What is the difference between a belt drive and direct drive whole house fan?
A. Belt drive fans transmit power from the motor to the fan blade via an automotive style fan belt. This type of engineering usually, but not always, results in quieter operation. It enables the use of larger blades spinning more slowly to move the air. These fans also use standard motors that can be easily replaced if necessary. Be aware, though, that in recent years, some companies have designed very cheap, noisy belt drive fans. These are often sold at the big box stores and have no advantages over direct drive fans. Direct drive fans have the blade directly attached to the motor. Since it is difficult to design a motor to spin slowly, the blades on these fans are usually small and flat, causing the fan to operate nosier than a belt drive. The motors are often mounted to the frame using a custom designed system, making them difficult or impossible to replace should they ever fail. At this time there is no direct drive fan that can operate without a good deal of noise. Atticfan.com c
