What's the Most Efficient Way to Cool a Room Using Fans?

There are few things as unpleasant as having to sleep, work, or sit for hours in a hot room.

Fans can be a great solution for improving the airflow around you to make life more comfortable during these hot days or nights…if they’re set up to correctly circulate air. This article will discuss best practices to cool your room(s) using both tower and window fans efficiently.

Tower Fans

Tower fans are designed to enhance the balance of a room without disrupting the interior décor. They’re built to save on space while cooling and circulating air. Their discreet style is often used to complement room decor.

Tower fans are built to work quietly and efficiently. They typically have a square base that houses a powerful motor. When activated, the motor moves fan blades at high speed, pulling in air from one area to another.

Inside most fans are filters to help eliminate dust, allergens, and pet dander. Once the air has been circulated through the fan, it’s directed to another area for a cooling effect.

Tips for Using Tower Fans

1. Plan - Look at the room’s structure to figure out where you need fresh air the most. Are there windows or doors that you could use to bring in fresh air? Note where air will enter and leave an area when using the fan (or fans).

2. Use Angles - Consider where the fan will direct air. Most tower fans can rotate between 90 and 180 degrees. Determine whether or not you’ll use the oscillating function, and make sure the tower fan is pointing in an optimal direction. Think about placing the fan in a corner to cover a room more evenly (and make sure there’s enough space behind the fan, as well).

3. Eliminate Obstacles - Although tower fans are typically taller than standard oscillating fans, the breeze that they generate can still be hindered by furniture like couches, bookshelves, or beds. Position the fan so that it blows over or around these obstacles. Consider placing the fan on a sturdy base if needed to give it more height.

4. Use Multiple Fans - Providing excellent air circulation in large rooms can be too much of a task for a single fan. However, if you have two fans working in the same room, you will benefit from perfect temperatures. Room size is everything when considering getting more than one fan, as putting two fans in a small room could convert it into a tornado zone.

Read our tower fan buying guide here

Window Fans

Window fans are designed to be placed inside a window’s frame. Window fans generally move cool air form the outdoors to an indoor space. They’re often cheaper than tower fans but might clash with decor.

Ceiling fans

Ceiling fans can decrease temperature throughout the home by several degrees. They keep airflow moving, which prevents rooms from feeling stuffy and uses the wind chill effect to cool the area. Most ceiling fans have a switch that allows them to blow air up or down depending on the season – during summer months, air should be blowing down.

Attic fans

An attic fan is not simply a fan that you plug into a wall outlet and place in your attic like would any other room or space in your house. Attic fans, also known as whole-house fans, are attached to the floor of your attic and are designed to cool your attic and home using the outside air. Attic fans are usually placed above a hallway or living space to provide air circulation for the entire house by creating a negative pressure air system within the home.

Read our attic fan buying guide here

Tips for Using Window Fans

1. Maximize Airflow - If you live in a single-story apartment, arrange your fans so that they blow inwards in one section of the house, and outwards on the opposite section. Ensure that the doors are open in between to maximize airflow. If you live in a multi-story home, remember that hot air rises. Consider placing fans on the lower floors to assist in air flow, leaving upper level windows open to allow the hot air to escape. Use the wind direction outside to assist you with the placement. As such, point the fan with the wind rather than against it.

2. Avoid Pollution – Any window fans should be located at least 25 feet from contaminated areas like sewers, dumpsters, or loading docs to avoid letting fumes and odors into the house. Low quality air can cause more serious issues than warm air. If you’re allergic to pollen, note that window fans can bring in allergens from outside.

3. Be Safe - If you don’t have adequate window screens, using window fans might allow small insects to get inside the room. If you live on the ground floor or in a high-crime area, determine if open windows are a good idea since they could provide an unintended opportunity to access your home.

Use Fans Efficiently

Keeping a room cool during the hot days isn’t as easy as just turning on a fan.

To get the best cooling effect out of fans without investing in an air conditioner, try the above tips. Be sure to compare window and tower fans, choosing the best solution (or using a combination of both throughout your home or workspace).

Still have questions? Ask an HVAC expert directly via chat or phone.

---

Recommended Reading