Window Fans - Blow Me Down!
Window fans are a cheaper and earth-friendlier alternative to air conditioning. You can use them to cool your home in the evening using the air from outside so that no air conditioning needs to be used during the day. Window fans also help to cut down on blackouts because you are using electricity at non-peak times.
Window fans are used to expel the warm air from an area or to draw cool air into an area. They usually come with a mounting kit and side panels to support the fan and prevent air from circulating around and back into the fan. If the air does circle back it could result in a performance loss of 8-10 percent. Smaller window fans may come with the panels attached and some window fans allow the window to be closed with the fan mounted in the window frame.
To cool a room with a window fan you should run the fan on intake with a second window open. The second window acts as a vent. If you are trying to cool more than one room you should run the fan on exhaust. The windows and connecting doors of the rooms being cooled should be open.
A couple of features worth looking into on window fans are a thermostat control and electric reversibility. A thermostat control is useful when there is a large difference between the day and night temperature in your environment. Electric reversibility means that the window fan is able to switch from intake to exhaust or vice versa without manually turning the fan around like the 9600 Air King 16" Window Fan.
When you are using a window fan, you should be aware that they don't allow you to control the indoor temperature as closely as an air conditioner. Also, window fans shouldn't be used if the air outside is uncomfortably hot, humid and/or polluted. You should not use window fans without window screens because insects and animals may enter your home (small insects such as gnats may enter your home even with the use of a screen). You may not want to use them in high crime or noisy areas as well.
To make sure you get the most out of using a window fan to cool your home, you should not leave the fan on all day. This shortens the fan's life, especially if it is left on during a rainstorm. You also should not operate a fan that isn't working correctly. If the blades aren't moving or if there is a burning smell, it could be a fire hazard. Another problem could be if the fan isn't lubricated enough. This causes the blades to rotate slowly, not at all and/or make a lot of noise. There could also be a potentially dangerous electrical fault, such as a wire being loose. You should make sure that all of the parts of your fans are in fine working order for your safety and comfort.
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