Benefits of Using Fans to Stay Comfortable in Summer Heat

As the summer heat arrives, the question of how to stay cool without sending the electric bill through the roof arises. Whether you’re trying to keep a restaurant, small business, warehouse or your work environment cool or you are in your home, using fans to stay comfortable is a simple and effective way to beat the summer heat. Fans have become an essential summer accessory for people of all ages.

Instant Cooling Wherever You Are

One of the biggest advantages of using fans to stay comfortable is that it provides immediate airflow wherever you are. Unlike air conditioning units that are fixed in one location, portable fans can be moved from one place to another, with many having carry handles built into the design. Being able to direct the airflow of the fan to a specific area can be the difference between comfort and misery.

Energy-Efficient Comfort

Running an air conditioner all day can significantly increase your energy bills. Portable fans use only a fraction of the electricity, making them an affordable way to stay cool. They can also complement your air conditioning by circulating cool air more effectively, allowing you to raise the thermostat without sacrificing comfort.

Versatile for Every Situation

Portable fans come in a variety of styles and features to suit different needs. The most popular feature people look for is oscillation. This is where the fan head rotates back and forth allowing the fan to cool a larger space. Almost all oscillating fans can be locked into one position for times when you want the fan just blowing on you and then can be unlocked when you want to share the cooling effects with others. Other features to consider are a tilting fan head to direct the airflow, a remote control and other programmable features like a timer, thermostat and more.

Sizes for All Needs

The size of a portable fan is usually listed as the blade size. For instance, a 12” fan will have a blade that is 12” but the overall size of the fan will be larger. Popular sizes for portable fans range from 6” for personal comfort all the way up to 30” to cool industrial spaces like warehouses, gyms and so forth. Choosing the size you need is determined by the size of the area, how many people you want to cool and what application it is being used in (residential, commercial, industrial). The good news is there are plenty to choose from.

Affordable and Practical

Portable fans are available at a wide range of price points, making them an accessible cooling solution for nearly any budget. Their durability and versatility provide excellent value, especially during the hottest months of the year.

Final Thoughts

Using a fan to stay comfortable is a small investment that can make a big difference during the summer months. Whether you’re looking to stay comfortable at work or home or reduce your reliance on air conditioning, a portable fan offers a practical and reliable way to keep cool all season long.

This summer, don’t let the heat slow you down. With a portable fan by your side, you can stay more comfortable, and ready for whatever the day brings. Lasko Brand including Air King, B-Air and BlueDri offer an extensive line of residential, commercial and industrial grade fans. Visit airkinglimited.com to learn more about using fans to stay comfortable.

Choosing an Exhaust Fan With or Without a Light

When choosing an exhaust fan for your home, there are many features you need to consider – what sound level, do I want an item like a humidity sensor, how much airflow do I need and so on. One of the first decisions is typically if you need a light or not. Sometimes it is an easy one such as if the fan will be used in a location where a light is not needed. This is typically the case when it is used as a continuous running fan to comply with building codes outline by ASHRAE 62.2. Other times however it is not as simple.

In rooms that either need a light or would benefit from additional lighting you basically have two options. Utilize a combination exhaust fan with light or install a secondary light source. While this might seem like a simple decision, and for certain installations it is, there are a few considerations to take into account.

Light Location

In many installations the exhaust fan is located to maximize the ventilation of the room. That can mean installing it in the shower enclosure or maybe directly over a toilet. In some cases, the best location for the lighting and the ventilation might be the same but in other installations it might not be. For instance, if the room needs more ventilation over a toilet but the lighting is needed more over the sink, then it might be better to utilize a fan without a light and install a separate light over the sink.

Cost Consideration

When choosing an exhaust fan, cost is probably a top factor. A fan light combination is going to cost more than an equivalent model that does not have a light. There are also some other costs associated with a fan light combination. If the fan and light will be wired together (meaning anytime the fan is on the light is also on), the wiring will be the same as a fan without a light. However, if you are going to install the unit so the light and exhaust fan operate separately, there are additional costs for the extra wiring and you will typically need an upgraded switch (at least a two function from a one function switch). Before anyone starts to yell – yes there are additional costs to installing a separate light in the room as well including the fixture as well as the wiring. What you need to take into consideration is how much more does the fan with light cost in relationship to how much more a light fixture will cost. In cases where there are already a bunch of other lights being installed, adding one more might not be that much. In cases (such as a powder room) that might only need the light from the exhaust fan, it might not be cost effective to have a separate light installed.

The Aesthetics

How a fan looks can play a big factor in the decision-making process. In general, a fan with a light will need to be a bit larger and have more of a presence in the room where a fan without a light will have a lower profile. In some cases, such as a decorative fan light combination, it is a design feature of the room. In other cases, it might not fit in with the aesthetics of the room.

The Lighting

Almost all exhaust fans with light are going to have some type of lens cover on them. This is to protect the lights from having water spray up onto them – especially if they are used in a shower stall. With the lighting needing to be protected it can diminish how much light the fixture is actually giving off and how the light is dispersed throughout the room. Recessed lighting is going to be more focused and “bright” in one area. Lighting with a lens cover is going to be more spread out but might not be as bright. Which one to choose is dependent on how you are looking to light the space.

Hopefully this article will help you when choosing an exhaust fan and if you want to utilize one with or without a light feature. For more information about Air King exhaust fans – with and without lighting, visit airkinglimiited.com.

Building Energy Efficient Homes

In the home building industry there are constantly changing trends. Items like the hottest new paint color, flooring material, open concept building and so on. We use the classification of trends because they seem to have a limited lifespan until the next hot thing comes in style. What we are more focused on is the direction of the home building industry, which is going to have more staying power. This is where things like building energy efficient homes come into play. Homes continue to be built to higher and higher efficiency levels. Some of this is directed by local and national codes but it is also driven by consumer demand as buyers become more educated on the efficiency of their homes.

More and more of the nation’s leading builders are now making a commitment to building energy efficient homes through the ENERGY STAR® home program. In order to certify a home as ENERGY STAR® there is a stringent list of requirements the builder must meet. This includes almost every aspect of the building process including things that probably won’t surprise you such as windows, doors, insulation, appliances and the HVAC system. What you might not know is that it also includes items such as the ducting, air filtration and ventilation fans of the home. All of these requirements must be confirmed through an independent rater/inspector for the home to receive the final sign off. This is comforting to the homebuyer, as they will have peace of mind that the home is going to perform as advertised.

So why is this a direction and not just a trend. We will get right to it – money. While there are a lot of extra benefits to using less energy (reducing our carbon footprint, using less resources…), the big one from a homeowner’s standpoint is a reduced utility bill. An energy efficient home can reduce the monthly utility bills considerably. According to ENERGY STAR®, a certified home will use up to 30% more energy than a traditionally built home. To put that in perspective, if your utility bills are $300 a month, a certified home would reduce that to $210. That is a saving of $1,080 per year. According to the Redfin the typical US homeowner stays in their home for about 12 years, meaning a savings of about $13,000. Additionally, the home will have better resale value.

Another aspect of building energy efficient homes is there is a movement that is gaining support that in order to qualify for a FHA mortgage, the home must be ENERGY STAR® certified. ENERGY STAR® already has a program called Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEM) that helps homebuyers qualify for purchasing a home as it considers that the monthly cost to maintain the home will be less, allowing more to be used to pay off the loan. While these programs are not yet mandatory, the direction they are going looks as if they will be in the near future. The good news is the major builders are already identifying this and are getting ahead of the game, committing to building certified homes.

To learn more about building trends/directions or other industry news, makes sure to read Air King’s other blog posts. To learn more about Air King’s ENERGY STAR® certified ventilation and fresh air intake solutions and how they can be implemented into building energy efficient homes visit airkinglimited.com

What is Air Exchanges Per Hour?

When talking about ventilation the term Air Exchanges Per Hour is probably going to come up, but what is it? The simple answer if how many times the air inside your home is replaced by either outside or filtered air per hour. Think of it this way – if you have a glass full of water and you pour it all out, then fill it back up with water you have exchanged the water in the glass one time. The same holds true with air but it is a little more difficult to see.

How is the air exchanged?

Air exchanges take place in one of three main ways.

Exhaust Fans: Exhaust fans are one of the most effective ways to exchange the air in your home. They take the stale indoor air and exhaust it to the outdoors allowing fresh air to replace it. National building codes now require a continuously running fan to be installed in all homes for this very reason.

HVAC system: Your HVAC system also helps provide air exchanges but there are some challenges with using this as the only method. The biggest one is that the system has to be running in order to provide air exchanges. You can set your system to just run the fan, but this is a very inefficient way to exchange air in your home. Another challenge is for this to be effective, the system needs to be drawing fresh air into the home or have filters installed that will take out the “bad” stuff. A good amount of HVAC systems do not draw fresh air in – you can check with your technician. As for the filters, most systems utilize a MERV 6 or MERV 8 filter. These are good for capturing dust and larger particles but when it comes to the stuff we are really trying to remove, they are not as effective. It is recommended that a MERV 13 or above be used, but not all HVAC systems can handle that (see our blog on Filters).

Natural exchange: It sounds so nice – Natural, but there are also some issues with this method. Most of the time this means opening a window or door and letting the air come in. If you have a nice breeze blowing on a moderate temperature day with good outdoor air quality (low pollen, smog, etc.) this is a good way to exchange the air. The big issue is you can’t control how much air is coming in or what is in the air. A second and significant issue it temperature, think Texas in the summer or Minnesota in the winter. Opening doors and windows probably is not an option.

Why are air exchanges important?

A key component to Indoor Air Quality is air exchanges. When we are not properly exchanging the air we allow all kings of contaminates to linger in the air. Think of a smoky bar room. Without any ventilation or air exchanges the smoke just lingers in the air. While hopefully our homes are not full of smoke, they are full of contaminates in the air caused by breathing, cooking, pets, and just general everyday living. Having a plan to continually remove these contaminates is key to better living. 

How many air exchanges per hour should take place?

This is where we come to the great debate. Home many air exchanges are needed, what is too little, what is too much. There is always a balance and as we learn more about our indoor air quality the numbers can change. As of this posting ASHRAE, who sets most of the building standards when it comes to indoor air quality recommends that a minimum of 0.35 air exchanges per hour occur in your home. Other organizations recommend up to 5 per hour. Our thought is that 5 per hour might be a bit extreme and will definitely have a negative effect on the efficiency of the home in that you have to condition all that air coming in to replace the air going out. With that being said, lets examine what 0.35 exchanges per hour looks like. For a 1,000 square foot home with 8-foot ceilings you have 8,000 cubic feet of space. Divide 8,000 by 60 (minutes) to get 133. Now times 133 by 0.35 to get 46.67. This is the amount of CFM you would need to provide the recommended air exchanges per hour. ASHRAE also provides a calculator that is a bit more involved to determine how much continuous ventilation your home needs. You can access the calculator on the Air King site by clicking here.

For more information about the indoor air quality of your home and how you can improve it, please read through the many articles we have written over the years. For information regarding Air King exhaust fan and fresh air intake solutions visit airkinglimited.com.