Man’s Not Hot: The Electric Fan — A Technological Breakthrough
While I was searching for a piece of technology that is ubiquitous and developed before my birth date, I decided to choose something that is valuable to me, personally. Now a lot of you probably have zero experience with this kind of lifestyle, or can even fathom it, but I do not have air conditioning at home. No, we do not choose to keep it off to save the environment and decrease our utility bills. I actually grew up in a house located out in the country, with no air conditioner or system to install one.
So, for 22 years, on all those hot, muggy summer days and nights, I looked to my electric fan for comfort. Whether it was to cool me down while relaxing watching a movie, or trying to sleep in a room that felt like a sauna, my fan never let me down! Even during the fall and winter, when there is no heat to overcome (literally no heat — we also heat our house using a small wood-stove in the basement), I still turn my fan on before bed because the subtle noise helps me fall asleep!
The First Electric Fan
The electric fan was invented in 1886 by Schuyler Wheeler, an American electrical engineer. In 1882, Wheeler realized the potential of electricity and started his journey to becoming one of America’s finest inventors. The first electric fan he developed only had two blades, used an extremely dangerous open wound motor, and also required direct current (dc) power to operate.
One year later, in 1887 Wheeler’s electric fan was commercially available, manufactured by the Crocker and Curtis Electric Motor Company and had made major improvements from the original. The design of the fan now included six blades, as well as an interchangeable light that controlled speed. By 1892, the light was replaced with a two-speed switch and an optional safety cage for the blades, similar to those on the fans nowadays.
In 1904, Wheeler was officially recognized for the invention of the electric fan, as he was awarded the John Scott Medal from the Franklin Institute.
Next Steps
Like any new technology, these electric fans were very expensive until major changes occurred in the 1920s. Prior to this, fans were not a very common household item, usually only found inside business offices, as well as in the homes of more affluent individuals and families. The change to mass produce the steel blades was one of the major factors that helped reduce the prices of electric fans.
Other changes to design, such as developing the overlapping blade design that was much quieter than the original models, as well as variations in colour and style, made electric fans more appealing to customers. These steps in development transformed electric fans into being a common piece of technology found in households.
Was/Is it Successful?
In my opinion, the electric fan was definitely a successful technological breakthrough. No, I’m not just saying this because I basically depend on fans throughout the summer! Wheeler’s electric fan actually paved the way for the invention of the ceiling fan, which is also a very successful breakthrough to this day.
Electric fans are still very popular in homes today. The modern fans have remote controls to control power, speed, timer, oscillation, etc., but they mostly follow the exact same concepts that Wheeler developed. This proves that this invention was very significant, as no drastic changes were made over the years.
However, there are newer innovations in air circulation that have developed fans without visible blades. This breakthrough would definitely blow Schuyler Wheeler’s mind! But he would certainly be very proud about how successful his breakthrough was and still is to this day!