These terms are used somewhat interchangeably, which has caused a great deal of confusion to consumers as well as industry pros. To clarify, we are providing the following distinctions between the terms:
Whole-house fan is the term properly used for the big fan that sits in the center of the top fl oor ceiling, between the house and the attic. It generally has louvers in the ceiling that are opened by the rush of airflow through the fan. The fan vents into the attic, pressurizing the attic and hopefully pushing the air out through the attic vents properly sized for the particular whole-house fan installed. The purpose of the whole-house fan is to accelerate the natural cooling e ffect of bringing cooler outside air into the house through open windows and venting it out at the top of the house or the top of the “stack.”
Whole-house comfort ventilator is the term coined by the Home Ventilating Institute (HVI) to try to diff erentiate the whole-house fan from a whole-house ventilation system (see below). A whole-house comfort ventilator is HVI’s term for a whole-house fan – they both essentially refer to the same product. The purpose of the "whole-house comfort ventilator" term was to distinguish a whole-house fan as a cooling product without implying that it is an air-conditioning system. Whole-house comfort ventilators and whole-house fans have no mechanical cooling element but rely on a natural temperature di fference between the inside and outside of the home.
Whole-house ventilation system is a relatively new term for a mechanical system to move air through a house continuously at a relatively low airfl ow rate. The purpose of a whole-house ventilation system is to ensure a continuous air change to provide fresh air. The goal is to maintain healthy environmental conditions for the occupants and the building itself, not to cool the temperature of the living space. Thus, the purpose of a whole-house ventilation system is very di fferent from the purpose of a whole-house fan or whole-house comfort ventilator.
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