An Old Idea Whose Time Has Come
Before there was air conditioning, homes were cooled by relying on Mother Nature. Such things as shade trees, roof overhangs, and the orientation of the home itself all played an important role in maintaining a home's livability during hot summer months. Whole house fans were often used to replace hot, stale inside air with cooler outside evening air drawn through open windows and doors. But with the advent of air conditioning systems, these low-cost cooling methods, including the use of whole house fans, were gradually reduced to secondary strategies. Now, with energy costs becoming increasingly important, people are taking a second look at these and other methods to reduce energy costs. Hence there is renewed interest in whole house fans.