Tips for Using a Fan

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  • Use your fan in or next to a window. Box fans are best.
  • Use a fan to bring in the cooler air from outside.
  • Use your fan by plugging it directly into the wall outlet. If you need an extension cord, it should be CSA or Canadian Standards Association approved.
  • Don't use a fan in a closed room without windows or doors open to the outside.
  • Don't believe that fans cool air. They don't. They just move the air around. Fans keep you cool by evaporating your sweat.
  • Don't use a fan to blow extremely hot air on yourself. This can cause heat exhaustion to happen faster.

If you can not open your window to use a fan, choose other ways to keep cool. Check the Summer Safety: How to Beat the Heat.

When it is extremely hot it is important to spend even a few hours in a cooler environment to cool the core body temperature down. This helps save lives.

If you feel ill, faint, have difficulty breathing or feel disoriented visit your doctor or nearest hospital right away.

Last updated July 2011