Simple Ways to Cool Your Home and Save Big

(Page 2 of 2)

August/September 2009
By Dan Chiras 
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What Will it Cost?

RELATED CONTENT

Ceiling and Attic Fans
Cost Estimate: Installation of two ceiling fans and two solar attic fans, controls and wiring.

Ceiling fans range from: $45 to $700
Attic fans start around: $90
Solar attic fans cost between: $300 and $700
Cost for materials only: $750
Contractor’s total, including materials, labor and markup: $1,500

Whole-house Fans
The materials cost (whole-house fan and other supplies) can be anywhere from about $300 to more than $1,200

Cost Estimate: Installation of a whole-house fan, including a high-quality 36-inch-square, 6,500-cubic-feet-per-minute (cfm), two-speed fan with switch, wiring and new circuit breaker, as well as an allowance for framing and drywall repair materials.

Contractor’s total, including materials, labor and markup: $1,450

Costs are national averages and do not include sales tax. If you have a contractor do several small projects at once, you’ll save money overall.

This article is excerpted from Green Home Improvement by Dan Chiras. Dan teaches workshops on renewable energy and green building through the Evergreen Institute.
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Comments

  • Karl U 7/15/2009 5:12:09 AM

    Thanks for sharing that savy information. On the other hand, with a sellout red-clad Busch Stadium crowd chanting for the hometown royalty, and a lot of speculation went into who will be the Home Run Derby 2009 Winner. The speculation is now over, because the Home Run Derby 2009 Winner is Prince Fielder, a first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers. He beat Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, 6-5, to win. He was gracious in victory, going on to praise the local favorite of the St. Louis venue, Albert Pujols. Fielder won't need any cash loans as he just signed a lucrative contract with the Brewers for 2 years and $18 million through 2010, and he should be worth a cash advance being the Home Run Derby 2009 Winner. Read more at this site:http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2009/07/14/home-run-derby-2009-winner/

  • Bruce K 7/13/2009 8:22:54 AM

    Not only stack effect, but consider wind direction - open windows based on the natural direction of the breeze, to allow it to enter and exit the house.

    Fans are great. A fan in the bedroom, set to a grentle breeze really helps.

    If you are in an area with "dry air" you can also try a simple evaporative or swamp cooler - much cheaper than air conditioning. Here's some more info on swamp coolers..

    http://www.greenterrafirma.com/evaporative-coolers.html

    .. you'll need "dry" air in your house for one of these things to work. A handyman special would be a block of ice placed in front of a small fan, blowing in your direction.

  • Bob Robblee 7/11/2009 8:56:04 AM

    We have a 2 story home which has a basement which is situated at 3300 ft. above sea level in Alberta. We use the stack effect to cool the house in summer, add fans as needed as the temperature rises. Generally, we will only have about 2 weeks of weather which is warm throughout the night.
    During those times, we open the fan compartment on the forced air furnace which is in the basement and run it to cool the house. The basement has screened openings to provide sufficient air intake.
    If the evening cools off, we can lower the temperature in the house to 68 degrees in about an hour.
    Most forced air furnaces have the option to run the fan for cooling which would be an aid in areas that have cooler nights.

  • David Arthuer 7/10/2009 2:47:18 PM

    These are all great ideas, but don't forget the simplest and completely free method of cooling a home...stack effect ventilation.

    If you have a multi-story home, open the windows on the top floor where you want the greatest air movement, such as bedrooms. On the the lowest level of your house (preferably a basement), open windows on the shaded exposure. The coolest air will be drawn in and up into the living space of your home as the hottest air vents out the highest and hottest portion of your home. Fans can be used to work with this natural air movement. You may need to adjust which windows are open as the sun moves from one exposure to the next, but this can be a very effective method of cooling.

    Dave Arthur, LEED-AP
    Webmaster, www.GreenBusinessOwner.com

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