"Lacustral" wrote in message
...
Tamarack sells a whole house fan that is 1000 CFM. They recommend it
for up to a 2000 sq foot house, in places where summer temps get up to 95
-
which is about what happens here - it does get above 95 F sometimes but
rarely over 100 F in the summer.

Scaling down for my 640 sq foot upper story I'd need about a third of that
minimum, or 330 CFM.

Laura



I posted this reply before. For some unknown reason my news reader often
filters out my messages so I can't tell if they made it. Apologies if it
already did. 1,000 CFM is not a lot. Tried to find the fan you mentioned on
Tamarack's site but couldn't find it??


Here is a tip. You can buy a cheap 14, 16 or 18" fan at Wal*Mart or Home
Depot. The type of fan you set on the floor or a table that oscillates, NOT
a box fan. They cost about $15 here. Take it apart and remove the base. Cut
a piece of thin plywood that will fit in an existing window and cut a round
hole in it about 3/4" larger than the blade on the fan. Remove the front of
the blade guard and mount the fan by the outer edges of the guard, put the
front of the guard on the other side of the hole. Nothing fancy, just drill
some holes and wire it on. Instant window fan,. total cost about $20. This
is important: Since all these fans have plastic blades, be sure to run the
fan and be positive it does not vibrate before you start. If it does, return
it and try another.

And they work well. If you know how to use a window fan. Try to find a fan
with a three wing blade. I have found very good 18" fans on sale at Big Lots
and Home Depot. As the fan blade gets larger the size of the window it will
fit in naturally changes too. Here in Tucson that's a problem in newer
houses.

If you're lucky enough to have an attic, you can mount it in the access hole
and cool the attic at the same time for free. However it's easy to make a
much better fan for that use.

Al