exhaust fans revisited

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Great pictures. I've always been fascinated by window fans, unfortunately most of the houses down had either central AC or window units so I didn't see many. One of the houses we looked at here within walking distance from where I am now was a split-level (or "1.5 story") built sometime in the 1940's and had a HUGE whole-house fan at the top of the stairway. The control was on the wall on the first floor. This was 1993-4 or sometime around there and I stood at the top of the stairs while it was turned on...very neat for an appliance-obsessed 5-year-old!

I LOVE the sound those older box fans make when starting up. That is just too cool. I have a later (probably late-70's or 80's) McGraw-Edison "Eskimo" oscillating-louver box fan that I'm using down in the washhouse. The window unit is in the laundry room, and that, along with an 80's Galaxy hassock fan, really help bring cool air into the non-air-conditioned main room. They're a little dusty right now, but I'll have to clean them up sometime and take pictures.
 
I remember those big all metal window fans from the 50s. Usually 3 speeds and reversable with push buttons like a GE range. I wish I grabbed a few back when they used to appear at the curb on junk day, now they're all gone. When one appears on eBay it goes for a fortune.

Ken
 
You couldn't leave well enough along, could you Greg?

Have mercy...

Cybrvan, Is that a Sears fan? The styling says Sears, but the pic isn't clear on my computer. Those Sears window fans were the best. I'm on the hunt for an earlier model (all metal) and a Homart window fan also.

I have the same window fan that Spats posted, along with a 14" Toastmaster box and a Patton high velocity.
 
Yep, it's a Sears! This one has a lot of plastic in it...the blades, and the front cover...suprising due to it's age, but it doesn't hurt it's performance much! I'm sitting here feeling the cool breeze coming in my living room window.

My Grandmother who worked at Sears back in the 60's has an even earlier one from Sears. That one has all metal blades and front cover. There are pushbuttons in the middle that select direction and speed, along with a thermostat to shut it off when it gets cool enough. I'll hafta get some pictures of that one sometime!
 
Peter, how would you know we loved you unless we do that? Let's just say I had a prodding email this morning ;-)

Beautiful fans, everyone - the start up sounds are the best!

I have several vintage fans, a 30's Westinghouse oscillator, a 14" Vornado table-top that I think could blow paint off the house, an Eskimo box fan similar to yours and a Westinghouse hassock fan. Everyone loves the Westinghouse, one of the best whole-room breezes ever.
 
Really,like fans as opposed to air conditioning. Nothing like fresh cool air! True when it starts getting really humid, then AC probably is the only way to go, but sometimes one can stick it out.

Growing up the only AC was in my parents room, which we were only allowed to sleep in (with Ma Ma) when Big Daddy wasn't home. Otherwise we children just sweated it out, or as MaMa would say "close your eyes and go to sleep". Which soon enough we did. Neither of our grandparents were big on AC either, so there was no relief there, as cousins and ourselves did what we could to keep cool.

However this upbringing has held me in good stead. When there are big blackouts, and everyone is running about dying cause they cannot sleep without AC. I just do what I did growing up; take a cool shower and get into bed and just fall asleep. If one dwells on being uncomfortable,then one will feel uncomfortable; that is what I say.

Back in the old days city people slept on roofs or fire escapes during hot summer nights. Those out in the country could sleep on the screened in porch (remember those), or heck just out in the back yard.

If it was just too hot, people would sometimes "break the night) and stay up playing cards until the wee hours.

L.
 
Austin, thanks for posting those. The Homart fans appear quite regularly on eBay, and while they frequently appear, they still fetch a pretty penny.

The Mathes Cooler fans are also very cool. A fan in a wooden case!

Greg, a "prodding email"? I have an idea who...
 
My folks didn't buy a window a/c till sometime in the mid to late 60's and installed it in the dining room window. It wasn't powerful enough to do much more than the dining/livingroom area so the bedrooms were boiling hot. We'd either sleep down the basement or camp out in the backyard on weekends which was always fun because once the folks went to bed we could sneak away and go soap windows and ring doorbells. LOL I saw those little Haier 5000 window a/c the other day for something like $89, not much more than most box or tower fans.
 
Yeah, Sears sold TONS of those Homart units and you STILL see them peeking out attic windows all over the place.

They came in a few varieties:

Fan with little on off switch.
Fan with timer
Reverseable fan
Reverseable fan with timer.

Some had buttons, some had a knob. I guess they changed 'em every few years.

Nobody has a good history online of 'em though. I'm kinda surprised - it seems like everyone had one.
 
And I'm sure most people over 30 remember being at their grandparents when they were a child and were exposed to these window fans.

I remember my grandma letting me push the button to start the fan (it had buttons like a GE stove).

And then "Hummmmmmmm...whhoooooOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH!!!". You never forget that.
 
Think so many pepole are used to going from their air conditioned homes, to an air conditioned car, to an air conditioned place of work/whatever, then back again they know how to live without AC.

New homes today rarely have front or back porches, and there is nothing better on a hot day/night than to sit on the front porch (screened to keep the bugs out of course), sipping iced tea or lemonade and rocking in a chair.

One of the worst things for areas was the demise of front porches, so socialable!

L.
 
Spatsy, that Eskimo fan brings back memories!

That's the line that Woolworth's used to sell come summertime. That blue is unmistakable, as is the sound made by those three aluminum blades. For some reason, seeing those fans on display always spelled "summer vacation".

Now. Does anyone own portable "air coolers"? These are also known as swamp coolers, I think, and are merely humidifiers that look like air conditioners.

Woolworth's used to sell those too, and I wonder if anyone bought them. Given Baltimore's summers with 170% humidity and highs near 100, I wouldn't think they'd be too effective...

veg
 

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