Because of the low static pressures involved (usually less than 1/8 in. of water), disk or propeller fans are generally used instead of the blower or housed types. It is important that the fans have quiet operating characteristics and sufficient capacity to give at least 30 air changes per hour. For example, a house with 10,000 ft3 content would require a fan with a capacity of 300,000 ft3/h or 5000 ft3/min to provide 30 air changes per hour.
The two general types of attic fans in common use are boxed-in fans and centrifugal fans. The boxed-in fan is installed within the attic in a box or suitable housing located directly over a central ceiling grille or in a bulkhead enclosing an attic stair. This type of fan may also be connected by means of a direct system to individual room grilles. Outside cool air entering through the windows in the downstairs room is discharged into the attic space and escapes to the outside through louvers, dormer windows, or screened openings under the eaves.
Although an air-exchange installation of this type is rather simple, the actual decision about where to install the fan and where to provide the grilles for the passage of air up through the house should be left to a ventilating engineer. The installation of a multiblade centrifugal fan is shown in Fig. 3-30. At the suction side, the fan is connected to exhaust ducts leading to grilles, which are placed in the ceiling of the two bedrooms. The air exchange is accomplished by admitting fresh air through open windows and up through the suction side of the fan; the air is finally discharged through louvers as shown.
Another installation is shown in Fig. 3-31. This fan is a centrifugal curved-blade type, mounted on a light angle-iron frame, which supports the fan wheel, shaft, and bearings. The air inlet in this installation is placed close to a circular opening, which is cut in an airtight board partition that serves to divide the attic space into a suction and discharge chamber. The air is admitted through open windows and doors and is then drawn up the attic stairway through the fan into the discharge chamber.
