Fans: The Natural Revolution
Sun Herald
Sunday January 7, 1990
HOW could Sam have played it again in Casablanca if he hadn't had a ceiling fan to cool the old ivories?
The image of ceiling fans churning away in hot, smoky dens still has romantic appeal, which is a bonus because they generally do the trick when it comes to cooling - they're unobtrusive, quiet and comparatively safe.
(Naturally, if your home has been built efficiently to take account of sun position and breezes you might not need fans at all, according to some architects, but where cooling devices must be used, fans are still a more natural alternative to air-conditioning.)
These days, you can get any look you want in a ceiling fan.
The Casablanca Fan Co has a huge range of fans in either metal or timber. Timber is thought to be better for the domestic situation as the blades turn slower and the fan is therefore safer and less noisy.
The timber fans have four blades and come in various woods or wood and rattan (cane weave). They also come in brass, antique brass or clear or amber perspex, for a different look. Most of the fans will take lights.
Prices range from $99 to $384.
The Fan Mart shop also stocks an extensive range of 4-blade fans in wood and cane and has copies of the American hunter fan which is an older traditional-style of ceiling fan.
Prices start at around $199 and for the next few weeks there is a $30 to$100 discount on most fans.
If you have a large house with big rooms you could consider something a bit different and opt for an air circulator.
Air circulators are normally used as industrial fans, but they look pretty flash.
According to David Holzhauzer, the assistant manager at Fan Master, which manufacturers the product. "Ordinary fans oscillate and blow air from person to person. Air circulators actually circulate the air."
But he only recommends them to domestic customers with large spaces to cool, otherwise he says, they'll blow you away.
The fans have chrome-plated aluminium blades and a 2-piece wire guard. They come in two sizes - 24 inch and 32 inch. They can also be fixed to stands or can be wall-mounted. Priced from $390 to $480.
If your cooling needs are much smaller, Grace Bros has conventional fans available from tiny ones for $24 up to 16 inch pedestal fans for $89.95. It also stocks Mistral Gyro fans (compact box fans) which can be set for round-the-room airflow or for a more direct air flow (from $85).
© 1990 Sun Herald