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looking for window fans that aren't crap
Calica
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Obligatory: not about weed :razz:
I'm looking for a window fan that:
Reasonable criteria, you'd think. I'm willing to pay more for quality, if I can find it.
Wirecutter's top pick for window fans started having serious quality control issues about a year ago, and their (distant) second pick is sold out everywhere. Frankly, though, reading reviews I get the impression that every window fan currently available is cheaply made with half-assed quality control at best, and if you want an actually good product you have to go vintage. Lots of people unfavorably comparing their brand new fan to their (or their parents') still-functioning, quieter, more powerful 30-year-old fan from the same company. Diving into the vintage rabbit hole looks exhausting, though. Also, most reviews aren't from experts; so it's hard to tell why a particular model has the issues it does and whether there are ways to mitigate it. (Minimizing vibration by making sure it's installed correctly? Doable. Fixing imbalanced blades? Annoying, and I shouldn't have to; but still technically doable. Compensating for a defective circuit board or a badly-made motor, not so much.)
I'm not sure what the square footage of my apartment is. It's the top floor of what was originally a single-family home. It has windows on all four sides, so it's an ideal situation for cross-breezes. A whole-house/industrial fan is probably overkill (which is ironic, because industrial is where you start to get less-mushy quality). I'm fine with putting several smaller fans in different rooms.
I'm looking for a window fan that:
- works, and won't spontaneously quit for no apparent reason after a month (or a week) of use
- moves enough air to ventilate a small- to medium-sized room
- is reasonably quiet (that is, doesn't vibrate on low settings, doesn't vibrate much on higher settings, doesn't rattle, and is durable enough that it doesn't develop vibration, rattling, or grinding (all of which indicate mechanical wear and possible failure) over time with normal use
- doesn't have flimsy/mushy components
- doesn't have any glaring design flaws (can't tolerate rain, lets in bugs, isn't reversible)
Reasonable criteria, you'd think. I'm willing to pay more for quality, if I can find it.
Wirecutter's top pick for window fans started having serious quality control issues about a year ago, and their (distant) second pick is sold out everywhere. Frankly, though, reading reviews I get the impression that every window fan currently available is cheaply made with half-assed quality control at best, and if you want an actually good product you have to go vintage. Lots of people unfavorably comparing their brand new fan to their (or their parents') still-functioning, quieter, more powerful 30-year-old fan from the same company. Diving into the vintage rabbit hole looks exhausting, though. Also, most reviews aren't from experts; so it's hard to tell why a particular model has the issues it does and whether there are ways to mitigate it. (Minimizing vibration by making sure it's installed correctly? Doable. Fixing imbalanced blades? Annoying, and I shouldn't have to; but still technically doable. Compensating for a defective circuit board or a badly-made motor, not so much.)
I'm not sure what the square footage of my apartment is. It's the top floor of what was originally a single-family home. It has windows on all four sides, so it's an ideal situation for cross-breezes. A whole-house/industrial fan is probably overkill (which is ironic, because industrial is where you start to get less-mushy quality). I'm fine with putting several smaller fans in different rooms.
Calica on
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They don't make a window fan, so I'd buy an air mover and aim it out my sliding door and open a window on the other side of the apartment. It worked very well, but I can see how it might not be the least trip-hazard way of going about it.
Edit:
Prior to the Vornado fan my solution was to use some rope and a large screw into the stud above the window and just hang a box fan from it by the handle in a way that it wasn't really holding the fan up, but if the fan tried to tip it couldn't. Several crappy box fans lasted over a year, and since they were pretty cheap I never really cared.
I wasn't as impressed with the flippi (sort of a small desk circulator) as that one is a bit loud compared to the zippi. But it's still relatively solid for what it is.
Bedroom (10k BTU): https://www.lg.com/us/air-conditioners/lg-LW1019IVSM
Livingroom/apartment (14k BTU): https://www.lg.com/us/air-conditioners/lg-lw1517ivsm
They make bigger ones, up to 20k BTU in the same form factor, but these two are suitable for essentially every use case. If you think for sure you need a bigger one, just find the LG Dual Inverter Line and get the size you need.
Every other window unit in existence is trash. Portable units are worse than trash. Don't think, buy this one.
And I didn't mean to be short with you, sorry
edit: removed batsignal; at least it won't get quoted again >_<
No further questions, this interview is over.
(Sorry to waste everyone's time
Hey, I appreciate the thought! :biggrin:
How about evaporative air coolers? Which are a thing I learned existed about three days ago and have no actual help or advice about?
Areas with higher humidity, they are not useful and they lack that evaporative element.
Thanks all!