As temperatures soar to well over 30C across the UK, many people will be getting ready to turn their fans on to stay cool. However, some are concerned as to whether it is safe to use their fan during extreme temperatures.
Electric fans work by spinning at high speeds in order to create air pressure and cause airflow in the direction its pointing. Contrary to popular belief, fans do not in fact cool down the air, instead, the increased velocity in air flow from that fan just makes the air feel cooler.
People feel cooler when in front of a fan because the sweat on our skin evaporates more quickly when coming into contact with fast-moving air, similar to how blowing on hot food or drink cools it down faster. Believe it or not, the World Health Organisation has previously advised against using electric fans during extreme heat.
Read more: Updated Greater Manchester hour-by-hour Monday weather forecast as red warning in place
Although the research into this is limited, the WHO has previously stated that electric fans may increase the work and stress on the body as it attempts to cool down. However, a recent study has suggested that it is perfectly safe to use a fan, even in extreme heat.
Ollie Jay, associate professor of health sciences at the University of Sydney, ran a study where 12 healthy men were placed in two different heat conditions for two hours at a time - one with a humid heat of 56C and another with a dry heat of 46C. The study found that in hot and humid conditions, electric fans lowered the participants' core body temperatures and reduce heat-related strain on their hearts while also improving comfort.
However, while in hot and dry conditions, the fans were discovered to actually increase body temperature. “Fans at any temperature up to 104°F, where there is some kind of humidity, are beneficial,” says Jay.
“But as the temperature goes higher, if it’s dry then fans are progressively less useful and potentially detrimental.”
Fortunately, the UK is a humid environment, which means that electric fans may in fact be more beneficial than if you used them in a different country and should be safe to use. A really useful tip to make electric fans more effective is to place a plate of ice in front of them - the fan will blow the cold air from the ice into the rest of the room, effectively imitating air conditioning.
Read next:
