Fan of the Fan?

The electric fan. A thing of genius, is it not? It is an apparatus used to produce airflow for the purpose of comfort, ventilation, exhaust or any other gaseous transport. Electric fans create a wind chill but do not lower the temperature directly. They come in lots of different designs and are used in various different ways. At home they can be put on the floor, table, ceiling, window, wall, roof or chimney. They can also be built into computers for cooling and also used inside of blow dryers and space heaters. They are also found in air conditioning systems and automotive engines.

Are you the electric fan's number one fan? Did you ever wonder how this perfect piece of equipment came to be? Well, it all started with the punkah fan. The punkah fan is the first recorded mechanical fan. It was used in the Middle East in the 1500s. It was made with a canvas covered frame suspended from the ceiling. There were specific servants whose job it was to pull the rope connected to the frame. These servants were called Punkah Wallahs and they helped the fan move back and forth.

During the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, belt driven fans powered by water wheels started being used. In 1832, A.A. Sablukov invented the Air Pump. The Air Pump was a kind of centrifugal fan. It was also one of the first workable mechanical fans. Between 1882-1886 Dr. Schuyler Skaats Wheeler developed the two bladed desk fan. This fan was a personal electric fan.

In 1882, Phillip Diehl invented the electric ceiling fan. It was only used in commercial establishments and well-to-do households. During the 1890s to the 1920s, fans were very stylish but not finger safe. Lots of children were injured by coming in contact with fans in those days. In the 1920s, steel started being produced in mass and in different shapes. The fan prices dropped and more people could afford them. The fan started flourishing.

Nowadays, the fan is a common household appliance. They have dropped somewhat in popularity because of the use of air conditioners, but they still remain widely used.