What is the difference between a whole house fan and an attic fan? Whole house fans suck out
hot air from the house and force it into the attic, exchanging it with cooler outside air via vents. Attic fans only serve to remove some hot air from the attic. They are still highly effective, however, because they can save you 30 percent on cooling costs by getting rid of trapped super-hot air that tends to collect in attics and backs up into the house’s living space.

Attic fans will lower upstairs temperatures by 10 degrees Fahrenheit, lengthen roof life by keeping shingles cooler, and can—with an added optional humidistat—keep attics dry during winter months.

Use of an attic fan is easy because it goes on or off automatically via a thermostat. The attic fan only runs when it is beneficial.

There are three things to look for in an attic fan:

1) All metal construction—do not get plastic.

2) A quality thermostat because you do not want to have to crawl into your attic to have to
manually reset the thermostat.

3) A fire stat, which shuts the attic fan off immediately under extremely high temperatures, such as if your home is on fire.

Attic fans can be powered by solar or electric energy and come in rooftop and gable-end varieties.