Saidalice writes:
Hi AT,
Oh, Southern California! While I love the weather when I'm out-and-about, I don't love the heat that collects in our home. Long after it's cooled off outside, our house stays muggy and suffocating (yes, we leave the windows open). It's an older home, and while we have air conditioning throughout, we don't like to use it. (Our budget thanks us, but our kitty does not!) Before the heat commences in full force, I'd like to find a few fans to set around the house only, I don't want plain, white plastic ones. I'm not too picky about style, but I'm leaning towards metal (be it vintage or modern looking, the two not necessarily mutually exclusive). Also, I'm wondering if anyone has any good placement tips. I usually just set them as close as I can to windows, but when it's hot outside, I'm wondering if there's a better place for them?
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I use fans in the summer time too. Though I've found that the type of fan that you'll looking for will be of limited value. If you want a room fan like you're describing find one that is easily raised or lowered, or have lots of little tables around the room to set it on, or be prepared to move lamp and table every time you move. When SoCal gets hot and muggy during the monsoon season the only comfort found with a fan is right in front of it. That said, if you're into fans (and I am) consider a ceiling fan. It's an excellent, not too obtrusive and far less noisy alternative. Your kitty will thank you.
That Target fan is a piece of poop. It broke within minutes of being out of the box and no amount of taking it apart or futzing with the cord would keep it fixed for more that 30 seconds.
Total waste! Avoid! Run away!
I have this ceiling fan in my living room and love it. It looks really awesome, and really does a good job of moving air. Everyone comments on it. I like the RF controller too. You only need two wires to connect the fan - light dimming, speed, and reverse mode are all controlled via a RF (think "garage door opener") control with security codes. There's a hand held remote, too (that you have to get separately).
http://www.lampsplus.com/Products/Ceiling-Fans/Style_Contemporary/page_3/95967/
And at the other end of the style spectrum, I bought this vintage reproduction fan for my den. It's rock solid and has excellent build quality. And looks great. Worth every penny in my opinion.
http://www.lampsplus.com/Products/Desk-Fans-and-Floor-Fans/01393/
I use fans as well, but one trick I learned a number of years ago is to open windows and doors at night (as many as possible for as long as possible) and set the fans in front of them to pull the cool air in. Close everything up early in the morning (blinds and curtains, too) before it starts getting hot, leaving the fans going. My place stays bearable until it cools off again in the evening. I'm not thrilled about the cave-like feeling with the blinds closed, but we don't have A/C at all.
First, I totally understand your pain. I live in the "Deep South", so I know what it's like to not be able to breathe during the summer.
In my first apt., I had a bunch of little cheep-o table top fans. They were ugly, but they worked.
Anyway, I used to take a few limes and gardenias (I had a bush) and put them in a bowl behind the fan. You can slice some of the fruit if you like and put a few splashes of water in the bowl, too. As the fan blows, it spreads the scent of what's in the bowl around the room.
It's a bit subtle, but it's a really lovely way to scent your rooms and get your appliances to pull double duty.
They say a bowl of ice water behind the fan will help cool your room, too. Although I always found that to be disappointing unless I was sitting with my face directly in the fan.
Oh, does anyone have tips for cleaning fan blades? My stand up fan is very dusty, but I can reach the blades because they're inside the cage. Any thoughts?
Two words: Window Fans.
Use them overnight to suck cool air thru your home, then shut the windows as the sun comes up, close your drapes and blinds and try to lock in the cool air.
Don't even waste your time with fans inside the home - they just blow hot air (and dust) around. Get the hot air out overnight, then keep it out during the day. That's your best bet.
If you have to use interior fans, ceiling fans are probably your best bet.
Oh, and I wouldn't worry about it being too hot for kitty, unless kitty is old or ill. Cats have a higher body temp than humans, and can tolerate much worse heat than we can. They're comfortable well into the 100's - I've seen my cat basking in the sun on a 100 degree day.
Nicole,
Unplug the fan. Unscrew the cage, take it apart and clean the entire fan, blades and all. Reassemble before plugging it back in. I do this twice a year with my standing fan as well as my box fan.
Thanks Kurt!
In addition to the window fan suggestion from Sunspot, I'd add another two words: attic fans. Heat rises and if you can install an attic fan and turn it on as soon as it starts to cool outside, it will rapidly remove the hot air from your house while pulling cooler air into the house.
I had unbelievers for house mates back in college - they didn't think that a couple of lousy window fans in the attic would make a difference. I let them swelter for a night and then the next night turned them on and let them do their thing. The temperature of the house dropped five degrees in 20 minutes and then kept going down. No more sweltering and two converts to the attic fan technique.
I second Sciencegeeks suggestion. I grew up in the deep South and not all buildings had airconditioning, including my grandparents farm. Attic fans made a HUGE difference.
I disagree with folks who say not to use the fans during the day while you're out. I find the circulation really does make a difference when I get home in the evenings.
You might want to check the Vornado fans. They do quite well at circulation. They've even got a couple "vintage" styles, but i haven't tried them.
As for the ice water behind the fan, we use to put a bucket of ice behind a fan, and that did make a difference if it wasn't too humid, which SoCal isn't in the summer.