Ceiling fan
Concept II Ceiling Fan
Simple and practical ceiling hugger, the Concept II fan is easy to assemble and install.
IMPORTANT: When making your selection please note that this fan is available with 44 and 52 inch blades
About $200 from G Squared at g2art.com
3 Comments:
Hi--
Great blog! I'm on the hunt for a product that may not even exist...but figured you might be a good source to ask.
I'm looking for a lightweight ceiling fan that installs with adhesive and no permanent wiring...like the Valo track lighting systems or the temporary window shades that already exist.
Our old house is a challenge to wire and to install onto plaster, so we've got Valo track lights in several rooms and would love that kind of solution to help move heat from our wood stove through the house.
Thanks for any help you can offer.
Fun project!
Air has friction. Hot air rises and likes it up there. Moving warm air across a ceiling and into another room will require more energy than it seems. Cool air near the floors or in another room is slow and lazy too. It's important to think about moving cooler air too, to mix it with incoming warm air, or very gradually move it away. For example, in a forced air furnace system, there's always return air ducts or vents to be sure air is moving.
And for wood burning fires, there's a warning: A stovepipe or chimney must be hot it's entire length. Abruptly cooling it with a blast of moving air can cause explosive condensates inside the flue or, by slowing the exhaust, increase back-draft and unhealthy gases in the living area.
Yes, AC current is an costly burden sometimes. AC cable must be buried, well insulated and the conductors must be solid. An AC spark is hot and dangerous. After all these years, AC remains a common cause of fire.
Low voltage track lighting is different. It uses DC current and much lower power. Though DC sparks can also be hot, i.e. crossing the terminals of a car battery, track systems reduce both voltage and amps. Thus low voltage wiring can be exposed or adhered.
But is there a low voltage fan? Wouldn't it be ideal to attach a small fan to your existing track system? It's important to look at details though, such as total system watts available.
1) There are lo-cost rechargeable fans. No wiring, but heavy. The batteries in a common $30 fan might last a few days and can be recharged 100s of times.
Don't forget that using adhesive on a wall is no stronger than the coating of paint! A heavy vibrating fan can easily fall.
2) There are 12 and 24 low voltage fans that mimic the looks and performance of common ceiling fans. [link here] These fans are heavy too. Even the best blades vibrate. Attaching with a rubber-grommeted hanger and strong bolts is important. Solar panels can power these fans, but the cost-benefit might be too high unless off the grid.
Though low voltage DC wires can be left exposed on walls, it's still important to look for UL safety ratings on transformers, wires and switch components.
Neither of the two options above will be pretty or as snazzy as today's lo-volt track systems. Plaster can be gouged to bury the DC wires in channels and repainted. Developed for sound systems, there's flat ribbon wiring available too that can be over painted, though it's expensive. I'm not sure it's for DC motors.
I'm looking for neat fans that can be mounted on existing track systems. Maybe a manufacturer has already introduced a fan module. Track lighting reps at the top specialty stores will know.
RV and boating sites might have lo-volt solutions.
Adapting small box computer fans might work, but safety factors must be thought about. These fans aren't designed to move large volumes of air but can be useful to kick-start convection currents. Rack mount fans might be a good starting point.
Fans with cords are an option.
I remembered this fan for moving air room-to-room. Suncourt EntreeAir Door Frame Fan. Suncourt developed a few ideas. I think they first became popular in the 70s energy crunch. True engineering evaluation of cost effectiveness seems hard to find, but comfort counts too. It has a safety rated cord and it's easy to attach.
Though costly, patio fans are on a pedestal, like an overgrown floor lamp. The blades will pull air downward. Once again, the electricity used over a long period may exceed the cost of wood used in the stove. There's not many engineers that have worked out the numbers for unconventional heat savers. There might be a 'sweet spot' in your room, adjacent a cooler outer wall, for instance, where a convection loop can be started with the fan on low speed.
Several wood stove vendors offer carefully designed fans to help move heat away from the stove. I wonder if these pay for themselves in warmer climate zones or to move air in more than one room.
Woodheat.org has posted a page of ideas to distribute air from a stove.
But where's a neat and simple low-voltage "track-fan"??
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