> I just started shopping for a good, powerful, electric fan, as electricity
> costs in the northeastern part of the US are wild. With the heatwaves
> we've had over the last few years (thank you global warming), I'm tired of
> running the AC constantly.
>
> Anyway, I've checked out the Lakewood HV18C (approx. $50) and the Lasko
> 4924 (approx $70). I don't think an oscillating fan is necessary as that
> usually means papers go flying. I've also noticed that it's hard to find a
> reasonably priced tall standing fan. In addition, many are made of cheap
> plastic and not the metal I was accustomed to 20+ years ago.
>
> The last fan I purchased was several years ago - a Bionaire which is
> completely plastic, and can't even be opened for cleaning! The insides are
> full of grime and soot. So much for the clean air company.
My dad has a basic box fan. Nothing special. You can find them in many
stores like Target and Wal-Mart. It probably cost him around $20 and it
does a great job at keeping the air moving.
Ace Hardware is the only place I've seen a real box fan of late - all
metal construction with metal blades. The blades are held in place with
a set screw so they can be easily removed for a full cleaning. It also
seemed to have the appropriate holes in the motor housing in order to
keep it oiled. I think it was a Lasko, but the price point was around
$50.00 so you may want to check around for a better prices.
The Lakewood cheapo fans I've bought were nothing but junk. I don't know
if I would consider a "premium" fan from Lakewood.
Rick
>I just started shopping for a good, powerful, electric fan, as electricity
>costs in the northeastern part of the US are wild.
Have you given any thought to a good ceiling fan? We just put one in
living room and the bedroom and I don't know why we didn't do this
years ago.
--
Zilbandy
Get a Vornado. I've had one of these bad boys for sixteen years.
Variable speed. Really moves the air. Easy cleaning. quiet.
they've made a quality fan for decades. Here's a link:
http://www.vornado.com/products/circulators/gallery/700.htm
I was going to suggest that[1]. I just checked homedepot.com and it
looks like you can get one that includes a light kit for $30 to $50.
A decent brand of ceiling fan will probably last quite a long time,
and compared to a portable fan, they're WAY quieter. And they're
not hard to clean, if you have a step stool.
- Logan
[1] ...even though I hate ceiling fans for aesthetic reasons. But
they still beat box fans in that area.
>My dad has a basic box fan. Nothing special. You can find them in many
>stores like Target and Wal-Mart. It probably cost him around $20 and it
>does a great job at keeping the air moving.
About 800 cfm with 100 watts, vs 2470 cfm with 90 watts for Lasko's $50
5155A window box fan.
Nick
Compressed air cleans them out very nicely.
--
Joseph Meehan
Dia 's Muire duit
Something like this? Not what your thinking but the whole house fan moves
much more air and may even defer you turning the AC on.
Or a reversible window fan.
We bought a Lasko tower fan a few years ago. It has a remote and a timer,
which is great. It doesn't take up a lot of space, which is why we wanted a
tower type. It has 3 settings, and oscillates if we want it to. The first
one died after one season, and Lasko sent us a new one for free after I
emailed them. This one works fine. Our family room gets hot (not vented
well), so we set the fan up in the doorway to bring cooler air from the
dining room back here. It's not overly loud either which we like.
Melissa
We are in the process of removing every ceiling fan from our house. I can't
stand them running above my head, they make me dizzy. They are a pain to
clean as well, and most have lousy light fixtures. I can't wait until the
remaining 3 are gone. I never noticed any improvement in moving heat down
or pulling heat up. They're nothing but dust magnets.
Melissa
Agree about lousy lights. They collect dust, but that's good. Just
clean it off. It kept the dust from settling elsewhere or going into
your lungs.
I don't notice the blades unless I stick my arms up under the fan
while pulling off a shirt. I learned not to do that. We have 8'
ceilings and I mounted them all flush, so that may be a difference.
All are fairly large blades - 36" - 44", except the one in the
bathroom, which is 24". It's pretty worthless except on high speed.
Never use them in the winter. Any air movement on the skin offsets
any comfort gained by bringing heat down - my experience anyway.
In summer they probably allow us about 5 degree before turning on the
air. When the air is on they allow us to be comfortable with the
thermo set at 80 instead of maybe 77-78. They use very little
electricity.
A winner for us.
--Vic
>We are in the process of removing every ceiling fan from our house. I can't
>stand them running above my head, they make me dizzy.
Have you tried a tinfoil hat? :-)
Nick
They are good but it's not an option for everyone, like people who rent.
My landlord would throw a fit if something like a ceiling fan was
installed. (The lease prohibits modifications like this of any kind.)
And in my apartment there are no overhead fixtures for the installation
in the rooms where I'd want one. Which would mean running a swag
chain/AC cord across the ceiling and down the wall to power it. GACK!
Rick
Don't be dumb...I have vertigo, it's as simple as that.
Melissa
I like my tower fan too. The silence is the part I value most. Very tall,
narrow flow width keeps one spot quite cool.
--
Phil