The ceiling fan, in its common residential form, has been with us since the 1890s. Modern interpretations of this familiar appliance are moving more air, more efficiently. Today’s ceiling fans can provide improved yearround comfort for club members, and substantial savings for club owners.
The principle behind these new and improved ceiling fans is simple. Bigger really is better. With sizes ranging from a hefty six feet (large by normal standards) to a whopping 24 feet, these big fans move huge columns of air over large spaces. Big fans move high volumes of air using lower speeds than traditional ceiling fans meaning the air movement they create is gentle and evenly distributed.
Ceiling Fans for Summer and Winter
When most people think of ceiling fans, they think of hot weather, summer months and the relief fans bring from the heat. Particularly for athletes and fitness professionals, staying cool while working out in hot climates is crucial. Health club professionals know that a member’s comfort level while in the facility also affects the bottom line through increased retention and revenue. In addition, ceiling fans are an effective method of de-stratifying the air in large facilities with high ceilings during winter months, effectively equalizing the temperature from floor to ceiling.
In the summer, a single 24-foot big fan with engineered “winglets” can move over 337,000 Cubic Feet of air per Minute (CFM), lowering the effective temperature of an area by as much as 7 to 10 degrees making the workout space considerably more comfortable. However, during the winter season, giant fans set at slower speeds, mix the warm air suspended near the ceiling with the cooler air at floor level, allowing a facility to lower the thermostat setting with no loss of comfort.
The use of big ceiling fans at low speeds with air flow downward for energy efficiency by de-stratification in winter is well established. Circulation of indoor air at three to four times per hour, particularly in spaces with high ceilings, can allow the thermostat to be set 10°F to 15°F lower while maintaining the same thermal comfort. For each 1°F the thermostat is lowered in winter the typical heating energy cost saving is one percent for eacheight-hour period, or three percent per day. Lowering the thermostat in winter by 5°F, from 85°F to 80°F, will typically save approximately 15 percent of heating energy cost per day. The U.S. Department of Energy’s field data from facilities using big fans indicates monthly winter gas consumption can be cut by up to 30 percent (U.S. Department of Energy, www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/tips/ temp_control.html).
From Floor to Ceiling
An added benefit of using huge ceiling fans in health clubs is the increased safety over the more commonly used floor fans. Floor fans not only take up valuable space, but can leave a tangled web of cords, which creates a tripping hazard for unwary members. Ceiling mounted fans take on air movement and keep moving parts up and out of the way of members and staff.
Smaller scale floor fans traditionally use higher velocities, generating disruptive air movement that affect a minimal amount of space. That same high velocity also creates a lot of noise. Large scale ceiling fans can move big air using only one to two horsepower motors, meaning the big fans cost only about 10 cents per hour to operate. On average, a single 24-foot ceiling fan, using the latest in big fan foils and “winglet” design, can replace over 20 standard floor fans and use less electricity than just four of those floor fans.
The air circulation of these behemoths also works to alleviate damaging and dangerous condensation on club floors and equipment. High humidity, a problem for clubs without proper air circulation, can wreak havoc on sensitive mechanisms in treadmills and other cardio equipment. Controlling humidity through proper air circulation means equipment will need less maintenance and club members will stay happy.
Final Tally
The latest in big ceiling fan technology can save club owners money on heating and cooling costs; can improve theoverall comfort of their facilities; save valuable floor space for fitness equipment; keep members safe with outof- the-way installation, and alleviate high humidity issues like condensation and equipment deterioration. Many health club professionals may just find a costeffective solution to their air circulation problems in the spinning blades of these gentle giants.
Heather Henley is a Technical Researcher for the Big Ass Fans Company. She can be contacted at 877.BIGFANS, or by email at heather@bigassfans.com.
ceiling fans are great for cooling a warm room with large area. i prefer them over multiple desk fans”‘*