A whole house fan is not an air conditioner, it's a fan that's installed in a central location so it can circulate air evenly throughout your home. The most common location for a whole house fan is in the attic over the central hallway. A whole house fan works by pulling cool outside air into the house through partially opened windows and drawing the warm household air out through vents, usually in the attic. Various factors such as living space, ventilation, sensitivities to pollen or dust, prevention of heat loss in winter, and the location of gas appliances and chimneys should be considered before purchasing and installing a whole house fan. If you can install the fan yourself, you'll save money.
Energy savings can also be significant.
In Riverside, a whole house fan costs about 2 cents per hour to operate whereas a central air conditioner costs about 60 cents per hour. As the temperature outside rises so does the use of water and electricity, which means higher utility bills. Limit use of heat-producing appliances such as ovens, lights, dishwashers, televisions, clothes washers and dryers during the day. For meals, use a microwave or barbecue. Clean the condenser coils on refrigerators, and clean and replace the filter on any air conditioners so these appliances don't work longer or harder than necessary.