Things to Know Before Buying a Circulating Fan

Before purchasing air circulator fans, there are some things to know about how fans work and how to use them:

• Fan type: A circulating fan is not the same as a centrifugal fan (exhaust fan). Circulating fans raise comfort levels in warm weather or otherwise elevated temperatures. When used with air conditioning, thermostats can be set four degrees higher, giving homeowners and businesses six to nine percent in energy savings.
• Ceiling fan rotation: Rotating ceiling fans in the appropriate direction can save energy costs. In winter, set fan blades to turn in a clockwise direction to pull warm air from the ceiling and circulate heat throughout the room. In hot weather, rotate blades in a counter-clockwise direction to promote evaporative cooling.
• Fan sizing: Whether you need a high velocity fan or portable fans to cool a space, sizing is important. Look for fans with enough blade span to cool effectively. For ceiling fans, look for fans that meet the following blade span per-square-feet standards: 20 to 110 square feet: 24 to 42-inch blade span; 110 to 150 square feet: 42 to 48-inch blade span;150 to 280 square feet: 50 to 56-inch blade span; 300 to 400 square feet: 58 to 62-inch blade span.
• Industrial fans: An industrial air fan has metal blades and is required to have a sealed motor. Blade sizes run from 18 to 30 inches.
• High velocity fans: These are also made of metal and are more powerful than other types of fans. Blades range from 12 to 30 inches.
• Room size: For large rooms, use more than one ceiling fan or a combination of ceiling fans, wall mounted fans, or oscillating floor fans.

Temperature maintenance is important when it comes to comfort and worker productivity. Use fan cooling to keep residential, commercial, and industrial temperatures between 69 and 73 degrees F. For environments that require additional cooling equipment, consider axial fans and centrifugal fans as well.