Time to get fans for the office…
Now whether you believe reports in the Daily Express that we’re in for the “Hottest Summer Ever” (oh yes, 2014 is going to be a SCORCHER!! Again. Apparently) or whether you’re more prone to believe the slightly less optimistic and cautious view of the long range weather forecasts from the Met office (the usual — it could be sunny, there will probably be some rain as well. But actually, beyond that, they haven’t got much of a clue!), the chances are, at some point during the summer, there will be at least a smattering of days where it gets a bit hot and stuffy in your office.
Firstly, it’s worth pointing out that air conditioning is much more effective at reducing the temperature in an enclosed space than an electric fan. So if you’re lucky enough to work in an office with good quality air conditioning, in perfect working order and you sit close enough to the vents/units for it to be effective, then congratulations! You will not have to resort to running your wrists and possibly even feet under the cold tap in the washrooms on those rare (but wonderful) days where the temperature hits 80 degrees plus.
If, however, you work in a small office with no air conditioning or one in an older building with air conditioning which is about as useful as a chocolate teapot (and you can’t convince your employees to invest in one or two portable air conditioning units) then it might be worth making sure you’ve got plenty of electric fans as an alternative.
So as stated above, fans don’t actually lower the temperature of a room. In fact, they actually add heat to a room! One way to think about it is like this: If you have a perfectly insulated room and you put an electric fan in it, then the room will get warmer. All the electricity that is driving the fan turns directly into heat.
So a fan does not cool the room at all. What a fan does is create a wind chill effect.
When weather forecasters talk about wind chill on a cold winter day, what they are referring to is how the wind increases convective heatloss. By blowing air around, the fan makes it easier for the air to evaporate sweat from your skin, which is how you eliminate body heat. The more evaporation, the cooler you feel.
Fans come in all shapes and sizes (well not all — but there are options) and the type you buy will invariably depend on where you want it to go.
For desks which might be lacking in surface space but have partitions, a clip on fan might be ideal.
If desk space is available, then a desk fan might be an option. These are usually blade or “windmill” types, albeit we do have a mini tower fan available.
If you need the fan to benefit more than one desk space (in a boardroom or staff room situation for example), then a larger floor standing fan would be the best option. These are available as traditional blade fans or tower fans. The latter has the advantage of having a smaller foot print than most fans. They are also generally quieter (even on high) and are obviously less likely to have someone get their fingers in the blade because the cover has much smaller holes. It’s personal preference, but some might also say they’re more aesthetically pleasing.
So whilst not as good as air conditioning, with a few fans, plenty of water/fluids to rehydrate yourself and perhaps a bottle of deodorant for Bob in accounts, you can survive all those lovely hot summer days we have to come. Now, if it would just stop raining…..
Visit http://www.theofficesuppliessupermarket.com/product-search-results?search=electric+fans&pg=2 to see our selection of fans
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