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Two Fan Challenge | Appliances

The Two Fan Challenge

Meet the next heat wave head on with two fans and a ten-minute daily conservation routine. Most homes can be kept cool for days with just two fans if you follow these simple steps. Start this routine on the cooler days before a predicted heat wave...

1. Trap the cool air in each morning.

1. Close all windows

2. Close the blinds and drapes except where needed for natural light.

3. Conserve energy to minimize the heat generated by lights and appliances.

 2.  Let the cool air in each evening.

1. Open all drapes and windows

2. If there’s no breeze, use one window fan to bring air in or expel warm air

3. Use a floor fan to keep the air moving through the house, or blow cooler air up from the basement

Read the Lows!
Because you are trapping the cooler night air in your home, the most important part of the forecast is the predicted low (not the high).  The lows are usually lower at the beginning of a heat wave, which is why it is important to start the routine before the heat wave begins.

Comparing Fans and Air-Conditioners
How much electricity will the Two Fan Challenge Save?

A stand up fan uses 75 watts, and a window unit will use 100 watts.  Running continuously for twelve hours a day they will use 2.1 KWh of electricity. A 1,000 watt air-conditioner, running all day for 75% of the time will use 18 KWh. A central air-conditioning unit can use up to 3,500 watts, and will use about 63 KWh.

Using the two fan system can save between 16 and 60KWh of electricity each day.

Case Study:  Our Executive Director's house  

The Original Test -- August 2003 (after the blackout)		June 2008 -- five years later and with new windows
We’ve used the two fan method for years in our family, and it’s kept our two storey, semi-detached house cool for at least two to three days into a heat wave. Conservation was never about freezing in the dark, and it isn’t about sweating in the heat either.  It’s about eliminating the wasteful ways and living a comfortable, efficient lifestyle. Ours is a typical urban home. There’s nothing we are doing that cannot be done by nearly every homeowner in Ontario. In the first heatwave after the August 2003 blackout, we monitored the outdoor, top floor and basement temperature of our house.  Two fans kept our house comfortable and used considerably less energy. Chris Winter August 2003 One Cool House Semi-detached with three bedrooms.  Note the curtains are closed for the day.		An Even Cooler House Casement windows eliminate the need for fans. Our old windows were two panes of glass in an aluminum frame -- and with a screen size of less than 1/4 of the full window. They were also hard to clean and ugly to look at, so we had many reasons for wanting to upgrade the windows. With new triple-glazed, fully-opening casement windows, we'd been anxiously awaiting the first heat wave try them out. The difference is astounding. We didn't even need to use the fans. It was like sleeping in the outside air! Chris Winter, June, 2008
Date (2003) Tuesday August 19 Wednesday August 20 Thursday August 21 Friday Aug 22 Predicted High   (from Pulse24.com) 29 30 32 26 Time and Temperature (Celsius)  Noon Eve 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.   Outside 28 26 21 30 21 29 21   Upstairs 26 26 23 27 25 27 25   Basement 26 25 23 24 23 24 23		Date (2008) Friday June 6 Saturday June 7 Sunday June 8 Monday June 9 Predicted High / Low  (from Pulse24.com) 32 30/26 32/24 31/22 evening storms Time and Temperature (Celsius)   P.M. high A.M. low  P.M. high  A.M. low P.M. high  A.M. low   Outside   33 24 32 24 32 25   Upstairs   23 24 25 22 26 23   Basement   21 20 20 20 20 20
Cost Comparison Item Capital Operating Windows -- per room $500 - $2,500 0 Air Conditioner -- window unit $150 - $350 $50 - 150 per year Windows -- whole house $15,000 - $25,000 0 Central Air Conditioner $4,000 - $8,000 150 - 250 per year   Bottom line With existing windows, use natural cooling in the evening whenever possible and use a couple of fans to help speed up the air exchange.   If you are buying new windows -- invest in high-efficiency ones that open fully to allow maximum ventilation.  They cost  more, but look better and you will see savings on your electricity and heating bills.   A nice window is better to look at than an air conditioner, and a natural breeze at night is a nicer sound than the hum of a motor.   With central air, you can still practice natural cooling as your first option. It's like keeping the car in the garage and using the bike.   Natural cooling can't compete for convenience, and there will be nghts when the lows are still pretty warm, but for saving money and saving the planet, the humble window is the way to go.