It’s understandable that you may be wanting to look at alternative options to air conditioning your home. With the best whole house fan, you’ll be able to save up to 90% on your energy bill.
After searching through many whole house fans, we found the best one to be the QuietCool QC CL-4700. It’s suitable for up to 2210 square feet and is engineered to be quiet over its competitors.
If you don’t have an attic, you don’t need to worry. You can still use a window whole house fan like the Air King 9166F 20″. You’ll be able to install it in front of your window so if at any time you want your privacy, you won’t have any issues with that.
Below you’ll find all the whole house fans compared and reviewed against each other.
Let’s get started.
Best Whole House Fan
QuietCool QC CL-4700 Classic Series Whole House Fan
- CFM: 4505
- Coverage: 2210 square feet
This whole house fan is perfect for homes around 2200 square feet and helps to neutralize any vibrations and sound you may hear.
What I like
One feature you’ll need to keep in mind is how quiet your whole house fan is going to operate. If you buy one that’s too loud, you’re going to not be able to go to sleep and it can be an annoyance during the day.
With this whole house fan, it works with a self-contained duct system that hangs from the attic to help reduce any vibrations or noise you may hear when it’s operating. It runs at 4505 CFM and covers up to 2200 square feet which is the size of a home on the larger side.
You’ll also get to enjoy the included damper system which utilizes gravity dampers to make sure you don’t have any heat or cooling loss in your home and attic. This will help your fan operate at max capacity and if you want to incorporate an air conditioning system into your home.
It comes with an RF control kit which will allow you to control your whole house fan from up to 100 feet away. You’ll want your whole house fan to be easily controlled, otherwise, it’ll be too much of a hassle when you want to adjust the settings.
You’ll be able to remove the hot attic air and enjoy the cool air circulating throughout your home. It can be a good alternative to traditional air conditioners, especially if you live in a place with high electricity costs and a cooler climate.
What I don’t like
Reviewers of this product mention that while it was quieter than their previous whole house fan, it was still noticeable throughout the home. It’s not going to be silent as that will be impossible for a device like this, but if you want silent operation, then you won’t be getting that with any house fan.
Why I’m recommending this product
This whole house fan is a great combination of value, quiet operation and effectiveness. The number of people that were happy when using this product vastly outweigh and negative aspects like it having a small hum throughout the home.
Compared to other units, it’s reasonably priced but also has an RF control kit which gives you the ability to control this unit with a remote (purchased separately).
Also Great Whole House Fan
Cool Attic CX302DDWT Direct Drive 2-Speed Whole House
- CFM: 7500
- Coverage: 2 to 3000 square footage
This is another attic whole house fan that will keep the air circulating throughout a 2-3000 square foot home.
What I like
This whole house fan is going to be great at reducing your energy costs by removing the hot air in your attic, in turn cooling down your home. If you’re worried about this unit being noisy, the bracing system will help to reduce any unwanted vibrations that you may experience.
You can choose from a few different sizes, but keep in mind that you will need at least 10-12 square feet of free air exhaust vent areas for optimal installation. It comes with a 2-speed switch so you can decide how powerful you want this unit to run, you can decide from 7500 CFM on high or 5200 CFM on low, which is even more than the first unit on this list.
This unit also works on 120 volts so you’ll be able to easily integrate this whole house fan into your home. The powder-coated finish helps reduce any wear any tear from the weather over the years.
I also love that this unit is made in the USA by a company in Texas and has been in business since 1948. You’ll enjoy the 10 year limited warranty while this house fan cools down your entire home all while being energy efficient.
What I don’t like
This won’t work in spaces than 1200 square feet. You’ll run into issues with performance, and the fan itself may be overkill for a smaller sized space. You can choose from different sizes of this house fan to get the right fit for your home.
Why I’m recommending this product
This product is much cheaper than the QuietCool QC CL-4700 house fan that came in first all while having comparable features. The CFM is higher and it cools down a bigger space of around 3000 square feet. Just make sure you buy the right sized whole house fan for your attic.
Best Budget Whole House Fan
Air King 9166F 20″ Whole House Window Fan
- CFM: 3560
- Coverage: 1100 square feet
If you don’t have an attic or simply don’t want to bother with the installation, this window fan is a great alternative to whole house fans.
What I like
Let’s face it, if you’re installing a whole house fan, it’s going to take some know-how. With this window fan, anyone should be able to get it set up without any issues. You may not need a bigger-sized unit either, and it’s good to have the right sized house fan otherwise you may have issues.
This window fan works by removing the warm air inside of your home and bring in fresh air from the windows that you’ve opened. This in turn removes stale air that’s sitting in your home and provides a nice breeze just like air conditioners.
What’s great about this unit is that it can be installed in front of your window so you can close the window if you’d like. This is going to be important if you’re leaving your home for a while or simply don’t want to use your fan if it gets too cold outside.
The cage will protect anyone or anything from getting inside of the fan and getting hurt or damaging the fan. This also has a comparable CFM VS other whole house fans at 3560 on high. You can choose from 3560, 3120 and 2510 CFM giving you a high, medium, and low setting depending on your preference.
I recommend Air King a lot and they’re a reliable company that offers a 1 year limited warranty to keep your house fan running all day long.
What I don’t like
You’ll have to install this unit in a window which can make it a bit noisier than a whole house attic fan. It’ll also be a bit of an eyesore as well, but that depends on how much you care there is a big fan in your window!
Why I’m recommending this product
The best part about this window house fan is that it’s 4x cheaper than the QuietCool QC CL-4700. If you don’t have an attic or don’t want to worry about installing one, this is a no-fuss solution to keep areas of around 1000 square feet cool all year long.
Best Heavy-Duty Whole House Fan
- CFM: 5500
- Coverage: 3400 square footage
If you have an extra large space to cool down, this 5500CFM whole house fan is the perfect solution.
What I like
What I like most about this heavy-duty whole house fan is that it comes with a remote. No other whole house fan I came across had a remote to offer, and instead of having to rely on a wall thermostat, you can control your fan from anywhere in the room.
This house fan is rated for 3500 square feet or a single-story home of 2400 square feet. That’s 30% more than the QuietCool QC CL-4700 for not much more on the price. It offers the same noise reduction properties that the 4700 provides as well by hanging up the vent.
It works on 120 volts so you won’t have to worry about any fuss when wiring this system on 240v. By pulling in cool air from your windows, it’ll push air out and makes for a cool attic. You won’t have to run your air conditioner and you’ll be able to save up to 50-90% on expensive energy bills.
For an hour to run, this unit only costs a few pennies. They claim that it costs 10% of what a traditional HVAC system costs. That’s a whole lot of savings and you’ll be able to enjoy easy installation as well as a 10 year fan warranty.
What I don’t like
This unit is a bit pricier than the other whole-house fans on this list.
Why I’m recommending this product
While it does come with a hefty price tag, this model does come with a remote control and is capable of cooling down a 3400 square foot space.
The 10 year warranty is the highest out of all the whole house fans I reviewed and the energy savings will be quite dramatic if you’re used to running your air conditioner all day long.
Best Ductless Whole House Fan
Tamarack Technologies HV1000 R38 Ductless Whole House Fan
- CFM: 1150
- Coverage: 1000 square feet
This is another alternative to traditional whole house fans making it so you don’t need to install it in your attic.
What I like
This is not like traditional ducted whole house fans, it’s meant to be installed in your ceiling. It will gain access to your attic through a vent, unlike the other units which are installed in your attic directly. The outside also has an insulation door to keep any cold air outside air from entering your home.
Tamarack Technologies offers video instructions so you know exactly how to set this house fan up and keep a cool attic. You’ll save up to 80% on energy costs when you aren’t running your air conditioner.
It was built right here in the USA, comes with a 6 foot power cord and comes with an interior horizontal grille It comes with a 3 year warranty should anything go wrong.
What I don’t like
The CFM on this unit is quite low even compared to the Air King 9166F 20″. It’s not suitable for larger areas and can be a bit of a pain to install. It also only has one fan speed unlike other house fans like the Air King 9166F 20″ Whole House Window Fan.
Why I’m recommending this product
This is a great alternative to typical whole house fans and you’ll not have to spend time in your attic doing any installation. The insulation covers are a nice touch as well and you’ll be backed by a three year warranty which is 2 years more than the Air King option.
While it won’t be as powerful as other units, you will be able to enjoy from step by step installation instructions as well as ductless operation.
Whole House Fan FAQ
What are the negatives of a whole house fan?
Depending on where you live, you may not feel comfortable leaving your windows open. Open windows also allow for noise to be more bothersome as well. They won’t keep your house as cool as an air conditioner either.
Another negative that you may not think about is that it may lead to a higher heating bill in the winter. This can be because older house fans can easily leak out heat that you’d want to stay inside of your home.
How do I choose a whole house fan?
The best way to choose out of the best whole house fans is to first size your home. You want to buy a unit that’s rated for the square feet of your home, but also make sure that it isn’t an oversized unit either that will cause it to be less energy efficient.
Your budget will also come into play, you can choose different options like a window fan unit like the Air King 9166F 20″or a ceiling mounted unit like Tamarack Technologies HV1000.
What’s the difference between an attic fan and a whole house fan?
A whole house fan brings in air from your entire house while an attic fan only draws air out from your attic.
How many windows should you open with a whole house fan?
It’s recommended to open two or more windows halfway for best results. Not all house fans are alike and your results may vary, so it’s a good idea to experiment once your house fan is installed.
How long do whole house fans last?
Whole house fans are rated to last around 10 to 20 years. After a while, the motor will naturally be worn down and won’t run as well as it once did when it was new.
Can I run my whole house fan all night?
Yes, it’s perfectly fine to run your whole house fan all night. It’s recommended so you can control the humidity inside your home and keep air circulating throughout your home all day long.
Wrapping it Up
Finding the right whole house fan can take time, but we recommend the QuietCool QC CL-4700 whole house fan. It’s got great reviews, it’s engineered to be quiet, and it’ll install right into your attic vents rather than being an eyesore like a window unit.
If you don’t have an attic, you can use an alternative option to a ducted whole house fan. One that I found was the Air King 9166F 20″.
Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Piercetheorganist
