Who does not argue – air conditioner copes wonderfully with heat, but it is not calculated on wallets of the majority of our fellow citizens. That is why rarely in any apartment you can see it, which is easy to make sure by looking at the house from outside: usually on the facade hangs not more than 1-2 remote units of split-systems though, often they are placed on the balcony, but this does not change the overall picture . However somehow to survive the heat and stuffiness need all, so works everywhere, carrying with itself life-giving freshness, our old friend – the fan.
Though, some people, sitting directly under the air jets from the fan, like to argue about its uselessness: supposedly it just drives the air around the room and does not give any freshness. The fan, of course, does not “create climate”, but it also can do a lot. Carlson, as any child knows, could fly with it. But seriously, for example, the U.S. government used fans to save its people from the unprecedented heat wave of about 5 years ago by giving them away for free to all comers. We do not have to count on it, so before we spend our money we should assess which fan is more suitable.
The power of the spirit
The main characteristic of any ventilator is its productivity, which provides the necessary air exchange the exchange is measured by “multiplicity”, that is how many times during one hour the air in the room is changed . The performance of the fan is determined not only by the size of the room, but also by its intended use. So, for kitchens where during the cooking all sorts of vapors and contaminants are constantly entering into the air, and the temperature rises during prolonged cooking, air exchange ratio should be no less than 10-12. In the bathroom the air mixing with the fan should prevent condensation on the surfaces, so the air change rate is also quite high from 3 to 8 . As for the living rooms, the multiplicity factor of 2 or 3 is quite enough.
The main thing is the axis
Fans for living rooms are of axial type: a wheel with rotating blades that take the air and move it in an axial direction is attached to the axis of rotation. Because the air doesn’t travel in the radial direction, you won’t feel anything when standing sideways.
That is why many fans have an opportunity to change the direction of flow in the horizontal plane. And you can either just lock the chosen direction or switch on auto-oscillation mode, in which the fan head will make alternating rotations around the vertical axis in different directions. In the latter case, all the people in the wide swivel sector will get fresh air, not only those who sit opposite popularly called the “sycophant mode” .
You can change the direction of the flow in the vertical plane blowing sector – 30 or 60 degrees . It is also essential because the warm air accumulates at the top, and to direct the stream there if you want to cool yourself makes no sense at all but in winter time it will allow to raise the air temperature at the level where you dwell for 2-3 degrees.
In addition, it is possible to adjust the speed of the flow 2, and often 3 steps , so you can change the degree of blowing depending on how hot it is in the room, or how far you are from the fan. For example, if it is near you on the desktop, the minimum speed is enough, especially since a high speed can fly fly papers lying on the table.
Where to put it
In addition to table fans, there are also floor fans there are also wall-mounted, but they are rarely available on sale . As their capabilities are almost the same, the choice depends only on which is more convenient to place in your room. There are few differences: the table-top ones are usually smaller and have a small, but stable and non-slip base, while the floor-standing ones have a height-adjustable retractable foot. Floor-standing fans often have a key illumination, which creates enough light not to stumble in the night darkness on the widely spaced supports.
As for capacity, on the average, it is somewhat higher in floor-standing, which is due to a larger diameter of the blade: 36-40 cm instead of 23-30 cm for table-top fans. But their power consumption is also higher 45-60 W instead of 35-45 , though it remains so small that it is possible to “run” the fan even all day long without detriment to the family budget.
As for the price, since the efficiency of both types of fans is practically the same, it is mainly determined by a set of additional options. These are: the regulation of the flow direction in both planes, an auto-oscillation mode, the presence of a timer that automatically turns off the unit after a certain time, and the remote control, the indication of power on and output, the presence of a handle for carrying.
Is it dangerous?
It remains to add that this “worker” is not only economical and practically noiseless, but also is safe: feet-struts at floor fans and rubber feet at table fans provide stability, and the protective grid covering both sides of rotating vanes protects from injuries and from getting foreign objects. Besides some fans have protection against turning on by children.
How effective is a fan in helping you cope with high temperatures? Are there any specific types of fans that are better suited for cooling down a room?