
Genesis Twin Window Fan with 9 Inch Blades
Our first entry is a nice one. The Genesis Twin Window fan features two fans with 9” blades as well as an LED indicator that helps you to gauge the temperature between 60 and 80 degrees at a glance. The Genesis has solid construction, sporting copper motors that will withstand good weather days and bad ones. Extending panels help to ensure a snug fit in your window and a reversible setting means that you can have the fan blow air on you directly or use it to pull the hot air out. At $44.40 you can place a few around the house and you’ll definitely notice the difference.
Nature’s Cooling Solutions Eco Breeze Smart Window Fan
This fan takes a lot of the work out of deciding when to reverse the fan or to use it in the standard fashion. The Eco Brreeze is a smart fan and it’s ‘gimmick’ is very nice. The Eco Breeze can be set to draw out hot air when needed with no need for you to judge it. Just install it, set it up, and let it work it’s magic. Adjustable wings help to make sure that it fits snugly in your window and at $149.99 it’s a great deal for making your life both cooler and easier.
Air King 9166F 20″ Whole House Window Fan
Our final entry is a single fan model with it brings to the table simplicity and power. The Air King 9166F is a powerful, singlw-blade fan that cools at 3 settings. It looks nice, with the black coated steel and is completely OSHA compliant. It doesn’t have a score of features to configure, it’s just a powerful fan that works as advertised and sometimes that is exactly what you need. This is the priciest at $171.92 but it does it’s job and it does it WELL.
In Closing
In this article we have discussed the need for and the uses for a whole house fan. An excellent investment, whole house fans can save you money and give you a cool house without all the overkill that comes from running your AC all the time. They simply make your home more comfortable.