Cooling fan for children's room/nursery

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SumnerBoy

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#226053 18-Dec-2017 13:54

Been prety crazy hot the last few weeks and hopefully it continues!

Currently just have a very cheap/small fan in the nursery trying to keep the munchkin cool but I am after something a bit more effective.

Need something that will cool a medium sized bedroom that gets very warm (upstairs, NW facing), which is relatively quiet.

I have just come across the $1K Dyson Pure Hot + Cool which looks pretty slick, but the price almost made me choke on my sandwich. There are tower fans and the standard desk/pedestal fans. Just not sure what the pros/cons of the different types.

Open to suggestions and advice!

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#1921296 18-Dec-2017 13:59

Thought about a portable aircon unit? http://www.harveynorman.co.nz/home-appliances/heating-and-cooling/heat-pumps-and-air-conditioners/dimplexreverse-cycle-portable-air-conditioner-en.html

SumnerBoy

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#1921297 18-Dec-2017 14:02

Have considered them yeah, but don't think necessary. Only a few months when we need cooling and the small fan is currently almost doubt the trick. Prefer to keep it simple where possible.

SumnerBoy

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#1921298 18-Dec-2017 14:02

*doing

mdf

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#1921301 18-Dec-2017 14:08

We had a similar issue a few years back in a west facing bedroom. It used to be cold and draughty but insulated it to the nth degree for winter and bubs. Then just about melted come summer.

We installed a ceiling fan that certainly helped, but didn't resolve the issue entirely.

The real solution was reflective window film/tints, a Venetian blind and a window lock that meant we could leave it open during the day.

ben28

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#1921305 18-Dec-2017 14:17

Small heat pump for under $1500 installed will definitely work , you control the climate year round.
However once you start you start thinking ‘if I just spent a bit more I could control other rooms ‘
If it’s the only room in the house with aircon you’ll all be in there on nights like these, it’s bliss getting a good nights sleep

wellygary

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#1921331 18-Dec-2017 14:49

The first thing to try is some heavy thermal black out curtains and try to limit the entry of heat into the room in the first place,

If you are able to keep the curtains closed and the window open in the afternoons this should help keep the place cool,

A step up from a regular fan, but not going the whole Air Con route , is an "evaporative cooler"

http://www.kmart.co.nz/product/10l-evaporative-cooler-with-remote-controller-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/1549822

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gcorgnet

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#1921337 18-Dec-2017 14:58

My son's room is west facing ang get horribly hot on sunny days in the evening, just in time for bed :-(

We got those thermal films put in and while that helped, it was still too hot. Then someone suggested a shade sail outside, at an angle, providing shade so that the direct light doesn't hit the window anymore.

Difference is night and day (excuse the pun)

tdgeek

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#1921352 18-Dec-2017 15:01

wellygary:

The first thing to try is some heavy thermal black out curtains and try to limit the entry of heat into the room in the first place,

If you are able to keep the curtains closed and the window open in the afternoons this should help keep the place cool,

A step up from a regular fan, but not going the whole Air Con route , is an "evaporative cooler"

http://www.kmart.co.nz/product/10l-evaporative-cooler-with-remote-controller-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------/1549822

Thats a very nice idea, and cheap. Does it blow past the water tank, (assuming it takes a while to warm the water to ambient) or does it blow past the exposed water to add cooler moist air to the room?

Scott3

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#1921356 18-Dec-2017 15:11

As a general statement NZ is far to humid for Evaporative coolers. They are only really suitable for low humidity desert like locations. There is a reason you don't often see them for sale in NZ.

If the air is already humid they cool poorly, and make the air more humid (sticky), and increase the chance of mold etc.

Regarding the fan, just go to your favorite appliance retailer (noel lemming / warehouse etc), and get a pedestal fan for under $40. We have a warehouse one that is still going strong after 5+ years (although the stand bit was way flimsy)

The dyson ones are mostly about looks, the don't actually fan any better. Also the pitch of their noise is less desirable than a normal fan.

Also note that fans are virtually free to run, air-con (especially the hose out the window type) use a lot of power.

We currently are using a hose out the window air conditioner in our bedroom, and despite drawing 1kW+ of power, it only cools our small room. Was the right choice for our situation (short term cooling need due to wife's pregnancy), and we were able to get an old unit for $100 off trademe (in winter).

A Window or split (or ducted central) air conditioning system would be way more efficient, and way quieter. With ours the compressor is inside, so it is very noisy.

wazzageek

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#1921364 18-Dec-2017 15:16

We have an earlier model of the Dyson Heat + Cool - we rarely use it, because it's quite noisy.

I've tried to get fans that have multiple blades and don't spin too quickly (meaning a lot quieter).

We had a portable air conditioner - it's noisy as all the unit is inside.

For noise, I'd stick with pedestal fans - tower fans have smaller blades that spin faster to move the air.

If you can shade the windows during the day, that's probably going to be your best bet (we now leave our curtains close mostly during the day to help keep the house cooler in the evening.)

scuwp

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#1921400 18-Dec-2017 16:33

Ceiling fan can move the air around a bit creating a breeze and the appearance of a cooling effect. Otherwise in NZ the only other real solution is air conditioning. Good blackout curtains help.

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morrisk

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#1921406 18-Dec-2017 16:49

This fan has some good reviews

https://www.mitre10.co.nz/shop/vornado-air-circulator-black/p/269132

Aredwood

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#1921438 18-Dec-2017 18:36

An outdoor shade sail is far better than using dark curtains. As the Sun shines through the window, heats up the curtains, which in turn makes the room really hot. You need to stop the Sun before it reaches the windows. Or put mirror tints on the windows. Shade sail is best, as you can remove it in winter.

If you do end up getting a heatpump installed, it is still worthwhile blocking the summer sun. As it reduces your running costs.

timmmay

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#1921440 18-Dec-2017 18:44

White curtains closed to keep heat from coming in is a good start. If you have an air conditioner near you could try blowing air in, or what seems quite effective is putting a big fan at the window and blowing hot air out, letting cooler air flow in.

SumnerBoy

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#1921532 18-Dec-2017 22:02

Thanks for all the comments everyone. It is a second storey room with no possibility for a shade sail. We already have block-out blinds on all windows and these are down permanently, except for one of the smaller south facing windows which we open for ventilation and cooling during the day.

I don't think it is worth the expense and effort of a heat pump. It is only an issue for 3-4 weeks a year on average, although this year has certainly been pretty warm so far!

I think a decent sized pedestal fan which is relatively quiet will fit the bill. The small desk fan we have been using is far from quiet and bubs seems quite happy sleeping with it on. Although that Vornado looks interesting - thanks for the link!

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