Cool Attic CX24BDM-2SPD Belt Drive 2-Speed Whole House Fan with Shutter, Exhaust Fan, 24-Inch

Works great. cools a split level home quickly and quietly. this thing moves a lot of air through the house. It came on time and well packaged

Very satisfied with this product. Some useful reviews helped with the installation. Few highlights:1) We had a whole house fan in our previous house and loved it, both the feeling of fresh air at night and the savings, with summer electric bills of $50-$75 for 2700 sq ft.2) Build a 2x6 frame between the base and the fan, so it goes further into the attic and therefore is more quiet.3) For the electric installation, make sure to use 14 or 12 gauge for 15A wires, or 12 gauge for 20A wires.4) First time installing a whole house fan, it took me two afternoons, learned a lot. It would have been faster with a helper and all tools available instead of running up and down the attic to get them. It did help that weekend was not too hot.5) Fan in high is loud but we can sleep with it on a warm night. In low it is perfect, not silent but no whole house fan is.6) Our house is two stories, 3400 sq ft. I was hesitant as most houses in the reviews are smaller, but the fan is effective in cooling it.7) Approximate numbers in northern CA in our experience: for days up to 85F, we run the fan on low for a few hours at night, morning temperature in the house around 70-75F. For days up to 95-100F, we run the fan on low all night, morning temperature around 75F. For days over 100F, we run the fan on high all night, morning temperature in the house around 77F.8) Before buying a time controller, make sure it can handle this fan. Many time controllers are good for 1/4 hp motors, however this fan has 1/3 hp. After I installed mine and realized about this I went back to the on/off switch. Will probably install a timer in the near future, but need to investigate a little more.9) We considered QuietCool but Even though my wife really wanted to go for it, I could not justify the price compared to this effective alternative. The value/price ratio for this fan is hard to beat.

This is the most solid attic ventilator fan I've found. Very good construction! Still have to do some painting and add some trim wood. The challenge was to find a place to put it. The architect of the plantation was enamored with tray ceilings consequently there was a shortage of good places to install the fan. The living room had one of the largest flat areas but sure didn't want to have to listen to it running there! What I came up with was the scuttle hole that provided attic access from the master bedroom closet. In order not to lose access, this required mounting the fan and the ceiling shutters on hinged plates that would allow me to get up in there if access was needed (furnace/AC lives up there). The results were just as I hoped. With the fan in the master BR closet, I had to add a return air grill from the hallway into the closet so the fan could draw air from the rest of the house. This arrangement will also have the added benefit of preventing the old "closet smell" from a poorly ventilated clothes hanging space. The closet location makes the system as quiet as the existing furnace/AC blower. By the control switch plate, I placed 3 thermometers. An inside and outside plus one that reports attic temp. What I have found with our previous fan-equipped house, cooling works best with at least a 20 degree difference in inside/outside temp. In hot weather, this allows you, in the early morning, to get the interior and the attic quite cool, delaying until about 5PM the need to start the A/C. Here in the Reno area, even in the dead of summer with 100 degree heatwaves, the nighttime temps regularly fall into the 50's as the cold air slides down the mountains once the sun goes down. Now that I have data from the 3 thermometers to work with, next winter I'll see if heating costs can be lowered as well by clearing out the very cold attic air in the morning. While winter nights get really cold here, most of the winter the daytime temps will run in the 50s/60s unless we are in the grip of a winter storm. This is going to require adding a smaller, manually switched exhaust fan from the sidewall of the house into the attic to blow out the cold. I'm not so sure using it to get out heat will help equally in the summer. Time will tell. Eventually I see this leading to using a small Arduino computer to control everything based on 'rules' I'll come up with after observing how using the fans really works. Next winter's project will be cutting a piece of foam (and sewing a 'pillowcase' for it) to wedge in the space between the shutter and fan to block the cold air.

Fan is as described and I did the installation myself. It provides a large air flow that quickly cools the house. I strongly recommend that you read the instruction manual (available online) before you purchase your fan. It specifically states that you should NOT purchase an oversized fan, and It will give you some idea of what you are getting into for a do-it-yourself installation. I read the manual after purchasing the 30" unit: I should have purchased a 24" unit. The 30" unit is more than adequate for our 1500 sq. ft. house even on low speed, and it is noisier than it could be because of that. The manual also tells you that the fan will not fit through the ceiling opening if you are doing a "joist-in" installation, which I was doing, so you need some other big opening into your attic. The frame for the 30" fan is 35" square and about 8" tall. I made a big vent with a removable screen in the gable end, since I also needed to increase my attic ventilation to accommodate the fan air flow.except for the last step of installing the shutter to to the ceiling, the entire installation can be done by one person.I do not like the wall switches, but I did not use them. There are two switches: (on/off and lo/hi) and they occupy a two-gang box in the wall. A single 3-position switch in a single box would be nicer. I used a relay in the attic controlled from my home automation system.

First off, special thanks to all the previous reviews that gave great tricks for an easy install. Second, packaging comments appear outdated, product was double boxed for shipping and arrived untouched. I live east of Denver and have never had air conditioning as most summer nights cool down well since we are at 6000' but wanted some cooling for those few nights of the summer that are unbearable. I installed this in about five hours and was amazed how cool the house got after only two hours of running. I had to build a box above the trusses as they are on 24" center and trim out / lower the louvers. I had to install in the laundry room upstairs after removing the existing fan and it was the best place to be between the webs of the trusses as my box was 15" high to be above the insulation. Sure, it's a touch loud but pretty much expected considering the size and speed on the fan, my box is very well secured to the trusses and the fan was screwed and strapped to box. From a previous reviewer, I used pipe insulation between the box and fan base which seems to work to dampen. My house is a two story that is approximately 2800 SF. I leave all the main floor windows closed at bedtime and open all the bedrooms. You do need some skills for this install.

I live in Southern California. Today was super hot. I came home after work and the house felt like an oven. I turned on the fan and within 30-40 minutes, it was 10-15 degrees cooler. Is it loud? Yes, but I have it in the second floor and only turn it on for about and hour before I go to bed and head to the first floor where the noise is not as intrusive. Plus I rather be a bit annoyed with noise for 30- 60 minutes than being hot and unconfortable for the entire night. This is money well spent. It's no AC, but if you live in areas where you have cool nights, this is the way to cool your home at a fraction compared to AC. The fan itself is not the highest quality and I did have to reenforce the frame, but for the cost, I can't and won't complain. I'm close to a perfectionist, so I took my time in making a raised frame and cutting the hole for the louvers. It is not intrusive and it looks like it's always been part of the house. I highly recommend it. Now that I know how these things work, I'll be a customer for life.

The first fan we ordered didn't work at all. The second one worked less than 15 times. While the manufacturer does offer a one year warranty, they do not cover shipping of the defective part which can be considerable depending on the part. I do not recommend this product or the company's customer service. Sorry I ordered from this manufacturer at all.

Package arrived on time and appeared to be in good condition outwardly. Upon opening the carton and removing the cardboard used to position the two components I noticed the shutter assembly was bowed and the metal mounts for the fan motor were also buckled. I thought about returning it before removing it from the box but decided to see if I could correct the issues. I also needed to plug the hole in my ceiling.According to the instructions you must remove the fan blade from the motor first. I was unable to remove the blade as the angle iron used to mount the motor in the wooden frame were off center on one side by 3/4 inches. After correcting that I was able to remove the fan blade. I then removed the bends in the angle iron brackets. The fan shaft was now centered in the metal shroud. I installed the blade as directed. Obviously this was a poor assembly and no QA at the factory.I then installed the fan assembly as outlined in the instructions. Moving on to the shutter assembly I removed the kinks. I noticed that one of the nylon screws, used for pivots, was not positioned into one of the shutter flaps so I fixed that as well. I manually operated the shutter to ensure it opens and closes properly. I noticed that one set of shutters opened much further that the other side. I found that the levers that tied that side of the assembly were installed backwards limiting the shutters from opening. The levers tie the 3 shutters together and also limit the opening. I reversed the levers which now allowed the shutter flaps to open the same amount on both sides of the assembly. Again poor assembly and obviously no QA inspection. Thankfully the switches and motor worked properly. All and all it was a bad experience. The components appear to be of good quality but somebody better check out the assembly and QA departments in this factory. The packaging should be modified as well to better support the heavy motor during shipping. These issues are easily corrected.

I am very pleased with this fan and it is exactly what I expected. Other reviews indicated that the packaging was insufficient and it arrived damaged. I very much disagree. Maybe the packaging has changed since those reviews posted because I was satisfied with the packaging and the product was in good order. Other reviews indicated that the switches were cheap. Mine came with regular wall switches (labeled), and while I was disappointed that I had to use two to control the fan, the quality is no different than a typical switch that could be purchased at a local home center. They were white and do not match the rest of my wall switches so I put them in a separate two gain box on another wall, and they look fine. I am not a contractor by trade, but I find myself to be a handy guy and found the installation instructions to be lacking, except for the wiring diagram, which was very self explanatory. I had to watch a YouTube video in order to give me an idea on how to install it properly for my specific situation. Some folks have complained about the noise, but for the type of fan that it is, noise is expected. When your right under it, its not like you can't carry on a conversation. I found the noise level to be acceptable. My house is 1,650 square feet, and the fan seems to cool the house down fairly quickly, about one degree every few minutes or so. I have had it installed for a couple months with no problems so far. I hope it lasts for years to come. I know there are systems that cost as much as four times as much, but for what this fan costs I feel I got what I paid for and I am not sure if I could substantiate a higher cost system.

SORRY FOR THE LENGTH. PLEASE READ BEFORE HAND IF YOU ARE SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT BUYING THIS PRODUCT. IT COULD SAVE YOU A COUPLE OF MONTHS WORTH OF ANGUISH. The fan seems to be built very well and the company is easy to get a hold of for information and questions. The fan did come with the fan axle poking through the box, but nothing was damaged, however the fan blades did touch the housing upon receipt. I called the company and they instructed me on how to correct the issue and I did. The fan now spins with no obstruction. The reason for the low stars is that the fan arrived missing the hardware (i.e. belt, switch, etc.). I called the company and they apologized and said that they would send me out the parts that I was missing and I should expect the parts within 3-5 business days. After five business days I called the company back and asked them if I should be expecting the parts and they told me that they never shipped. So I waited another five business days and called the company back. They still had not sent out the parts. This time they overnighted the parts after I demanded it. When I finally received the parts the switch was wrong. I called the company back and they said that they would send me out the correct switch and I should receive it in 3-5 business days. I told them to forget it and got a replacement fan from Amazon sent to me. I am not happy with this company and would not recommend this product because of their incompetence. Because of the company's irresponsibility I have had this fan for going on a month before I can actually use it. Spend the extra money and go with a better company.UPDATE: I finally got the fan running and it works beautifully. The fan is very quiet and moves air like nobody's business.I think it is quieter than my floor fan, even at high speed. I love the fan. Just do not go with this company. One addition, the company does not send out one switch anymore. There are two switches, one for on/off and the other one for high/low. Dumb. Even the electrician who wired the fan commented on how cumbersome the switches were.UPDATE: ****After two days of running this fan it stopped working. I troubleshot the problem myself and discovered that it lost the screw that held the belt pulley tightly to the fan axle allowing the pulley to freely spin without moving the fan blades. This resulted in warping the fan axle and burning out the fan motor bearings. I contacted the company to see if I could get a replacement motor since it has a ten year warranty, but the company said it would be a big hassle if I went with them and to just get a replacement from the place that I bought it from (paraphrasing). DON'T BUY THIS PRODUCT, BUT IF YOU DO, TIGHTEN ALL SCREWS, BOLTS, NUTS, ETC. BEFORE YOU INSTALL YOUR FAN. IT MAY SAVE YOU A LOT OF TIME AND FRUSTRATION.**** So far the fan is working perfectly again.

Bought this whole house fan, installed it and the motor caught on fire when turned on....thinking it was a return, and returned for a reason. Now stuck with a huge hole in my ceiling until the new fan arrives. Not happy about this whole purchase. Doesn't deserve one star.

This fan works well for my house which is about 3500sqft including my basement. This has to cover three floors (top floor where the bedrooms are, ground floor with kitchen etc, and basement). If I open all the windows in all floors the fan struggles a little bit but not much and not really noticeable. While the fan is technically a little loud (what do you want? It's sucking all the air out of the house, its a fantastic fan but it's not magical!), you do not really notice the noise. The fan comes with a high/low switch but we purchased an additional timer switch. The switch we purchased runs from 5-30 minutes at 5 minute increments, knowing how long we run the fan (we usually run the fan for the full 30 minutes and sometimes run it for an additional 30 minutes if the house is particularly warm) I would have purchased a switch that runs 10-60 minutes in 10 minute increments. This is not the fans problem, just something worth considering.

Louvres were packed well and arrived in full working order. Motor was mounted upside down for shipping. Motor mount was bent because of the way it was bolted inverted, this was easily fixed. The box was externally damaged and taped but this damage did not translate to the fan. All bolts/screws save the motor mount were tight. All required parts were present. The included two switch set up is goofy - on/off switch and then high/low switch. I bought a 1-2-4-8 hour time and high-off-low switch. (Like others said the timer is big, get a 2.5 inch depth electrical box.). These fans require minimum net free exhaust in the attic to minimize back pressure load on the motor - (I read somewhere that 40 feet of continuous ridge venting equals about 20 square feet of net free exhaust - the math seems about right, we had a new roof put on a few years ago and they put that in - since I was in our 89 year old attic, I replace both 89 year old gable vents as well - nasty business that - rotten wood, birds nests, etc... ) I installed the fan with the help of my extraordinarily strong son (good thing to have with this project!) What would have been nice is if the cardboard protecting the louvres was scaled as a template for cutting the ceiling (minor point.) I was concerned about vibration noted by other reviewers. Therefore I built a 2x6 frame about 1 inch wider than the fan base. I then nailed 2x2 inside the frame about 2.5 inches from the top. I purchased 1 inch rubber pipe insulation, placed the insulation on the fan frame and the placed the fan frame with attached rubber pipe insulation into the 2x6 frame. The fan has no direct contact with the wood frame - is just rests on the rubber pipe insulation, resting on the 2x2's, held in place by the 2x6's. I put several layers of thin foam insulation (sill plate insulation) between the 2x6 frame and ceiling joists, insulating any vibration between that and the ceiling. I finished it this morning, there is no vibration, in fact the fan is quieter than I expected. - I have been meaning to do this project for 20 years...I should have done it 20 years ago. If you are thinking about doing it, do it, you will be very happy with the result.

I installed this fan in my garage hoping the air circulation would lower the ambient temp. To my surprise it performed the job flawlessly on low speed. Living in SW Florida, this fan was worth every cent of the price paid.I do have a few recommendations for making the installation easier: 1. Do not use the two switches provided with the fan. Purchase a double pole center-off switch on ebay for twenty bucks and eliminate the need for a two gang electrical box. 2. Remove the fan blade prior to installation. Blade set-screw is very difficult to remove after the installation, and 3. mount an electrical handy box on the outside frame and pre-wire the fan motor. This will simplify the the motor terminations once the fan is securely mounted.

Low setting gives a low rumble, quite enough to sleep through. high setting is a bit louder, too loud to sleep throug unless heavy sleeper. Both settings move lots of air. Tied fan to a smart switch so I don't have to go upstairs. Ducts open and close as described. Duct does not keep heat out from attic. Duct does not open all the way but I believe it's the airflow to the duct. Can be diy via YouTube. Works for inland house where during the summer it reaches 117 but at night drops to 70s. Recommend getting attic fans with thermal switches along with this to keep your house cool.