As members enter Capital Fitness in downtown Madison, WI, their curiosity comes alive. Club owner Erik Minton says his clients look to the ceiling in awe, commenting, “I’ve never seen a fan that big.”
Why all the wide eyes? Capital Fitness is home to a big 12-foot fan. And, the story behind Minton’s big fan is one rooted in member retention.
Although Minton’s gym had an existing HVAC system, when he surveyed his members, he discovered their number one concern was better air quality. Desiring to be a standout, member-focused gym, Minton made member comfort his number one priority. But, more air conditioning was not the solution. Minton needed to effectively and efficiently move air throughout his facility to provide a rewarding and pleasurable experience. To solve his complex dilemma, Minton chose a big fan for the gym’s 4,500- square-foot workout room.
“The air quality has been vastly improved in the gym since installing the fan,” Minton said. “Some of the lowest fan speeds actually generate a very subtle, yet fresh level of air movement that feels just right in an active gym setting.”
Club owners must make improved air circulation a priority. Big fans help by providing a refreshingly gentle breeze that accelerates the body’s natural cooling system. The air flow aids the evaporation of sweat from the body making you feel cooler.
Big ceiling-mounted fans, ranging from 6-feet to 24-feet in diameter, use their size, not speed, to circulate high volumes of air at low speeds. In fact, a specially designed model can actually move over 337,000-cubic-feet of air per minute (cfm) over an area of 20,000 square feet.
And, because the virtually silent giant fans gently distribute air across large spaces, they provide what small personal fans cannot: true comfort. What’s more: better air circulation also means less condensation, for reduced risk of damaging expensive gym equipment.
It turns out big fans were also in Minton’s best financial interest. The big fans are very green. Using one- to two-horsepower motors, the fans cost just pennies-per-hour to operate. In return, they effectively cause the air to feel between four to 16 degrees cooler during the hot summer. Such results allow thermostat settings to be raised without any loss of comfort in the gym. And, for every one degree removed from the thermostat, owners of the big fans cut 3% on their energy bills. Many gym facilities experience a 12% to 48% reduction in energy costs.
Savings and comfort are not limited to the summer, however. During winter months, the fans are also effective at maintaining a comfortable environment. Set at slower speeds, the big fans redirect warm air trapped on the ceiling, down to the floor. Big fans help to keep an even temperature throughout the gym, so heating equipment works less and, in turn, saves energy. The savings allow club owners to invest in other customer incentives, such as staff, equipment, and classes. It all comes back to ensuring members are pleased with their gym experience, which translates into higher retention rates and member referrals.
For Minton, members’ safety was as important as their comfort. “We were concerned about the weight and movement of the large fan overhead as we were mounting it into an 80-year-old concrete ceiling,” Minton said. “After installing the proper concrete anchors, the fan is stable and secure. We’ve noticed no movement of the fan motor whatsoever. The safety cable also gave us added confidence.”
The best quality big fans are engineered with safety as top priority – from aviation-grade bolts to safety cables capable of holding more than twice the weight of the fan. The ceiling-mounted design of the big fans also eliminates cords and tripping hazards of traditional box and column fans.
With all the benefits that his big fan offers, Minton is understandably pleased. He plans to add two more fans in Capital Fitness’ new 10,000-square-foot expansion – one for an aerobics classroom and another for a spinning room.
With more and more facilities experiencing the same air quality, client comfort and energy management issues as Capital Fitness, big fans have found their way into health clubs, training facilities, indoor water parks and tennis facilities worldwide.
So, what makes these big fans so diversely applicable? It’s actually very simple. The fans are an efficient solution to an all-tocommon problem, so it is only natural to use a big fan for big air circulation. And, just like Minton, club owners around the world have found that big fans provide a fresh and comfortable environment for their members.
“The improvements were ten-fold what we expected,” Minton said. “I would recommend a big fan to anyone needing air movement and fun added to their business.”
Cynthia Held is a Marketing Associate with the Big Ass Fans Company. She can be contacted at 877.BIG.FANS, or by email at cynthia@bigassfans.com, or visit www.bigassfans.com.
