There is no negating the benefits of exhilarating air, particularly in your home. Did you know that household fans, in addition to your HVAC system, can help maintain a cool environment? Additionally, household fans, floor, table/desk, and tower fans provide cool temperatures, decreased humidity, and energy-efficient performance.
- How Do Household Fans Help Maintain a Comfortable Indoor Environment?
- What About Humidity?
- Do Household Fans Save Energy and Electricity?
- Will Fans Improve Air Circulation?
- Fan Types
- Still Have Questions?
Do Household Fans Save Energy and Electricity?
According to the Department of Energy, fans, particularly ceiling fans, can help reduce your cooling costs and help you raise your thermostat by as much as 4-degrees Fahrenheit. However, the caveat is to use fans only in rooms that are occupied, as the benefit of fans is the evaporative cooling effect of moisture wicked from the skin, providing a cooling sensation. Do not leave fans running in unoccupied rooms, as this is not an energy-efficient benefit.
What About Humidity?
Rooms that tend to feel stuffier or unpleasantly humid can be remedied with the use of a standalone floor fan, which allows homeowners flexibility in placement and positioning. Funnel air throughout a humid room to vanquish moisture. The result is circulated drier air. Bathroom or exhaust fans work well at eliminating moisture in areas such as the bathroom.
Will Fans Improve Air Circulation?
Fans can help circulate air from your air conditioner. While it is best to use and run fans in an occupied room, there is some benefit to using fans in stuffy hallways and stairways. Improve air circulation and temperature in rooms with fans situated down a hallway or at the top or bottom of the stairs. If permitted, open windows and create cross ventilation with fans to pull fresh air in and push hot air out.
Fan Types
Floor Fans
Floor fans offer benefits unique to their purpose. From oscillating to stationary to compact to tower design, floor fans provide ample air circulation with oscillating and stationary heads, while some fans can be positioned at any angle or height. Further, adjustable and variable speed settings allow homeowners to tailor air flow while circulating air. Finally, pushing air through stuffy stairways and hallways with floor fans aid in pushing around stale air.
The Vornado 783B Air Circulator is a great example of an adjustable height whole room air circulator using the Vortex Action technology.
Desk and Table Fans
Desk and table fans are a preferred choice for individual use, and often carry similar design features. Desk and table fans are compact, providing high CFMs, oscillate for better air flow, and are portable.
The Hunter 12-inch Retro Table Fan is a great example of a small desk fan with oscillating features, high CFMs (1,250 CFMs), and it weighs a mere 8.5 pounds.
Tower Fans
Tower fans are one of the most frequently used fans, as their slender design, energy efficiency, and unique air distribution appeal to people who live in apartments or work in offices. Tower fans oscillate, pushing air out at a 90-degree angle. Usually situated on a sturdy base, tower fans are incredibly slim enough to fit between furniture or next to a desk but still circulate enough air.
Tower fans, like the Vornado 184 Tower Air Circulator, also feature variable speed controls, powerful airflow, and built-in timers for improved functionality.
Misting Fans
Usually found in dry, arid climates, like in the Southwestern United States, misting fans employ evaporative cooling to keep people cool as the temperatures climb, while protecting people from dehydration and heat exposure. Additionally, misting fans are great for keeping people and pets 30 degrees cooler.
Indoor misting fans, such as the Sunpentown 14-inch DC-Motor Energy Saving Indoor Misting Fan, disperse fine water droplets into a cool, misty fog.
Still Have Questions?
Household fans are great for helping improve your home life by lowering indoor temperature, controlling humidity, and providing energy-efficient benefits. From floor fans to tower fans, there is a range of fans that provide the same benefits but are uniquely tailored to use.
Which fan(s) do you prefer? Which brand(s) and type would you recommend? Comment below, or discuss it with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
