Whole House Fans are fairly easy to install. Most of them install in your attic and require limited electrical knowledge.
Steps:
1) The first step is to identify your attic vents. These allow air to flow from the attic to the outside. Add up the total area of all vents. You need about 1 square foot of vent area per 1500 CFM of whole house fan size.

Above is a typical mounting of a QuietCool QC1500 system.
2) Figure out how the fan will be mounted. Many whole house fans are mounted hanging from rafters.

3) Cut  holes in the drywall ceiling in locations either in halls or bedrooms.

4) Set up the AC power input. The easiest installation is using an RF remote control.

6) Finish the installation and test the fan. The best test is to close all windows (don’t forget your fireplace – larger systems will blow ashes all over if you are not careful. )

Quiet Cool fans are attached by hanging  from your attic rafters.

Quiet Cool fans  can be installed in any room.

Item #:1AHA3 Exhaust Fan,36 In,Less Drive Package Brand: DAYTON.
Item #:1WDC2 Exhaust Fan,36 In,Less Drive Package Brand: DAYTON.
Item #:1AHA9 Exhaust Fan,36 In,Less Drive Package Brand: DAYTON.

One example of Grainger Whole House Fan which they provide in details.

DAYTON Whole House Fan, 36 In, 115 Volt. Whole House Fan, Belt Drive, 2 Speed, Propeller Dia 36 In, CFM High 10600, CFM Low 7000, HP 1/2, Fan RPM 415/275, Voltage 115, 60 Hz, Single Phase, Amps 8.2/6.4, Height 15 In, Width 40 In, Depth 40 In,

Ceiling Mounting Location, Requires Ceiling Shutter, Includes 1×4 Wooden Plenum Box, Rubber Mounting Gasket,

Two-speed switch and 12-hour timer.

Hot, stale air is pulled into the attic, where it can be exhausted outside through the attic vents. A whole house fan cools and circulates interior air by pulling fresh outside air into your home. Your open windows act as intake “vents,” varying the airflow depending on how many windows are opened.

It is especially important that your home have adequate attic vents (installed in the eave/soffit or low at the roof’s edge) and exhaust vents (installed high on the roof at or near the ridge or in the gable end) so that this air can be vented out of the attic.

By moving the air and producing a breeze, a whole house fan cools your home. These fans are particularly effective at night when the outdoor air is cooler.

The result is lower indoor temperatures, and improved  chilling. A whole house fan can eliminate the need for air conditioning.

A whole house fan has some caveats: the fan can only cool the inside of a house to the outside temperature and dust and pollen can be added into the house.

The best feature you can find is a continously variable speed control. Invisco has Vari-Speed controllers available for their 3600 and 4500 CFM whole house fans.

To decide the size you will need, first compute the volume of your house in cubic feet. To do that, multiply the square footage of the floor area you want to cool by the height from floor to ceiling. Assume that volume and multiply by 30 to 60 air exchanges per hour (depending upon the ability you need). Then divide  by 60 minutes to get the cubic feet per minute of capability your house necessitates. [(Square feet x room height) x 30 or 60/ 60 = cfm required.]

There are various kind of Whole House Fans which are

(1).Ceiling-mounted Whole House Fans: – A ceiling-mounted whole house fan is the biggest and most noisy of all. They come in two designs -

Direct Drive Fans: The fan blade on a direct drive fan are attached directly to the drive shaft and need less maintenance to keep the system operating.

Belt Drive Fans: A belt-driven whole house fan has a belt that connects the motor to the fan blades. This type of system requires more care, and belts must be exchanged when worn, in general every two years.

(2) Attic rafter mounted fans – these are the most quiet.