If you want to keep your home cool during the warm summer months but don’t always have your air conditioner turned on, a whole house fan allows you to cool your home and filter the indoor air. Better air quality leads to a healthier living environment. If chemicals and materials are allowed to accumulate in your home’s indoor air, health problems may eventually develop. A whole house fan allows for proper ventilation.
How Whole House Fans Work
A whole house fan is a type of add-on that you can install on your roof or in your attic. When the fan is running, it pulls air into your home via open windows, after which hot air is pushed out through the attic.
These fans work by creating negative pressure in order to place cool and fresh air in your home. When the negative pressure accumulates, positive pressure will build in the attic. Once there’s enough positive pressure, it will release through the vents and soffits.
Improves Ventilation
Ventilation allows outdoor air to move into your home. When a home is well-ventilated, the indoor space should be properly cooled. Everything from smoke to indoor pollutants will be removed from your air with good ventilation. It also limits the amount of moisture buildup that occurs, which should help you avoid mold growth.
If there’s enough ventilation in your home, heat levels in the attic will be controlled. Dampness will also be mitigated in the basement, crawlspace, and non-insulated walls. If there’s anything that blocks your home’s air flow, your health and the home itself can be damaged.
Removes VOC Gases
Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are gases that have low water solubility and high vapor pressure. They’re commonly found in everything from pharmaceuticals to paints. Dry cleaning agents can also contain VOCs. Along with eye, nose, and throat irritation, these gases can cause nausea, headaches, and damage to your organs.
Whole house fans can effectively push VOC gases out of your home. The fan should perform the air exchange process every few minutes, which allows the unclean air to be replaced with the clean air from outside. If your whole house fan is constantly running, this process should move VOC gases out of your home.
Eliminates Airborne Pathogens
During the cold winter months, it’s common for airborne pathogens to get into your indoor air. At this time of the year, most homeowners keep their windows and doors tightly shut, which means that airborne pathogens are able to spread inside your home. The most common pathogens that spread in indoor air include the influenza virus, adenoviruses, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and rhinoviruses.
You can easily remove these pathogens from your home and improve your indoor air quality by opening your windows and turning on your whole house fan. Once these pathogens are eliminated, you’re less likely to become sick.
Cleans Contaminated Air
Indoor air is considerably more polluted when compared to outdoor air. However, the pollution itself is difficult to see. You’re also unlikely to notice any adverse health effects because of poor air quality, since these effects usually occur over an extended period of time. If your air consists of a high concentration of contaminants, a whole house fan is able to circulate the contaminated air out of your home in next to no time.
Reduces Dust Accumulation
Dust issues are prevalent in indoor spaces. Whenever an air filter is clogged or air isn’t being ventilated out of the home, dust particles will accumulate on furniture and small crevices. When these particles are inhaled into the nose and upper respiratory tract, they can cause respiratory disorders like allergic rhinitis, asthma, and pneumonia. Whole house fans should significantly reduce the amount of dust buildup that occurs in your Grand Junction home.
When you’re interested in obtaining a whole house fan for your home, our skilled team at Home Comfort Services can install the fan of your choice. If you’re finding it difficult to choose a fan, we can give you suggestions based on your home layout and possible indoor air quality improvements. We also offer repair and maintenance services for these fans.
Our indoor air quality services apply to all other types of HVAC units. Call us today to book an appointment or learn more about whole house fans. We provide comprehensive heating, cooling, and plumbing services.
