# Electricians - Question About Whole-House Fan **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 20, 2009, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736 "2009-04-20T16:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/21 "2009-04-22T13:55:54Z")
> [@Fritz](#): > > Again, thanks **JerseyFrank**. I did browse Lutron’s site, but I didn’t find what you found. Here’s a [link](http://www.lutron.com/nova/?s=17000&t=17200#fanspeed)to the page. [Product Manual](http://www.lutron.com/CMS400/techinfopage.aspx?id=22163) - Search for “NTFS-12E”. I couldn’t directly link it… (note, this covers several products, some of which would not be suitable for you) ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/22 "2009-04-22T13:58:44Z")
> [@JerseyFrank](#): > > Here’s a [link](http://www.lutron.com/nova/?s=17000&t=17200#fanspeed)to the page. > > [Product Manual](http://www.lutron.com/CMS400/techinfopage.aspx?id=22163) - Search for “NTFS-12E”. I couldn’t directly link it… (note, this covers several products, some of which would not be suitable for you) Thanks **JerseyFrank**. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/23 "2009-04-22T17:54:33Z")
> [@Fritz](#): > > Would the permanent split capacitor motor have a very high starting current? I think that I was lucky to find the overall current rating (and motor type) online - there isn’t much information on these. > > Sorry to say, I don’t know a “shaded pole” from the North Pole, and I would hate to spend a few hundred bucks doing this just to burn it up by using the wrong controller… No specific information for your controller, but there is some good basic fan motor information here: > **[HVAC Application Articles | Greenheck](https://www.greenheck.com/resources/library/application-articles)** > > Technical articles on a wide variety of industry topics. Motor types are located about 1/3 of the way down that page. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/24 "2009-04-22T18:58:15Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > good basic fan motor information here I’m impressed, they did a good job. A lot of those types of motor information pages are poorly done, that one is fairly thorough yet still easy to read. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/25 "2009-04-22T19:07:10Z")
> [@HongKongFooey](#): > > I’m impressed, they did a good job. A lot of those types of motor information pages are poorly done, that one is fairly thorough yet still easy to read. I’m just reading it now. I agree - there’s a lot more information there than I’ve seen anywhere. The “Motor Types Summary Chart” in the link that **Dag Otto** sent is quite useful . Thanks! Edited to add: I wonder how the PSC motors achieve two or three speed operation? ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/26 "2009-04-22T19:26:43Z")
Here’s a larger question: how do I wire these suckers? My attic is already wired for a fan - standard house wiring on a switch on a 15A breaker. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736/27 "2009-04-22T19:48:52Z")
> [@Fritz](#): > > I wonder how the PSC motors achieve two or three speed operation? One way (not the only way) is to have the run winding tapped at different positions. High speed would run on one length of the winding, low speed would switch to a position that uses a greater length of the winding (more wire=more resistance=less current). > [@Fritz](#): > > Here’s a larger question: how do I wire these suckers? My attic is already wired for a fan - standard house wiring on a switch on a 15A breaker. A 15A breaker is good for 12A total (all loads on the circuit) the wiring is standard house wiring. The manufacturer will have wiring diagrams available for typical configurations. If you get stuck hire an electrician, it won’t cost that much and you’ll know it’s done right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electricians-question-about-whole-house-fan/493736.md?page=1)