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This section contains commonly asked questions about ventilation, house cooling, and our products. There is also an extensive library of
articles available on this site which cover a wide variety of issues such as ventilation controllers and thermal mass.
You may also find the information you are looking for by
using our search feature.
If you can not find an answer to your question on this site, please do not hesitate to submit your question.
IAQ/Ventilation/Humidity
Why should I be concerned about indoor air quality?
What is ventilation?
Why is ventilation important?
Is there a simple way to tell if my house is properly ventilated?
Why should I be concerned about humidity?
What can I do about mold & mildew in my air conditioned home?
Whole House Cooling
What is whole house cooling?
Is whole house cooling like air conditioning?
When do I use whole house cooling?
Why must I open a window?
Can I use air conditioning and whole house cooling?
Are there drawbacks to whole house cooling?
What is the difference between an "attic fan" and a "whole house fan"?
What size whole house cooler do I need?
The HV
Series
Unless otherwise specified,
the following questions pertain to all models of the HV Whole House Coolers.
How will an HV save me money?
How is the HV revolutionary?
How quiet is "quiet"?
"Simple to install" for whom?
Where do I put an HV?
Should I install the HV on the roof or on the gable ends?
How efficient is the HV?
Is there any maintenance involved?
Will an HV
cool my home?
How does it look from inside my home?
What else do I have to buy?
Can I get a different grille or other options?
What is the warranty for the HV?
Can the HV be mounted vertically?
How long does it take to install the
HV?
Bathroom Fans
What is a
reasonable amount of air flow from a bathroom fan?
How can I
tell if my bathroom fan is working properly?
Where should
I exhaust the air from a ducted bathroom fan?
My bathroom
fan is sometimes very noisy. Why?
Any other
tips for bathroom fan installation and performance?
Questions about IAQ/Ventilation & Humidity
Why should I be concerned about indoor air quality?
The EPA and its Science Advisory Board (SAB) rank poor indoor air quality among the top five environmental risks to
public health. New air-tight construction and renovations to older homes keep airborne pollutants trapped inside, and nature's air cleansing agents out. Even the
materials in the house outgas pollutants into the space that we can't see or taste and sometimes can't even smell. It is startling, but true, that 6 out of 10 homes and buildings are "sick".
Sick building can mean sick occupants. To find out more about the causes and risks of poor indoor air quality see About IAQ.
What is ventilation?
In a nut shell, ventilation is a system or means of providing fresh air. It also refers to the air movement or circulation of air.
Learn more at About Ventilation.
Why is ventilation important?
Air is required in houses for people to breathe and for certain appliances to safely function as designed. Air
moving through the house can remove moisture and increase the longevity of the building materials. Proper ventilation can save you money, save your health
and save your home.
Is there a simple way to tell if my house is properly
ventilated?
In winter, of the windows
sweat, the house is to tight. If the house is very dry, the house is probably to
loose.
Why should I be concerned about humidity?
Excess humidity can cause damage, moderate to severe, to structures and people living within those structures.
Examples of this range from peeling paint and wall paper in your bathroom to dangerous spores and molds that grow in a humid, wet crawl space or basement. Humidity and lack of adequate ventilation are the source of costly renovations and medical bills.
What can I do about mold & mildew in my air conditioned home?
There are several ways to
limit mold and mildew problems in a home with central air conditioning. Tamarack
provides some answers from a ventilation perspective in
The Problem of Pressure.
(requires Acrobat Reader) This article was
prepared by Tamarack for The Florida Builders Association in
August 2002.
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Questions about whole house cooling
What is whole house cooling?
Whole house cooling is a method of cooling homes that takes advantage of the natural temperature differential that often exists between indoors and outdoors.
Whole house cooling is accomplished by pushing heated air out of the home through the attic and drawing in cooler outside air. By moving cooler air through the home at a moderate rate, heat is
removed.
Is whole house cooling like air conditioning?
Not exactly. Whole house cooling will reduce the temperature inside the house to the outdoor temperature, but not below.
When do I use whole house cooling?
Any time the outdoor temperature is lower than the indoor temperature. Simply open a window and turn the equipment on. The open window will supply cooler
air to replace the hot air that the equipment is exhausting.
Why must I open a window?
In order to bring cooler air in, it must be drawn in from the outside. If you run the equipment without a window open, you run the risk of creating negative
pressure in the house which can cause dangerous fumes back drafting from your gas appliances; such as a stove, clothes dryer or hot water heater.
You may want to consider installing a thermal safety switch. This topic is
covered in more depth at Hot Topics and Cool
Ideas.
Can I use air conditioning and whole house cooling?
Yes, but not at the same time. Use the whole house cooler to reduce the internal temperature then run the air conditioning unit. Use of a whole
house cooler prior to air conditioning can reduce your A/C costs by up to 30%.
Are there drawbacks to whole housing cooling?
Traditional whole house cooling equipment is noisy, difficult to install, and requires maintenance. It also "short circuits" your attic insulation, reducing the
energy efficiency of your home. Traditional systems are power hungry and detract from the appearance and comfort of your home. All these drawbacks are eliminated by the revolutionary
HV.
What is the difference between an "attic fan" and a "whole house fan"?
Whole house fans are sometimes confused with attic fans because whole house fans are typically installed in an attic. The traditional
description for an attic fan is a fan that is installed in the roof or gable end of the structure and removes hot air only from the attic. The whole house fan not only removes the hot air from the
attic, but cools your home as well. It is installed inside the structure, typically on the floor of the attic. Read more at About Overheating and How Ventilation Can
Help Cool Your Home
What size whole house cooler do I need?
It depends on the size of your home or space to be cooled. Our HV1000 is perfect for homes up to 2,500 square feet.
For larger homes, consider the HV1600 Gold.
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Questions about the HV
Series
Unless otherwise specified,
the following information pertains to all models of the HV Whole House Coolers.
How will an HV save me money?
The HV will save you money in several ways. The obvious savings will be reflected in your electric bill. Use of the HV will
reduce the need for you to run your air conditioner. Read more about the cooling savings properties in our HV1000 Technical Evaluation. Other savings come in the
form of preventative maintenance of your home. Properly ventilating your home and attic can save you from having to perform costly renovations in your attic, the roof and the structure itself.
How is the HV revolutionary?
In about every possible way! The
HV is quiet, simple to install, energy efficient, has a built in insulating system, requires no
maintenance and has a small, discreet grille.
How quiet is quiet?
The HV1000 is about as quiet as a good refrigerator.
The HV1600 model is noticeably louder than the HV1000.
"Simple to install" for whom?
The HV is a great do-it-yourself product. No power tools or special equipment are required. The system will fit into any home. There are
electrical connections that have to be made. If you are not confident about working with electricity, you will need to call an electrician.
Where do I put an HV?
The HV should be placed on the framing between the space to be cooled and the attic. In most cases that means the attic floor, but the HV can also be
mounted vertically to cool cathedral or vaulted spaces. Locate the system as close to the center of the home as possible for an even draw throughout the home.
Should I install the HV on the roof or on the gable ends?
Neither. The HV is not designed to be installed on a roof or gable end. The HV must be protected from the elements. It is
installed on the floor of your attic, inside the home.
How efficient is the HV?
The HV uses 116 watts
(HV1000) or 276 watts (HV1600) of power while the fans are running, 6 watts when the insulated motorized doors are opening or closing, and 0 watts when turned off. The doors are insulated to R-22 (R38 is optional) to minimize conductive heat loss or gain when the fans are not operating. Both doors are fully gasketed, like a refrigerator, to ensure a tight seal.
No maintenance at all?
That is correct! The fans are sealed and permanently lubricated.
Will an HV cool my house?
There are many variables that will determine
how quickly a whole house cooler can cool a home; the size of the home, inside
and outside temperatures, attic area etc. The HV1000 will change all the
air in a 1,500 square foot house in about 12 minutes
and the HV1600 in about 7.5 minutes.
How does it look for inside my home?
The grille for the HV is a low profile, slotted grille, similar to an air conditioning grille.
Can I get a different grille or other options?
Yes. The product guide lists many options from solid wood grilles to thermostats and timers that are designed to work with the HV and will not effect the
warranty.
What else do I have to buy?
All you will need is wire to install the fan and an electrical box for the switch. The HV comes with a lighted on/off switch, weather stripping to seal
where the HV meets the frame, a grille and all mounting hardware.
What is the warranty for the HV?
Three years, parts and labor.
Can the HV be mounted vertically?
Absolutely! HV's are often installed in knee walls
and are often used to cool cathedral or vaulted spaces.
Tamarack's standard HV is shipped with a grille designed to be used in attic/ceiling installation. All you need to do is let us know that you will be installing your HV vertically and we will
swap the standard grille for a grille suited for a vertical installation.
How long does it take to install the HV?
Under normal circumstances, it should take about 2 hours to install the system. Of course, times will vary depending on the
location of the unit and the wiring set up of your home.
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Questions
about bathroom fans
What is a reasonable amount of air flow from a bathroom
fan?
An installed airflow of
about 100 cfm run intermittently should suffice. Installed performance will be
below the label on the box. To achieve 100 cfm installed, the rating on the box
should be 125 to 150 cfm. Too much ventilation is bad when it dries out
the house and wastes too much energy, but for occupant health, too much is
better than too little.
How can I tell if my bathroom fan is working properly?
There is a simple test you
can do yourself to determine if your bathroom fan is working properly. From six
inches away, squeeze a cloud of baby powder from its container toward the intake
grille of the operating exhaust fan. If the fan is working properly, the powder
will be drawn up into the grille. If it goes to the center of the grille and is
blown back into the room, then the fan is blocked; if the powder simply hangs in
the air, the fan is not working at all. Its just making noise!
Where should I exhaust the air from a ducted bathroom fan?
Always exhaust the air all
the way to the outside. Do not dump it into the attic. Be sure to use insulated
duct in unconditioned spaces such as attics.
My bathroom fan is sometimes very noisy. Why?
Fan noise goes up with
increases in pressure. Fan performance will decrease as the fan ages.
Any other tips for bathroom fan installation and
performance?
Sure!
-
If the bath fan is mounted on the attic
floor and has a plastic duct attachment nozzle, the plastic may soften in the
hot attic. So don't clamp the ducting to tightly or it can deform the nozzle and
cause the backdraft damper not to work.
-
Often the first turn of the ducting
system is the worst turn. Moving that turn away from the fan and easing it will
greatly improve the performance.
-
Flex ducting is twice as restrictive to
airflow as smooth ducting. Increasing the diameter of the duct by one inch will
reduce the resistance by about 40%.
Other Questions
I do not wish to install the products on my own. Do you
have list of installers?
Yes. Please see
Qualified Installers.
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If you can not find an answer to your question on this site, please do not hesitate to submit your question.
 For more information, a product brochure, or technical and pricing assistance, please
contact us
at 800-222-5932 or E-mail us at:
sales@tamtech.com
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