Reduce AC Costs with a Whole-House Fan

LESLIE: Well, just about this time of year, the air in your house is often stuffier and hotter than the air outside. And you feel silly turning on the air conditioner but how can you get rid of that stuffy, stale air?
 
TOM: Ah and that’s where a whole-house fan comes in. Here to tell us about that is This Old House host, Kevin O’Connor, and the show’s general contractor, Tommy Silva.
 
Kevin, a whole-house fan also cuts down on energy costs. Can save you a bundle, right?
 
KEVIN: That’s right. A great way to reduce your air conditioning costs is to take advantage of the times of the day when the air outside your house is cooler than the air inside your house. And that’s exactly what a whole-house fan is designed to do.
 
TOMMY: That’s right. A whole-house fan, installed in the attic floor, will actually pull the warm air from the house into the attic, pushing the hot air of the attic out through any vents, like a soffit vent, a ridge vent or even a gable vent. It actually will create a negative pressure in the living space of the house but you have to open a window down on the first floor of the lower level to pull that cooler air in.
 
You should run it at night or early in the morning, when it’s cooler outside than in. And it can also save a lot of energy by reducing the need for your air conditioner.
 
KEVIN: So if you do have air conditioning, can you also have a whole-house fan?
 
TOMMY: Absolutely. But don’t run the fan while the air conditioning is running, unless you want to cool the outside.
 
KEVIN: Alright. Well, to learn how to install a whole-house fan, check out our video on ThisOldHouse.com.
 
TOM: And while you’re there, be sure to sign up for their fan club.
 
TOMMY: Aww.
 
TOM: Tom Silva and Kevin O’Connor (chuckles), thanks for stopping by The Money Pit.
 
KEVIN: That’s bad, that’s bad.
 
TOMMY: Talk about hot air. (Tom chuckles)
 
LESLIE: Waa-waa. You’re so funny, Tom. Why don’t you bring the jokes to me, silly? (Tom and Leslie chuckle)
 
But seriously, guys, if you’re looking for some more great tips, you can watch Kevin and Tommy on TV’s This Old House. This Old House is brought to you by State Farm. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is here.