A whole house fan is an awesome add on to your home when it comes to cooling your house. Whole house fans are installed in either your attic or your roof and work by pulling air into your home through any open windows and making sure it leaves through your attic. It basically cools your home by bringing in cool air while taking the hot air out.
How do Whole House Fans Work?
A whole house fan works by creating negative pressure. What does this mean when it comes time to cool down your home? Your whole house fan will pull air through open windows, which will fill the room with fresh, cool, outside air.
This will make the negative pressure in your house build which will create positive pressure in your attic. When the pressure begins to build in your attic, it will release by pushing air out of soffits in your eaves or any other vents you have in your attic.
What this means for your home is there will be a cooling effect felt throughout. If you have rooms where you leave the windows open, that is where you will be able to feel your whole house fan’s effect the most.
Are Whole House Fans Good?
There are plenty of benefits when it comes to purchasing a whole house fan. For starters, they work quickly to cool off your home.
They are also very energy efficient and cost a whole lot less than if you decide to run your air conditioner all day. Whole house fans are also very environmentally friendly!
Plus, since they use fresh air to cool your home, they will assist in taking out any odors from your house to make sure it smells as clean as possible.
And finally, if whole house fans are installed correctly, they will run quietly and last you a good long while!
Top 5 Quietest Whole House Fans Reviewed
When choosing a whole house fan, you want to make sure it works well, and that it does not keep you up at night with its noise like some poorly made ones. Let’s take a look at some of the quietest whole house fans you will be able to find on Amazon.
1. AC Infinity CLOUDRAY, 10″ Whole House Fan with Temperature Humidity Controller
When you purchase this model of whole house fan, you will also receive a smart digital controller that will allow you to control the temperature and humidity, trigger programming, the speed of the fan, and any alarms you want to set. It also features a two door shutter system that blocks any of the cool air from leaving your house when it is not in use.
When it comes to the noise of this system, you are looking at a nice 48 dBA. That measurement means this is one of the quietest whole house fans out there.
This unit uses a PWM-controlled EC motor that substantially helps make the whole house fan as quiet as it can be. It also assists in making the model a very energy efficient one too.
So not only are you getting a quiet fan with this unit, you are also getting one that will not cost you an arm and a leg to use. That right there is a double win.
2. QA-Deluxe 5500(R2T) Energy Efficient Whole House Fan with 2-Speed Remote With Timer & Temp Control
This whole house fan is good for houses as large as 3,400 square feet and single-story homes that are as big as 2,400 square feet.
This model is made up of acoustical ducting, a precise spun aluminum fan housing, stiff support and mounting brackets with rubber bushings to lower the amount of noise and vibrating, a to-the-point laser cut damper box that comes with R5 insulation and heavy-duty support brackets that keep the drywall and damper away from each other.
While all that sounds good, you are probably most concerned about whether this fan will be keeping you up all night or not. The noise measurement of this unit is a very low 51 dBA. So even though it is not as quiet as the first whole house fan listed, you will not find yourself having to sacrifice your sleep for the ability to be cool in your house.
The installation of the unit is also a pretty big plus as well. This fan is made to fit in a 16- and 24-inch dead center joist. There is no framing needed, so all you need to do here is do the quick set up and start enjoying the nice cool air without having to worry about hearing that thing work throughout the day.
3. Cool Attic CX24DDWT Direct Drive 2-Speed Whole House Attic Fan with Shutter, 24 Inch
The Cool Attic CX24DDWT offers an efficient way to bring down cooling costs, while keeping your whole house more comfortable. It also features a powder coated finish for weather resistance. The last thing you need is your fan being ruined by inclement weather.
This fan works by bringing in fresh air from outside your house while removing the warm air up through the attic and sending it out through your attic exhaust vents. This model will help you save on money, get rid of any stale and unhealthy air, and instantly make your home environment that much better.
As it pertains to the noise this unit makes, you do not need to worry! This whole house fan is up there as one of the quietest fans made.
The fan is made with a re-engineered bracing system that makes a more stable motor mount. It is stronger than tube style bracing and pretty much eliminates all vibrations.
You no longer will hear those helicopter type blades turning in your hallway! These units are quieter and give off less vibrations than the whole house fans of old.
4. QuietCool QC CL-2250 Classic Series Whole House Fan
This fan can either be left on the ground of your attic or you can hang it up. Most experts would say that you get the best usage and experience from this fan when you let it hang right near an attic vent. This small whole house fan only covers up to 1,100 square feet, so be sure that works for your home.
This particular unit has a self‐contained duct system that hangs in the attic to help neutralize the sound and noise vibration heard in the home. So the days of you having to worry if your whole house fan is going to keep you up at night are gone.
With this whole house fan, you can enjoy either the cool or heat it provides while also getting a full night’s sleep. Near the top of the list of quietest whole house fans, you will barely hear this one at all. If you do start to hear this fan while it works, that may mean something is wrong and you should get it checked out.
5. Tamarack Technologies HV1000 R38 Ductless Whole House Fan with Insulated Doors
The self-sealing doors make this model the best energy efficient whole house fan you can imagine. The R38 self-insulated doors that come with the unit automatically open when it starts running. When you turn the fan off, they shut.
This means that your living areas will remain cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. That is a very important aspect to think about when it comes time to purchase a whole house fan.
Another thing you will think about when choosing a whole house fan is the amount of noise it makes. This model is slightly louder than the others on this list, though still very quiet as far as fans go.
If you have this fan placed in a room you are in, you will hear it. If you are planning on having this fan in or above your room, we would recommend you turn it off at night.
Unless you like white noise – then by all means place the fan wherever you want and enjoy your nice cool room!
Frequently Asked Questions About Whole House Fans
Are whole house fans loud?
The short answer is no, but there are several things that can go wrong which can cause them to get noisy. Most fans that are sold in the big box stores are usually the noisiest. They usually are the most poorly made. A super cheap whole house fan will only cost you more money and headaches than what you want.
Can I put a whole house fan in my attic?
A lot of attics are not ventilated the right way for whole house fans to work quietly. If air cannot exit the attic fast enough, the air left in the attic will cause back pressure against the fan, causing it to make more noise when it is running.
If you are able to get on top of all these problems, a well-made whole house fan will run as quietly as possible (46 to 52 decibels on high speed) and you will not have to worry about replacing it because it will last you 40 to 60+ years!
If your whole house fan is running right and being quiet, that means you can have a conversation standing right under the fan, and you will be able to whisper standing right underneath your whole house fan while it is operating at low speed.
Why is my whole house fan making noise?
The biggest culprit to a noisy whole house fan is either improper installation or it is cheaply made. Combine those two things and you will get a noisy fan.
Avoiding these two things are key and that is why it is wise to always reach out for help if you don’t know how to install a whole house fan. The last thing you want is to spend money on a fan, install it incorrectly, and then have to pay someone to come in and redo everything.