Pedestal Fans

Pedestal fans are small electrically operated air circulators which are mounted on a steady base, in contrast to a ceiling fan.

History of Pedestal Fans

Pedestal fans made their first appearances around the turn of the twentieth century, fast becoming the essential device to own for keeping cool in the days prior to air conditioning. Early pedestal fans were essentially luxury items, with production costs so high that only the wealthy or business owners might afford them. The advent of assembly line production made such fans universally available, and they enjoyed domination of the market well into the latter half of the century, when they were ultimately dethroned by central air conditioning.

Advantages of Pedestal Fans

Though they lack the ability to cool the entire home with the push of a button, pedestal fans have various advantages over air conditioning. Most significantly, they do not guzzle anywhere near the same amount of energy. In many cases, homeowners invest far too much in energy bills to achieve a minimal amount of relief.

A pedestal fan is a low-energy electrical appliance that can provide comparable coolness to an air conditioner if one tends to remain in certain rooms of the home during the day. In addition, because a pedestal fan is light and portable, it can be ferried about from room to room as needed. This can lead to significant savings in climates requiring a steady flow of cool air.

Features of Pedestal Fans

A standard pedestal fan consists of a flat cage-like structure atop a narrow pole, itself affixed to a flat base. These usually contain three or more blades, commonly made of aluminum, which rotate rapidly, pushing air at right angles to their movements and creating wind chill. The fan's cage protects the motor and internal mechanisms as well as preventing harm to individuals from the motions of the blades.

Most pedestal fans possess an oscillator, a device which enables the fan to sway from side to side in a wide arc (usually ninety degrees) to increase its range. In addition, some fans oscillate vertically as well as horizontally. The rate of the oscillation is frequently adjustable, as is the speed of the blade rotation, which in turn increases the intensity of the wind chill. Most pedestal fans are two to three feet tall, with varying amounts of power and options. Certain pedestal fans make use of special controlled velocity technology to produce additional airflow. Others are highly compact, compressing all of the fan's workings into a narrow, tower-like frame.

By Matthew Ingalls