In article ,
J Burns wrote:

Placed a few inches from a screen, a box fan won't inhale much through
the screen but will exhale very well through the screen.

First actually useful piece of info to surface from this murky thread,
thanks.

On Aug 10, 11:46*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:39:11 -0700 (PDT), Harry K

wrote:
Glad to hear that you are convinced that overhead fans are the only
thing that is useable.

Harry K

But they contain motors too, and could catch on fire. *It would be
much safer to place some mice in a squirrel cage and connect a fan
blade to it.

But...but...but...aren't mice a source of dusease? Looks like the
only solution is to crawl into a cave naked and never come out.

Harry K

On Aug 10, 11:44*pm, wrote:
On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 21:26:32 -0700 (PDT), Harry K

wrote:
Yep, I use it all summer long. *Turn on the furnace fan and let it run
keeps the AC from kicking in for hours. *Much more effective than my
ceiling fan. *Then the 20" box fan blowing down the hall sucks in the
evening cool air.

Harry K

My box fan has been running around the clock for nearly 3 months now.
It only gets shut off when I leave for a weekend, or during rain
storms when I need to shut the window. *Otherwise it sucks air thru
the house 24/7. *I cant afford the electricity to run a window Air
Conditioner. *Box fans use little energy compared to an AC.

Yep. But just look how much safer you would be without the box
fan...lets see, known problem (not the 'could have' 'might have'
problems) divided into the population equals? I guess some
vanishingly small chance of it causing a problem.

Harry K

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 22:29:04 -0400, "Ed Pawlowski"
wrote:


wrote
That's all BOX fans do when used properly too - they are NOT window
fans. Using them as such is a misuse.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Says who?

Harry K
They make window fans for that purpose. Box fans are air movers meant
to sit on the floor.

What happens to them if you sit them on a window sill? I've seen many used
like that; I'd guess millions nationwide are in windows. I've never seen a
caution about not using them in a window.

However, I did find this on Lasko's web site:
http://www.laskoproducts.com/prodinfo/faq-fans.html
Can I use my Box Fan in a window? Most box fans are not designed for use in
a window

Note the word "most" as opposed to using the word "no".

And the don't give any specifics here
What is a Window Fan? A fan mounted in a window to circulate the air. Window
fans are used for air intake, air exhaust, or air exchange. The blade size
ranges from 8" to 16"

Then, you have this that tells you how to use a box fan in the window.
http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Window-Fans-for-Home-Cooling


It's a WIKI - take it with a few grains of salt.
Any moron can write anything and look like an expert.
Place fans in windows. Close the window as tightly as possible around the
fan to hold it in place and prevent local circulation

Of course, this box fan is designed for use in windows
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...24&marketID=39


It is designed that it will stand up to weather IF used in a window -
still not designed "as" a window fan - but unlike "most" the fan is
weatherproofed like a windowe fan motor.
Evidently, geeks don't know everything, even wise ones
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-box-fan.htm
Many homeowners also choose to place a box fan in an open window, similar to
an air conditioning unit. If the home owner places the box fan in the window
so the front faces outdoors, the box fan will draw warm air out from inside
the home. If the homeowner places the box fan with the front facing inside,
the fan with draw in air from outside..

You can even rent one for $3 a day
http://www.loanables.com/items/show/...ndow-Austin-TX

The same lasko as sold by Home depot - it is ACTUALLY an
indoor-outdoor fan - designed to be used on patios etc, not as a
window fan - but as such it is safer than MOST box fans if you are
going to use one in a window.
Also considerably smaller than the "average" box fan, at 22" overall,
with a 20 inch blade

And some people just love them in the window
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...conomical.html
One feature my Lasko 20€� box fan has is its compact design. It fits very
well in my window. I can use it to bring in the cooler air from the outside.
This works remarkably well. This is known as an economical in-window air
conditioner. Another nice thing about its size is the fact that it is not
cumbersome to carry out of the store. It fits into my trunk perfectly, also.

My Lasko 20€� box fan is also lightweight. Considering its size, I found that
very surprising. It also is very welcomed.


Seems like you have a big job ahead convincing people to take the box fans
out of the window.
Home Despot carries an affordable "window fan" designed to do the
job -
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053,
as well as a better, electrically reversible window fan that is still
quite affordable -
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

And then there is Lasko's window fan that allows you to close the
window without removing the fan
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

I suspect there is a good reason they sell "window fans" as well as
"box fans" - different horses for different courses.

You could pull a plough with a thotougbred, and you could take a
Clydesdale to the sulky track - but neither is optimal, or even close,
for the job.

Bob Villa wrote:
Who would be willing to fork-out $200 for this Made in USA product?

http://www.electric-fan.com/fans/9166D/

Lasko and Lakewood are made in America from foreign and domestic
parts. My box fans are Lasko and more than 10 years old and no issues
or complaints.

Air King is now a Lasko subsidiary. The 9166 made its name as a fan
that would blow 7000 cfm. Evidently, the construction wasn't good
enough for that much power; bearings seized, blades cracked, and grilles
broke. So they put on a wimpy motor for which they claim 3650 cfm.

I believe the Lasko 20-Inch Premium Box Fan ($24 at Amazon) claims 3623
cfm for only 150 watts. The manufacturer claims it blows 30% more than
other fans. In that case, it would need more stability. Indeed, it is
heavier and deeper than typical of plastic box fans. The 28 reviewers
seem to have a consensus that it blows more than other box fans they've
owned.

I once tested box fans for thrust by weighing them, hanging them by 6
feet of cord in the carport, and seeing how far back they moved when I
turned them on. From pounds of thrust and diameter I could compute cfm.

I remember my 9-pound Holmes was very wimpy compared to my antique
24-pound Lau. Dadburnit, I'm getting knocking from the Lau motor now!
I think the bearings are no longer handling the thrust. If I could find
a replacement motor, it would be expensive. I wonder if it's easy to
get bearings for a motor with a 3/8" shaft.

My window fan just sparked up right now a few times and made popping noises! Freaked me right out and it is brand new and doesn't have any dust on it!

wrote:
My window fan just sparked up right now a few times and made popping
noises! Freaked me right out and it is brand new and doesn't have any
dust on it!

Take it back.

On 7/5/15 11:17 PM, wrote:
My window fan just sparked up right now a few times and made popping
noises! Freaked me right out and it is brand new and doesn't have any
dust on it!


This is the weekend when kids prowl neighborhoods looking for fans to
throw firecrackers at.

On Sun, 5 Jul 2015 20:17:54 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

My window fan just sparked up right now a few times and made popping noises! Freaked me right out and it is brand new and doesn't have any dust on it!

No more dangerous than any motor, most of which will last for years if
not decades and fail without causing a problem.

TAke it back and get another one or another brand.

I"m using my father's fan now that he bought around 1955. Old ones
have to be oiled every year or two but it still works fine.

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 1:52:23 PM UTC-4, jimmy wrote:
I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??

ok lets start off by saying that newer box fans are cheeply made, but the answer to your question is no there is one model of lasko box fan that was recalled but if you dont have that model you should be fine.

On Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 2:05:54 PM UTC-5, wrote:

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 1:52:23 PM UTC-4, jimmy wrote:

I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??

ok lets start off by saying that newer box fans are cheeply made, but the answer to your question is no there is one model of lasko box fan that was recalled but if you dont have that model you should be fine.


No, let's start off by saying you are replying to a SIX YEAR
OLD thread. Question was posted on August 08, 2010.

On Sat, 17 Sep 2016 12:25:00 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

On Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 2:05:54 PM UTC-5, wrote:

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 1:52:23 PM UTC-4, jimmy wrote:

I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??

ok lets start off by saying that newer box fans are cheeply made, but the answer to your question is no there is one model of lasko box fan that was recalled but if you dont have that model you should be fine.


No, let's start off by saying you are replying to a SIX YEAR
OLD thread. Question was posted on August 08, 2010.

They were death traps in 2010 but they are fine now. They just blow
the thermal fuse now and you throw them away.

On 9/17/2016 12:05 PM, wrote:
On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 1:52:23 PM UTC-4, jimmy wrote:


Well, Jimmy, only if you stick something, like yer nose, in them.
Other body parts also apply.
See if you can name them....

I just saw a fire on my street, and the box fan was burned out hanging from the third story, I know what caused the fire, as it was charred. It was the box fan. So anyone saying box fans dont cause fires, either has not had it happen to them, or theyre just ignorant.

On 7/30/2017 8:13 AM, wrote:


I just saw a fire on my street, and the box fan was burned out hanging from the third story, I know what caused the fire, as it was charred. It was the box fan. So anyone saying box fans dont cause fires, either has not had it happen to them, or theyre just ignorant.


Maybe the fan burned from something behind it and sucked the smoke and
flames trough it. Did you see the fire marshal's report?

On Sun, 30 Jul 2017 09:14:41 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

On 7/30/2017 8:13 AM, wrote:


I just saw a fire on my street, and the box fan was burned out hanging from the third story, I know what caused the fire, as it was charred. It was the box fan. So anyone saying box fans dont cause fires, either has not had it happen to them, or theyre just ignorant.


Maybe the fan burned from something behind it and sucked the smoke and
flames trough it. Did you see the fire marshal's report?
ant quality box fan is either thermaly protected, impedence
protected, or both.

Ive never had an issue till yesterday when my fan caught fire and turned itself into melted plastic

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 4:28:32 PM UTC-4, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:12:40 -0500, Steve Barker wrote:
On 8/8/2010 12:52 PM, jimmy wrote:
I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??



ya, i had one tell me 90% of house fires are from computer monitors.
They say what sounds good at the time.

87.3% of all statistics are made up

87.314159265358979323846% to be exact

On Fri, 5 Jun 2020 06:04:10 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 4:28:32 PM UTC-4, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:12:40 -0500, Steve Barker wrote:
On 8/8/2010 12:52 PM, jimmy wrote:
I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??



ya, i had one tell me 90% of house fires are from computer monitors.
They say what sounds good at the time.

87.3% of all statistics are made up

87.314159265358979323846% to be exact
87+(pi/10) ? That can't be exact. You must have rounded pi.

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 5 Jun 2020 06:04:10 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 4:28:32 PM UTC-4, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:12:40 -0500, Steve Barker wrote:
On 8/8/2010 12:52 PM, jimmy wrote:
I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??

Well I had a fan, all metal with a flat metal plate as a base, and a
two-blade blade. Maybe made in the 30's. It was clearly once mounted to
some big piece of machinery like a railroad engine and the rivets
holding it were drilled out. I probably got it at a yard sale.

I used it at work. The motor would start, but the blade was on very
loosely and it would take 20 or 30 seconds before the blade caught up,
during which time it made sort of a ringing noise. The people at work
felt sorry for me and bought me a new plastic fan, so I took it home and
nailed one corner to the window sill above my head, for summer time.

I put a switch in the cord and when on my back I could reach up and turn
it on without looking at it. I also took a thermostat from a box fan,
mounted into a big plastic cap from an aerosol can, so the fan turned
off when it cooled off in the middle of the night.

It needed oiling, and as the years went on, it needed oiling more often.
One time, I looked up and the oil in the motor was on fire. And the
motor too. I guess I was lucky to put the fire out with no more damage.

But I think this story is rare, and I doubt fans cause many fires.
Don't all their motors have thermal fuses? (Mine didn't.)

It used a bathroom fan, shaded pole motor to run it, but one size bigger
than what those fans use, and I could never find a motor the right size,
so now I have a big 3-speed plastic fan at the foot of my bed,
controlled by a remote switch in my bed. I still have the fan parts
for the future. Plastic fans take up more space than metal fans do.



ya, i had one tell me 90% of house fires are from computer monitors.
They say what sounds good at the time.

87.3% of all statistics are made up

87.314159265358979323846% to be exact

Hmmph. 87.13%

On Fri, 05 Jun 2020 10:58:59 -0400, micky
wrote:

In alt.home.repair, on Fri, 5 Jun 2020 06:04:10 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

On Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 4:28:32 PM UTC-4, AZ Nomad wrote:
On Sun, 08 Aug 2010 15:12:40 -0500, Steve Barker wrote:
On 8/8/2010 12:52 PM, jimmy wrote:
I recently had a conversation with an insurance adjuster who told me one of
the causes of fires in a home are these box fans...do you have any info
regarding this??

Well I had a fan, all metal with a flat metal plate as a base, and a
two-blade blade. Maybe made in the 30's. It was clearly once mounted to
some big piece of machinery like a railroad engine and the rivets
holding it were drilled out. I probably got it at a yard sale.

I used it at work. The motor would start, but the blade was on very
loosely and it would take 20 or 30 seconds before the blade caught up,
during which time it made sort of a ringing noise. The people at work
felt sorry for me and bought me a new plastic fan, so I took it home and
nailed one corner to the window sill above my head, for summer time.

I put a switch in the cord and when on my back I could reach up and turn
it on without looking at it. I also took a thermostat from a box fan,
mounted into a big plastic cap from an aerosol can, so the fan turned
off when it cooled off in the middle of the night.

It needed oiling, and as the years went on, it needed oiling more often.
One time, I looked up and the oil in the motor was on fire. And the
motor too. I guess I was lucky to put the fire out with no more damage.

But I think this story is rare, and I doubt fans cause many fires.
Don't all their motors have thermal fuses? (Mine didn't.)

It used a bathroom fan, shaded pole motor to run it, but one size bigger
than what those fans use, and I could never find a motor the right size,
so now I have a big 3-speed plastic fan at the foot of my bed,
controlled by a remote switch in my bed. I still have the fan parts
for the future. Plastic fans take up more space than metal fans do.



ya, i had one tell me 90% of house fires are from computer monitors.
They say what sounds good at the time.

87.3% of all statistics are made up

87.314159265358979323846% to be exact

Hmmph. 87.13%
Actually there is a basis to the rumour. A LOT of cheap chinese box
fans were produced without thermal protection in the motors, and were
not "impedence protected" to prevent them from overheating, and when
the bearings seized up they WERE prone to throwing smoke and flames