How Do Electric Fans Work?

All fans work by moving the air that is in the area of the fan. This movement of air creates a breeze, which is felt on the skin of the person that is in front of the fan. While this breeze itself does not actually feel cool, there is a cooling effect from the fan's air. The air allows your skin to evaporate sweat faster, cooling your skin.

Electric fans are comprised of a motor run by electric current, which is attached to fan blades via a shaft. This rotor shaft is run by the motor, and turns the fan blades at different speeds depending on the speed set for the motor. The number of blades and the general revolutions per minute of the motor can vary greatly depending on the model of the electric fan.

While all fans, hand operated and electric, move the air that is in a room or space, only electric fans are actually efficient at cooling people down. This is because the energy expended to wave a manual fan creates heat in the body, and the fan's air does not do enough to counteract it. Additionally, the velocity of an electric fan changes the air pressure and lowers the temperature.