I am getting ready to purchase and install a whole house attic fan form one of the big box home supply stores. Which type is preferable
- belt drive or direct drive ? My roof system uses those pre-made trusses. Do these fans have a built-in " fire stat" ? Fan selection and install recommendations are appreciated ? - thanks
Years back I had a one-story ranch with access to the attic in the hallway to the bathroom and bedrooms. I made this access a little wider and installed a belt drive fan on hinges with sponge foam insulation to reduce vibration on the ceiling. On both gable ends I had motor driven louvres. I had the control set up so that when I pushed a button, the louvres opened, and then the fan would turn on, if the ceiling attic access was opened. The fan was two-speed, but we only used the low speed most of the time. With windows opened, it brought a gentle breeze through the house. With this method, hot air did not accumulate in the attic. It was blown out the gable end louvres. On extremely hot days, however, this system did not work well, and only brought the outside hot air through the house. I remodeled the control system to open just the louvres and not turn on the fan unless I wanted it on, and then just used the air conditioning system. I had a degree spread control system so that the inside air was not more than a few degrees cooler than the outside air. If you have ever walked into a bank on a hot day, and felt the extremely cold air in there, and then had to walk back outside again into a furnace of hot air, you could appreciate just a few degree differential control system. The air in the house was cooler than outside, and dryer, and not uncomfortably cold, clammy and damp.
Since you already stated that you have a truss roof, disregard the statement below about cutting ceiling joists, DO NOT CUT THE BOTTOM CHORD OF THE TRUSSES, they are under tension to support the roof. You will have to fit the fan either between the trusses or install it above them and frame a chase to direct the air to the fan.
Your joking about the fires stat right? Unless you see labeled fire dampers on the unit, which I have never seen. There is no fire stat as you put it. Most fire departments have lots of kittens when you mention these to them. A fire damper 20x20 will cost you a couple of grand and a couple of grand to install it. Wild ass guess.
Put a timer switch on it. I have mine on an X-10 controller so I can have it turn on when I'm not home. They are loud. so proximity to a room needing quiet is a factor. It's a great thing to have/
Grainger's 5850 cfm 90 watt $73 4TM66 16" window fans might be a nice alternative, with passive plastic film one-way dampers. An exhaust fan upstairs and an intake fan downstairs could move cool air through the house at night, even if the fans were not running.
Nick
indago wrote in news:BCC647B8.9209% snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net:
All in all, a rather good plan for a moderate climate. Where I live, however, more than few degrees between inside and outside are necessary for my comfort, with 110-115 degree summers and at least 4-6 weeks of high humidity. If I had to look forward to 100+ temps indoors, I'd simply have to move.
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