As brilliant as Australia is, there is just one thing that we just never seem to get used to: it’s so bloody hot!

We’re well at the beginning of February and it has been a warm and humid summer for most parts of the country. Reports are saying this week is set to be a real scorcher for Queensland. (Stay safe and hydrated out there everyone!)

And even though summer brings around great things like beaches, beers, and BBQs, sweltering and unforgiving heat comes along with them.

If you’re lucky enough to have air-conditioning, it is an absolute life-saver, but the bills from running it all summer can really sting.

So if you’re one among us who have been relying on our trusty pedestal fans to save us from this summer heat, then this article is for you!

Placing your fan near an open source allows it to bring in cooler air. Credit: TikTok/@lottiedalziel. ​

Unlike air conditioning units which usually cost hundreds of dollars, humble pedestal fans, like these ones from Kmart and Big W, only cost a fraction of their price and can be just as effective in dealing with the summer heat.

Simply place them in the room, turn them up to their full speed, and away they go! However, now all you have is hot air being pushed around the room.

Sometimes, we find that they’re not as efficient as we expect them to be.

Luckily, we came across some fan hacks online that seem to indicate that we might just be using our cheap little room coolers all wrong. And after reading, let’s just say we’ve become instant “fans” of the trick.

According to Colin Jones, category expert for Appliances Online, placing our fans in a room with no ventilation won’t likely help in dissipating the heat.

“Placing your electrical fan in the middle of a room on a hot summer’s day will only recirculate and move the warm air within that same area, limiting any fresh air that is coming in.”

So he suggests placing the pedestal fan next to an open window (an open door works too) so the fan circulates the cooler air from outside into and around the room.

“Doing this forces the cooler air forward, leaving you with a nice, fresh and cool breeze.”

Mr Jones also advised opening more windows and doors to allow the fans to create a “draft effect”, which would keep cooler air moving and circulating around the house.

​

We also found this video by a Sydney-based journalist on TikTok, demonstrating the hack.

“If you’re somebody who uses these fans I’m about to blow your mind, quite literally,” said Lottie Dalziel.

Then, she went on to show how placing her pedestal fan near her window and balcony door allows it to take in cooler air from outside to circulate around the room.

“If you leave them in the middle of your room you’re just blowing hot air everywhere,” she added.

However, some comments added that pointing the fan the other way (facing outside) would also “suck in the hot air inside the room” and blow it outside. Bit of a double whammy there, folks!

Summer heat is disgustingly intense these days, and since we’re not indoors all the time and we can’t bring our trusty fans everywhere we go, it’s better to be protected by ourselves! (Turns out, we CAN bring our fans anywhere with this nifty gadget.)

Watch this video below to know more about tips on staying safe in extreme heat:

Credit: UC Davis Health.​

 

[JayKay]

I'm a wee bit confused....what if it's 35° outside and 27° inside, I wouldn't want to open the door or windows to let hot inside, yet I'd still like to circulate the air inside. Is this wrong?

 

[Moira]

The air outside is sometimes hotter outside than inside as we have roofs over our heads and insulation , so I cant imagine this hack working !!

 

[Lindyloo]

Mind “blowing” hack for cooler air using our humble pedestal fans!​

As brilliant as Australia is, there is just one thing that we just never seem to get used to: it’s so bloody hot!

We’re well at the beginning of February and it has been a warm and humid summer for most parts of the country. Reports are saying this week is set to be a real scorcher for Queensland. (Stay safe and hydrated out there everyone!)

And even though summer brings around great things like beaches, beers, and BBQs, sweltering and unforgiving heat comes along with them.

If you’re lucky enough to have air-conditioning, it is an absolute life-saver, but the bills from running it all summer can really sting.

So if you’re one among us who have been relying on our trusty pedestal fans to save us from this summer heat, then this article is for you!

Placing your fan near an open source allows it to bring in cooler air. Credit: TikTok/@lottiedalziel. ​

Unlike air conditioning units which usually cost hundreds of dollars, humble pedestal fans, like these ones from Kmart and Big W, only cost a fraction of their price and can be just as effective in dealing with the summer heat.

Simply place them in the room, turn them up to their full speed, and away they go! However, now all you have is hot air being pushed around the room.

Sometimes, we find that they’re not as efficient as we expect them to be.

Luckily, we came across some fan hacks online that seem to indicate that we might just be using our cheap little room coolers all wrong. And after reading, let’s just say we’ve become instant “fans” of the trick.

According to Colin Jones, category expert for Appliances Online, placing our fans in a room with no ventilation won’t likely help in dissipating the heat.

“Placing your electrical fan in the middle of a room on a hot summer’s day will only recirculate and move the warm air within that same area, limiting any fresh air that is coming in.”

So he suggests placing the pedestal fan next to an open window (an open door works too) so the fan circulates the cooler air from outside into and around the room.

“Doing this forces the cooler air forward, leaving you with a nice, fresh and cool breeze.”

Mr Jones also advised opening more windows and doors to allow the fans to create a “draft effect”, which would keep cooler air moving and circulating around the house.

​

We also found this video by a Sydney-based journalist on TikTok, demonstrating the hack.

“If you’re somebody who uses these fans I’m about to blow your mind, quite literally,” said Lottie Dalziel.

Then, she went on to show how placing her pedestal fan near her window and balcony door allows it to take in cooler air from outside to circulate around the room.

“If you leave them in the middle of your room you’re just blowing hot air everywhere,” she added.

However, some comments added that pointing the fan the other way (facing outside) would also “suck in the hot air inside the room” and blow it outside. Bit of a double whammy there, folks!

Summer heat is disgustingly intense these days, and since we’re not indoors all the time and we can’t bring our trusty fans everywhere we go, it’s better to be protected by ourselves! (Turns out, we CAN bring our fans anywhere with this nifty gadget.)

Watch this video below to know more about tips on staying safe in extreme heat:

Credit: UC Davis Health.​

That's exactly what I do...it works like a treat!

 

[Vinylted]

The air outside can be even hotter than the air inside, a silly hack for sure, I don't know where the suggester lives, but it sure isn't Australia! So called cheap coolers which use evaporative cooling are also useless during days of high humidity, adding more moisture to the air is counter productive. No air conditioning? go sit under a shady tree where you can get a bit of a breeze... or visit your local shopping centre... lol

 

[Topher]

Mind “blowing” hack for cooler air using our humble pedestal fans!​

As brilliant as Australia is, there is just one thing that we just never seem to get used to: it’s so bloody hot!

We’re well at the beginning of February and it has been a warm and humid summer for most parts of the country. Reports are saying this week is set to be a real scorcher for Queensland. (Stay safe and hydrated out there everyone!)

And even though summer brings around great things like beaches, beers, and BBQs, sweltering and unforgiving heat comes along with them.

If you’re lucky enough to have air-conditioning, it is an absolute life-saver, but the bills from running it all summer can really sting.

So if you’re one among us who have been relying on our trusty pedestal fans to save us from this summer heat, then this article is for you!

Placing your fan near an open source allows it to bring in cooler air. Credit: TikTok/@lottiedalziel. ​

Unlike air conditioning units which usually cost hundreds of dollars, humble pedestal fans, like these ones from Kmart and Big W, only cost a fraction of their price and can be just as effective in dealing with the summer heat.

Simply place them in the room, turn them up to their full speed, and away they go! However, now all you have is hot air being pushed around the room.

Sometimes, we find that they’re not as efficient as we expect them to be.

Luckily, we came across some fan hacks online that seem to indicate that we might just be using our cheap little room coolers all wrong. And after reading, let’s just say we’ve become instant “fans” of the trick.

According to Colin Jones, category expert for Appliances Online, placing our fans in a room with no ventilation won’t likely help in dissipating the heat.

“Placing your electrical fan in the middle of a room on a hot summer’s day will only recirculate and move the warm air within that same area, limiting any fresh air that is coming in.”

So he suggests placing the pedestal fan next to an open window (an open door works too) so the fan circulates the cooler air from outside into and around the room.

“Doing this forces the cooler air forward, leaving you with a nice, fresh and cool breeze.”

Mr Jones also advised opening more windows and doors to allow the fans to create a “draft effect”, which would keep cooler air moving and circulating around the house.

​

We also found this video by a Sydney-based journalist on TikTok, demonstrating the hack.

“If you’re somebody who uses these fans I’m about to blow your mind, quite literally,” said Lottie Dalziel.

Then, she went on to show how placing her pedestal fan near her window and balcony door allows it to take in cooler air from outside to circulate around the room.

“If you leave them in the middle of your room you’re just blowing hot air everywhere,” she added.

However, some comments added that pointing the fan the other way (facing outside) would also “suck in the hot air inside the room” and blow it outside. Bit of a double whammy there, folks!

Summer heat is disgustingly intense these days, and since we’re not indoors all the time and we can’t bring our trusty fans everywhere we go, it’s better to be protected by ourselves! (Turns out, we CAN bring our fans anywhere with this nifty gadget.)

Watch this video below to know more about tips on staying safe in extreme heat:

Credit: UC Davis Health.​

 

[Lorraine44]

This would work well if the outside air is cooler than inside the house. This would have been a ridiculously stupid idea in Q'ld over the last few days when it has been 38˚ outside and 28 inside my house!

 

[Bronze]

This is probably showing my age, but when I was a child living in QLD, we only had fans. Air conditioning was unheard of. We used to wet a towel and hang it about 10 cm behind the fan which then drew air from the room through the wet towel which was then much cooler than a fan on its own.

 

[Defiant540]

That's exactly what I do...it works like a treat!

"cooler air from outside" when it's 40+ how do you work that out??

 

[Lizzy]

Mind “blowing” hack for cooler air using our humble pedestal fans!​

As brilliant as Australia is, there is just one thing that we just never seem to get used to: it’s so bloody hot!

We’re well at the beginning of February and it has been a warm and humid summer for most parts of the country. Reports are saying this week is set to be a real scorcher for Queensland. (Stay safe and hydrated out there everyone!)

And even though summer brings around great things like beaches, beers, and BBQs, sweltering and unforgiving heat comes along with them.

If you’re lucky enough to have air-conditioning, it is an absolute life-saver, but the bills from running it all summer can really sting.

So if you’re one among us who have been relying on our trusty pedestal fans to save us from this summer heat, then this article is for you!

Placing your fan near an open source allows it to bring in cooler air. Credit: TikTok/@lottiedalziel. ​

Unlike air conditioning units which usually cost hundreds of dollars, humble pedestal fans, like these ones from Kmart and Big W, only cost a fraction of their price and can be just as effective in dealing with the summer heat.

Simply place them in the room, turn them up to their full speed, and away they go! However, now all you have is hot air being pushed around the room.

Sometimes, we find that they’re not as efficient as we expect them to be.

Luckily, we came across some fan hacks online that seem to indicate that we might just be using our cheap little room coolers all wrong. And after reading, let’s just say we’ve become instant “fans” of the trick.

According to Colin Jones, category expert for Appliances Online, placing our fans in a room with no ventilation won’t likely help in dissipating the heat.

“Placing your electrical fan in the middle of a room on a hot summer’s day will only recirculate and move the warm air within that same area, limiting any fresh air that is coming in.”

So he suggests placing the pedestal fan next to an open window (an open door works too) so the fan circulates the cooler air from outside into and around the room.

“Doing this forces the cooler air forward, leaving you with a nice, fresh and cool breeze.”

Mr Jones also advised opening more windows and doors to allow the fans to create a “draft effect”, which would keep cooler air moving and circulating around the house.

​

We also found this video by a Sydney-based journalist on TikTok, demonstrating the hack.

“If you’re somebody who uses these fans I’m about to blow your mind, quite literally,” said Lottie Dalziel.

Then, she went on to show how placing her pedestal fan near her window and balcony door allows it to take in cooler air from outside to circulate around the room.

“If you leave them in the middle of your room you’re just blowing hot air everywhere,” she added.

However, some comments added that pointing the fan the other way (facing outside) would also “suck in the hot air inside the room” and blow it outside. Bit of a double whammy there, folks!

Summer heat is disgustingly intense these days, and since we’re not indoors all the time and we can’t bring our trusty fans everywhere we go, it’s better to be protected by ourselves! (Turns out, we CAN bring our fans anywhere with this nifty gadget.)

Watch this video below to know more about tips on staying safe in extreme heat:

Credit: UC Davis Health.​

When the babies were young I would just place a bowl of water on the floor under the clothes horse and put a towel on the horse with the bottom of it in the water and place the fan behind the horse the water would soak up the towel and create an evaporative cooler, the baby on a boucinette close to the floor as heat rises. Cool baby and the whole rooms also cools down.,

 

[Lizzy]

You can also make your own air con. Just cut a piece of cardboard the size of any window opening especially on the shady or breezy side of house. Then get all your pet drink bottles out of recycling , take off the lids,, cut off the bottoms then make holes in the cardboard to fit the lid end into. Place them close together in rows. Now place in window with the big ends out, Voila you have air-conditioning up to 12 degrees cooler. If you don't believe me blow on you hand with mouth open, feel warm air, now with lips puckered up, cool air, when air is compressed it is cooler and that is what you are doing through the bottle.

 

[Iggydi]

We do this all the time. It doesn’t work so good when the humidity is high like we have had in Queensland of late. Maybe this hack was for the Southern staters.

 

[Gzr]

This is probably showing my age, but when I was a child living in QLD, we only had fans. Air conditioning was unheard of. We used to wet a towel and hang it about 10 cm behind the fan which then drew air from the room through the wet towel which was then much cooler than a fan on its own.

Yeah, you are right. I am from Cairns and that is exactly what we used to do.
I now live in South Australia and the heat is hotter than Far North Queensland. I still use the pedestal fans with a wet tea towel to cool down. Works a treat. It is the same principle as an air-cooler. The air-cooler pumps water to the back of the unit and this allows the (pumped) water to dribble down a screen and cools the air.
Simples.

 

[Capsam]

I use pedestal fans. Do not know that sucking in hot air would work. I’ve always used the wet towel hack myself & found it effective! However, I do resort to going to the shopping centre when desperately hot!!

 

[Julore]

I certainly would not let outside hotter air inside! Close up everything and hang a wet towel from your fan. I agree wholeheartedly with b“Bronze” comments.