Fan Buying Guide

Although a ceiling fan doesn’t actually lower the temperature in a room, it does generate a breeze that makes you feel cooler. And that means you don’t have to run the air conditioning as much in the summer. The best ceiling fan for your home is one that matches your style and is the proper size for the room.

You can use ceiling fans in the winter to help save energy, too. Put the fan on a low speed and set the reversing switch for upward airflow. This pushes naturally rising warm air from the ceiling back down into the room.

Window fans cool your home by pulling cool, outside air in or pushing hot air out, depending on which way the fans are facing. Fans work best in windows that face the prevailing wind or are directly opposite. A reversible fan adjusts to changes in the wind direction without having to be turned around. By placing two fans — one blowing in and one blowing out — in windows on opposite sides of a room, you can create cross-ventilation that moves air and makes you feel cooler.

You can apply the same technique between levels in a two-story home. Direct fans to blow air out through upper-level windows, while fans in lower-level windows pull cool air in. You’ll need to try different setups to see which ones produce the best airflow.

Where it’s not possible or practical to put fans in windows, portable fans can be placed on the floor near windows or doorways and can help circulate air within a room or between rooms. These include box fans, stand fans and desk fans. Fans with special features, such as multiple speeds, adjustable heights and oscillation, provide flexibility in directing airflow.

The tower fan’s cylindrical air-moving mechanism saves space and provides just as much airflow as other fans. These fans also offer remote controls, variable speeds and oscillation options.

Misting fans combine airflow with moisture for a complete cooling experience. Indoor/outdoor, stationary and handheld battery-operated models are available.

High-velocity fans are larger than average fans in order to cover large areas with ease. Air movers refer to a specific group of fans for heavy-duty air circulation and fast drying. Usually, these are for industrial or commercial use where rapid drying is required.

If your home has an unfinished attic, it can get really hot up there in the summer. Roof vents allow some of this hot air to escape, and good insulation keeps the heat from seeping down into your home’s living areas. But an attic fan can move even more hot air out of your attic.

Attic fans are designed to draw cooler outside air in through vents in the soffits or gables and push hot air outside. Most are hard wired, but solar-powered models are available, too. Many attic fans are equipped with thermostats, so they turn on and off automatically according to the attic temperature.

If you’re serious about using fans to reduce your cooling costs, consider installing a whole house fan. It works on the same principle as an attic fan but is a much more powerful unit that pulls cool air in from open windows throughout the home and pushes hot air out through vents in the attic and roof. Normally mounted on the highest ceiling in the home, a whole house fan can often replace air conditioning for much or all of the cooling season in moderate climates. A whole house fan is most effective in the evening and early morning hours when the outside air is coolest.

In addition to fans that move air throughout your home, more targeted fans remove odors and moisture from smaller areas. In the kitchen, an exhaust fan or hood in the cooking area gets rid of smoke and grease smells. In the bath, an exhaust fan removes moist air generated by bathing and showering. For the best bathroom exhaust fan or kitchen exhaust fan results, choose the proper size and air-moving capacity for your room.