You’re using your fan all wrong — these 3 top tips will help you cool down your home properly and stay comfortable in a heatwave
If you have an electric fan, it’s tempting to just point it in your general direction and hope for the best, but if you’re just moving the warm air around inside your home, you’re really missing out.
High-end fans can move a large volume of air very quickly for maximum cooling effect, but even a cheap, low-powered fan can make a noticeable difference on indoor temperature if you position it strategically, especially at night when you struggle to sleep in a stuffy bedroom.
Read on to discover three top tips for using your fan properly, and if you don’t already own one, check out our guide to the best fans to discover our top picks, rated and recommended by our expert reviewers.
1. Know your fans
First, determine if you have a fan or air circulator. They look a lot alike, but they serve different purposes when it comes to keeping you cool.
Simply put, a fan blows a concentrated jet of air in your direction, which helps sweat evaporate and lowers your skin temperature. An air circulator, on the other hand, moves air throughout a large area of your home and works best in combination with some sort of cooling source, such as an air conditioning unit.
Meaco is one of the biggest names in air circulators, and its new Sefte Pro models are particularly effective in keeping you comfortable at night. Our writer Becca Caddy recently reviewed the Meaco Sefte Pro 10-inch Tabletop Air Circulator and was very impressed with its quiet operation and ability to run all night on a single charge. It even comes with a glow-in-the-dark remote so you can control it from bed. The free-standing version has its wireless receiver at the top so you don’t have to sit down to aim the remote, and its mobile app lets you start running it while you’re away, so you return to a cooler home.
If you want a fan (to use while working at your desk, for example), the Shark FlexBreeze gets our seal of approval. Again, it’s extremely quiet and has a misting attachment that sprays a very fine cloud of water to enhance the cooling effect as it evaporates from your skin. You can also detach the head from its large base and use it as a desk fan.
2. Position it correctly
If you chose a fan over an air circulator (which is usually the least expensive option), you can increase its effectiveness at night by using negative pressure ventilation, a technique used by firefighters to help clear smoke from a room.
It may seem counterintuitive, but if you position your fan so that it’s facing an open window, rather than pointing toward the room, it will draw in cool air from outside while expelling warm air.
This method only really works for cooling one room at a time, but it can be very effective. If you want to cool your bedroom, for example, close all the windows and doors in your house except the bedroom window, the bedroom door, and a window on the other side of the house from your bedroom.
Place your fan about 3 to 6 inches from the window, facing outside the room, turn it all the way up, and turn it on. The fan will create negative pressure inside your home and bring cold air in through the opposite open window.
3. Keep it clean
Whether you use a fan or an air circulator, it’s important to keep it clean so it continues to work efficiently and avoid spreading dirt throughout your home. It’s easy to forget if your fan has been sitting on a shelf for months, but as the air conditioning experts at Dreo point out, it can make a big difference.
Fans and air circulators often come with removable grilles for easy cleaning. Turn off and unplug the fan, then look for the small screws or clips holding the grill together and unscrew them. Wipe the blades and grill with a damp cloth, let them dry, then reassemble them. You can also wipe the fan housing with a damp microfiber cloth, but don’t get water near the motor. If you see dust in the air intakes, use a small brush to gently remove it.
If you have any doubts about how to keep your fan clean, check the instruction manual and the manufacturer’s website.
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My fan recommendations
Homes Editor Cat Ellis picks her favorite fans and air circulators for every budget
1. Shark Flexbreeze: My #1 Overall Pick
➡️ Today’s best prices ✅ Read our review
2. Meaco Sefte Pro: My favorite air circulator
➡️ Today’s best prices ✅ Read our review
3. Dreo Smart Tower Fan 519S: My superior tower fan
➡️ Today’s best prices ✅ Read our review
4. Dyson Cool CF1: Best for sleeping
➡️ Today’s best prices ✅ Read our review
“I’ve been a technology journalist for more than 15 years, in print and online, and I’m committed to testing devices in the real world so you can be sure you’re getting the right product for your individual home.”
