Fan and ice: the perfect trick to fight against high heat

Digital seeks bearable temperatures. In this quest – without end – we are once again embarking on an eccentric installation. At the bottom of our laboratory: a ventilator. This time, the Rowenta Turbo Silence Extrême+ takes pride of place, waiting for our signal to turn its blades. We take our icepacks out of the freezer and consider placing them behind and in front of the fan.

Well, the blocks of ice installed at the back leave us skeptical. We still do the test. After one hour of measurement, the verdict is without surprise: the temperature of the laboratory did not move, or else of 0.2°C at the most; which may be due to variations in the outside temperature.

The cold accumulators now change places and are installed in front of the fan. We raise them to the height of the device and place temperature probes in different places: two out of the flow to control the temperature of the laboratory, two others in the line of sight of the fan, at 1 m and 3 m away. The device starts to ventilate at full power.

Our probes outside the air flow register a variation of 0.6°C. But it is the probe fixed 1 m from the fan, facing the device, which records the greatest difference: -0.7°C in one hour of testing.

The blocks of ice undeniably emit coolness, which the fan takes care of distributing in the room.

To go further, we keep this setup, but reduce the fan speed. Indeed, by rotating more slowly, we hope that the motor of the device will reduce heat dissipation. Less powerful, the airflow should be less diffuse and the freshness more concentrated.

Always after one hour of testing, the results are even more significant. The temperature variations are between 1.8°C and 2.2°C. Again, the probe placed just in front of the fan registers the largest temperature drop.

Obviously, if this drop of 2°C on average is appreciable in the event of strong heat, it is above all the feeling that we have that changes the situation. If in all cases a fan gives us a feeling of freshness, the fact of positioning blocks of ice in front of the device accentuates the phenomenon.

For those who fear heat waves, we therefore recommend that you point a fan in your direction and install bottles containing ice in front of it. This trick is much more reliable than the wet laundry hanging on the fan…