How many watts does a oscillating fan use?

Living off-grid comes with many challenges to overcome, especially if you are totally off-grid and using solar power or other methods of alternative energy. Many of these alternative power solutions are not conducive to running air conditioning. A fan is indispensable in these situations to keep you cool but also to keep the bugs off you at night. Choosing the right fan to match your power system is an important consideration.

Small ceiling fans use 0.32 amps, clip-on models use 0.35 – 1 amps, evaporative units use 2.4 while an oscillating large floor model with a stand is less than 5 amps. The Dyson Air Multiplier uses about 10% less energy but costs hundreds more than typical cooling designs. These are based on the 120-volt models in the USA and Canada.

When you are living off-grid and making use of alternative energy sources, you are always aware of appliances that draw additional power from your system. Every new device that you plug in is going to have a knock-on effect on your system regarding how much energy you need to generate and how long your system will run on batteries when generation is not happening. A fan in one form or another could be just what you need t make your off-grid life a little more comfortable!

Why Is A Fan A Good Idea For An Off-Grid Home

Living off-grid is a choice that many people are opting for today, but it often means making compromises with luxuries such as cooling your home. Most dwellings in the city or the suburbs have air conditioning options because of the easily available power resources. Using an alternative power source requires a little more thought.

For most people living off-grid and running alternative power systems, an air conditioning unit is simply too energy-hungry to install on the system. In many cases, simple ventilation and generating some air movement can make a big difference to the temperature in your house in the hot summer months.

A fan is a great option to achieve air movement, which will suck the hot air out and draw in cooler air. A fan plugged into your solar system during the day will run off the solar panels without draining the batteries, but it will reduce the power that the solar panels can direct into charging your batteries.

Most people who run a fan in the daylight hours would also need to run one at night to keep cool in bed and to blow away nasty biting bugs such as mosquitoes!

Running a fan at night is going to drain power from your batteries because the solar panels will no longer be supplying energy to draw from.  

Most are designed to work in normal homes that are connected to the grid can be fairly power-hungry devices themselves. They can be anywhere from 50-Watts to 150-Watts or more, since the bigger the motor, the more powerful and effective the fan will be, but it will also consume more power.

Using the formula Watts = Amps X Volts, you can work out that a 50-Watt fan at 120-Volts will draw a current of 0.4-Amps, while a 150-Watt unit will draw a current of 1.25-Amps.

So what are your options for an off-grid, alternative power-friendly fan?

How Do You Choose A Fan For Off-Grid Living?

Living with an alternative power system is all about managing your power usage, particularly at night when your system will be running on batteries.

The following are some points you can consider when searching for the best model for your situation (or situations as there are many rooms and outdoor areas to enjoy) for use in an off-grid application.

• Smaller blades. Smaller or shorter blades means the motor does not have to work as hard to turn the blades. This will use less energy, but smaller blades will move a lower volume of air.
• Choose a lower setting at night. If you have a multiple speed settings you can run it at full speed during the day for cooling, but at night when it is operating from your batteries rather than the solar panels, run it at a slower speed to conserve energy.
• Use a clip-on model on your bed at night. Small clip-ons use less power than larger models, but you can direct them to blow directly over you in bed to keep the mosquitoes away and keep you cool. Small clip-ons are also useful for keeping your solar equipment cool and use less power while doing it!
• A solar-powered with a dedicated panel. There are many solar options available of various sizes that have their own dedicated solar panel. This gives you the ability to move the fan around where you need it, even outdoors, and it will not use power from your main system. Some of these fans have built-in mini-batteries that will allow them to be used at night as well.

Off-Grid Fan Choices

Keeping these ideas in mind, here are some options we have found that could work well on a solar system or as a stand-alone with its own power in an off-grid application.

Large Evaporative Cooling Units

This is my favorite fan I use while living off-grid in Thailand. I will also pick one up for next summer in Nova Scotia to run off my 100 amp battery that is charged by the van when I drive and by a battery charger when I visit family and friends.

These units have water in the base and a small electric pump that pumps the water to the top where it flows through fibrous material. This is evaporative cooling and it works very well if you add cold water or ice.

The most popular selling unit on Amazon uses up to 2.4 amps.

Make sure to check out my article on How Many Amps a Refridgerator Uses here.

Scott Boyd

Ceiling Fan

If you live in a hot climate this style is a must-have! And there are smaller options available for tiny homes, small earthbag houses (like mine), yurts, sea containers, etc.

The 30″ CJOY Ceiling Fan with Lights uses up to 0.32 amps.

Whirlwind Life Battery Operated

This style is the ideal portable option that comes with a built-in battery that can be charged up while being used during the day. At night the Whirlwind Life Battery Operated model can be used on its own internal 15600mAh battery, which will keep it running for between 5 and 24-hours depending on the speed selected.

This one can be used both indoors or outdoors and will only use power from your system to charge the long-lasting battery.

This is a great option if you don’t have solar panels but do have access to friends or family where you can visit and charge it at their house.

Oscillating Fan

These are the most common in my areas of Thailand and Nova Scotia and I have gone through a few of the cheaper brands. These usually have three speed options and the highest setting for the Amazon Basics Oscillating Dual Blade Standing Pedestal Fan with Remote – 16-Inch uses 0.46 amps.

Clip-On Models

The clip-on is a perfect choice for a personal bedtime cooling tool to keep you cool at night and keep the bugs away. Get two of these beauties, one for you and one for your partner, and you can personalize your nighttime fan settings. This Battery Operated Clip On Fan has a 10000mAh battery, a sturdy hanging hook, strong airflow with four different speeds, a strong clamp, and even a timer.

The top-selling clip-on brand on Amazon is the SkyGenius at 0.3-1 amp, which is on sale for $16.

Solar Camping with LED Lantern

This unit also has reading lights for your bed! It is designed for camping, making it multi-purpose, and with fixtures to hang it from a hook or stand it on your bedside table.

The BusyPiggy Solar Camping Fan with LED Lantern is rechargeable via AC power or via its own build tin solar panel on the rear of the unit. The built-in battery gives it a 40-hour run time, which is quite impressive!

Solar Panel Exhaust

There are other needs for a fan in the off-grid homestead, such as for ventilation in bathrooms, vents, or stove hood exhaust units.

The ZUZZEE Solar Panel Exhaust Fan is the ideal mini-fan solution for these off-grid applications. It comes standard with its own solar panel, so you can power it directly from this panel. You could hook it up to your home solar system as an alternative as it draws a maximum of 0.17 amps.

Conclusion

Solar technology has moved along rapidly in a few short years, and its growing popularity is seeing more manufacturers producing many devices that make use of this technology. Fans like the ones we have discussed are prime examples of this.

There are many gadgets similar to solar fans that have the potential to make the off-grid life a little more comfortable without draining all our precious stored power!

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