Ceiling fans useful in winter for heat help

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 287, 23 May 1989, Page 11

Ceiling fans useful in winter for heat help

Ceiling fans are back in vogue, yet according to the owner of an Auckland fan and light company more people would use them if they were aware of the benefits of a fan in winter.

In summer the gentle breeze of a ceiling fan can make a room feel five degrees cooler. " The owner of Fandango, Mr Barry Mellor, says few people realise a ceiling fan can reduce heating costs by redistributing the hot, rising air back to the living level of a room. This is achieved by using the reverse rota-

tion of the fan to push the hot air off the ceiling without causing a cooling draught. "The average ceiling fan will consume only 8 cents worth of electricity in a 12-hour period," he said. "Heating costs can be reduced by up to 25 per cent in some cases." While the ceiling fan is often associated with

high ceilings, it can operate safely and efficiently when suspended from any ceiling 2.4m (8ft) or higher. Most fans are suitable for 2.4m high ceilings, but longer downrods are available to position the fan at the height required. All ceiling fans are either 3 or 5-speed, with speeds ranging from 60 rpm to 300 rpm. They are also available in different sizes, blade spans ranging from 900mm (36in) to 1420mm

(56in) diameter of the sweep. The larger fan is generally used wherever space allows because of its more natural appearance and more gentle air-moving ability. Most fans can have a

light added and are usually prewired for such a purpose. The fan and light operate independently from either wall switches or inbuilt controls on the fan. Mr Mellor says fans

have an interesting history with the first ceiling fans in 1886 operated by belts and pulleys powered by wa-ter-pressure motors. The first ceiling fan

operated by an electric motor was unveiled in 1903. "In fact," he says, "ceiling fans were one of the first uses for the newly invented electric motor."