A whole-house fan is a simple and inexpensive method of cooling a house.

By: Laura Fisher Kaiser

For moderate climates, a whole-house fan can reduce your need for air conditioning except for the hottest days. A whole-house fan uses powerful suction to pull air from all parts of your house, creating cooling circulation and replacing hot, inside air with cooler outside air.

Maximum cooling from your whole-house fan

Whenever the outside temperature drops below inside temps, open some screened windows and flip on the fan to pull cool, dry air through the house and exhaust hot air through your roof vents.

For a morning “pre-cool,” run your whole-house fan just before sunrise, then close the windows to seal in the cool air as the day warms up. In the evening when outside temps dip, turn on your fan to cool off the house, which takes about 20 minutes for a 2,500 sq. ft. house.

In general, whole-house fans are more effective in multi-story homes than single-level. Also, certain regions of the country have better potential for whole-house fan cooling than others.

Design options for whole-house fans

Ceiling-mounted whole-house fans are the most popular. Installed in the attic between the ceiling and living space, they move large amounts of air.

Ducted whole-house fans are quieter because they are mounted in the attic, away from living space. Flexible ductwork runs from low-key room grilles to the fan. The air can be vented directly out of the house, rather than through attic vents.

Variable speeds let you flush air quickly through the house at high speed or create a continuous, gentle air flow at low speed.

Programmable thermostats and temperature controls add convenience, but make sure your house is prepared:

• Heating and cooling are turned off.

• No fire in the fireplace (so flames don’t get sucked out into the house).

• Windows are open (without enough ventilation from open windows, the powerful suction can create a dangerous backdraft from gas appliances).

Some models come with insulated doors that create an air seal. If you don’t have insulated doors, cover the fan in winter, or else it will be like leaving a window open. Just remember to take off the cover before firing up the fan come the first warm days of spring—and to open at least one window.

Sizing up your whole-house fan

The Home Ventilating Institute (which calls whole-house fans “whole-house comfort ventilators”) recommends a whole-house fan make a complete air exchange in 2 or 3 minutes—enough to create a perceptible “breeze” throughout the house.

The recommended flow rate is roughly calculated by multiplying the gross square footage of the entire house (including unoccupied areas like closets) by 2. For example, a 2,000-square-foot living space would need a whole-house fan with about 4,000 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of capacity.

Nevertheless, your house must also have an adequate amount of roof ventilation to exhaust the air flow. For this reason, consult a ventilation (HVAC) professional to determine the correct size unit and required exhaust area.

Costs and benefits of whole-house fans

Whole-house fans cost between $150 and $550, plus installation, which could cost about $1,000. You might also need additional roof vents put in.

Some municipalities and utility companies offer energy rebates for whole-house fans. According to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, whole-house fans use about 10% of the energy an air conditioner uses and can pay for themselves in just a few seasons.

Can you tell me how you plan on choosing your real estate agent?  Will it be based on an ad?  Will it be a referral from a friend?  Will your agent BE a relative or a friend? Or, and this one always floors me, will you walk into a local real estate office and go with the agent that greets you at the door?  A few of these reasons make me want to pull my hair out – literally!!!

Here’s another question for those of you getting ready to buy or sell real estate…Do you plan to interview your agent or ask for referrals?  Seriously???

Tell me how it makes sense that a Human Resource Manager at a large corporation will spend hours, sometimes days, interviewing candidates and calling their referrals to pay them a $10/hour job and yet a home buyer will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, sometimes millions, on a piece of property and take advice from a real estate agent they know absolutely nothing about?

Time for a little “How to Choose your Real Estate Agent 101”

Please people…before you even think about moving forward with your largest transaction do a little research.  There are a few steps you should take that won’t take up too much of your time.  Here are a few:

• Find out from the agent if they are in the real estate business full time:  You can still use them if they have a second, or third, job but realize there are other agents with more time invested that are probably more familiar with the market.  Why is this important, you ask?  Well, those that work it full-time will have better knowledge of… 1) properties not on the market but that will be coming on soon, 2) those properties that have price reductions coming soon, 3) they have better relationships with fellow agents in the area and therefore could have the upper hand going against a part-timer. This list could go on and on.
• Ask them for referrals.  This should not be difficult for an agent to provide.  GREAT agents will even have a referral list handy for you.  Take a lunch/coffee break and give those clients & customers (referrals) a call.  This market has been rough so some of those referrals may be customers that used the agent without a transaction.  Even though their house did not sell, or they did not find the property they were looking to purchase, the agent may have still provided excellent service that should be acknowledged.
• Do they have any designations?  Those abbreviations drive me nuts!  Why?  Because the majority of consumers have no idea what they mean.  Many of us agents spend quality time and money (which many agents are lacking these days) to become better in our profession by furthering our education.  Just because John Smith has been in the business for 30 years doesn’t make him better than Sam Jones.  Sam Jones got his license 4 years ago but quickly obtained his GRI (Graduate REALTOR^® Institute) and is working on his CRS (Certified Residential Specialist).  Believe it or not, even though Sam has 16-years less experience, he may actually be the better agent.  He would certainly have more knowledge about current contracts, technology and codes and has a current record of working the business as a true professional.  So please, if you’re looking to purchase commercial real estate – find an agent who has CRB after their title.
• Do not pick an agent that will trash talk a fellow REALTOR^®.  I have total respect for most of the agents I see and work with in my town.  I have personally known one agent who has trash talked me (to get a listing) along with plenty of other fabulous hard-working agents.  Why did this happen?  So he/she could get additional business.  That is flat-out one of the most unprofessional, unethical, uncalled-for actions by anyone in any profession (unless you’re a wrestler).  If you hear negative talk coming out of an agents mouth towards another agent….RUN…and run fast!  Even those I don’t care for won’t lead me to stoop towards that lower road.
• Signing a Buyer/Broker and Agency Relationship Disclosure.  This has got to be one of the stickiest and most frustrating parts of our job.  I always hear, “If you’re a professional agent you will have your client sign a Buyer-Broker before allowing them to preview a house with you.”  Yes, that is a requirement of my profession and would make me more professional but do I enforce it?  Actually, I do but not the way I should.  I have a problem “forcing” someone to work with me if they don’t like me.  However, I do not want my time being wasted.  So, I do enforce a Buyer/Broker with every client I show property to (and yes, this will now include all of my friends and family – been “unintentionally screwed” too many times) with an opt-out clause.  They can cancel with me at any time.  However, I do hold them accountable for an explanation as well as the properties I showed them.  I think this is fair.
• Honest and Upfront Communication:  Be weary of the agent that makes everything sound too good to be true.  Our market currently sucks and I wish I could honestly say everything is dandy – but it isn’t.  If you are unhappy with your agent…tell them.  I have had plenty of unhappy buyers & sellers call me WHILE they are working with their agents.  Although I wish they had called me BEFORE choosing the other agent I admit I feel a bit flattered that my professional opinions are valued.  99% of the time I advise them to tell what they’re telling me to their agent.  We do want to hear it.  If it doesn’t work out then call me at that time but we can’t read your minds and if the shoe were on the other foot I would appreciate my client communicating their dissatisfaction with me before jumping ship.  Some agents have a knack for communication….some have the knack for the market….some have the knack for a great sales pitch…the exceptional ones have them all.  Once again, do your homework!

Buying and selling real estate should be taken extremely serious and with a lot of due diligence.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at email@thewhitefishagent.com.