Everyone, even the most die-hard Canadian enjoys those few weeks of a Canadian summer (the warm days after the Stanley Cup Final and before the start of the new Season). The heat can be enjoyable, but when we are finished with our outside activities, it is also good to come home to a nicely air-conditioned home and enjoy a comfortable sleep.
The reality is that many people complain about the fact that their A/C unit runs constantly, and they are still uncomfortably hot in their second floor bedrooms.
The Whole Home Exhaust Fan
It is interesting to note that in California, Arizona, Texas, and other “hot” southern areas of the United States, most homeowners not only have an Air Conditioner, but also, some form of “Whole Home Exhaust Fan.” These Fans are now gaining popularity in Canada.
The Problem
During the day, the sun can heat the air inside the average Canadian Attic to as high as 60 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Fahrenheit) or more. This super heated air relies on soffit vents and roof vents, and natural air breezes and convection to release from the attic. The process is inefficient. The air temperature remains high inside the attic, well into the night, and may only reduce to 30-40 degrees Celsius by sunrise. The effect is that the trapped heat in the attic actually keeps the ceiling below it warm. In a two story home, the second floor is often much warmer than the main floor and could be called “hot” compared to the much cooler basement. This is the case even in an air conditioned home, with the A/C running almost constantly. This is where a Whole Home Exhaust Fan really makes a difference.
The Solution
The Whole Home Exhaust Fan, is a high Cubic feet per minute fan (in the range of 1,000 – 1,600 CFM), and is desinged to quickly exchange the air inside the home, venting it through the attic, and thus also removing the hot air that is insdie the attic.
How it Works
After the sun has set, a window or two can be opened in the basement (or even on the main floor), allowing outside air into the home. The Whole Home Exhaust Fan is then turned on, and the “slightly cooler” outside air is now drawn into the home and pushes out through the attic. The Whole Home Exhaust Fan power is installed to “Power Vent” the heated attic air, removing the hot air that is in the attic and pushing it to the outside, through the existing ridge vents. The effect is that the air temperature inside the attic is reduced to the same temperature as the outside air, and secondly – the air in the basement (which is also much cooler than the main floor and second floor) is drawn up to the second floor sleeping areas.
It may seem strange that you would bring in outside air into an air conditioned home, but opening the windows allows for air flow, and quickly exchanging air from the basement to the upper floors, and also quickly power vents the hot air from the attic. The whole process takes 15 – 20 minutes, at which time you would shut off the Whole Home Exhaust Fan and close the windows. The Air Conditioner will now function more effciently, and you may not need to run it at all, saving on energy costs. Best of all – you have a comfortably cool sleep.
We are experts at installing Whole Home Exhaust Fans, call us anytime, and you can soon enjoy the benefits in your home.