Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I love the concept, but think the design of this fan could be better.
Aside from sitting in the shade of a tall tree with a breeze, water misters are the most effective way to stay cool outdoors in the summer. Misters are usually intended for use in dry climates (like Arizona). However, I find that they are still extremely effective in humid climates, if done properly. If you want to be comfortable outdoors in the summer, I recommend looking into getting a misting fan.
My gripe with this fan is due to a sub-optimal design. The fan doesn't move enough air far enough (it spreads the air to the sides instead of throwing a column of air straight ahead). The misters put out too much water (you get soaked) and don't have any way of regulating how much they put out. Each misting nozzle puts out about 1/4 cup of water per minute. The fan comes with 4 misting nozzles, so it sprays 1 cup of water per minute (this WILL soak you!). Read my hacks below to make this fan work better.
PRO's:
- Water misting with a breeze is the best way to keep cool in the hot summer
- Water misting hose is reasonably long
- Electrical cord is reasonably long, but shorter than the hose
- Fan is weather resistant, so it can be left outdoors
- Misting nozzles are removable, so you can unclog them if they ever get clogged
- Oscillating fan spreads out the mist a bit more, so it doesn't soak just one area
CON's:
- No way to adjust how much water flows (1 cup of water per minute) (the fan should have come with stoppers to replace the sprayers with, so you can control how many nozzles are firing)
- Fan does not move the air far enough, so most of the water it sprays falls within a few feet of the fan
- Short stand (only about 3 feet tall)
- Fan vertical swivel doesn't have enough degree of movement (can't point it up far enough) and it seems to move in increments (I think it's notched to fall into positions)
- Stand wobbles due to loosely fitting parts
- Misting nozzles have clips that don't hold onto the fan cover very well
- Misting nozzles and hose seem to be delicate (if you accidentally tug on it, it will probably break)HOW TO MAKE IT WORK BETTER (THIS IS PURELY MY OPINION)
Here are a few hacks that I think will make this fan work better (but it probably voids your warranty). I am not suggesting you try these; these are just my thoughts on what would make it better.
1. Prevent the stand from wobbling:
The stand comes as three pieces that slide into each other. However, the tapered end of each pipe that slides into another is tapered too much, so it wobbles.
To prevent it from wobbling, simply place a toothpick on the tapered end, so it wedges in between the loose pipe parts.
2. Clog 3 of the 4 misting nozzles, so it sprays only 1/4 cup of water per minute:
A 1/4 cup of water per minute is a good amount of mist -- it will keep you cool, but not soak you. The idea is to spray a fine mist onto your skin, so the breeze evaporates it away, taking body heat along with it. It should not soak you!
To clog the nozzles, I unscrewed the last three nozzles in the chain of nozzles. Then, I cut a small piece of rubber from a rubber O ring with the diameter just slightly wider than the hollow core of the nozzle. I sanded the tip of the small piece of rubber to a small point, so it's easier to insert into the nozzle shaft. Using pliers, I twisted the piece of rubber into the nozzle's shaft. Twisting makes it easier to force it in, since the rubber will stretch itself thin as you twist it. Note: I put the rubber into the metal nozzle head, not the base it connects to. Then I screwed the nozzle head back into the base. So, the clogged nozzle essentially acts as a stopper. The piece of rubber sticks out of the rear of the nozzle a tiny bit, so I can always remove it if I need to.
3. Position the misting nozzles to get best spray coverage:
Assuming you clogged three of the four nozzles to reduce the amount of water sprayed, your next objective should be to get the water mist to travel as far as possible, so it cools off everything in its path. Normally, you would think that positioning the spraying nozzle at the top of the fan would give you the furthest reach. However, the air coming out of the fan twists as it comes out. So if you put a nozzle at the top of the fan (the 12 o'clock position), the mist gets picked up by the airstream and twists towards the ground (kind of like a curve ball).
Through some trial and error, I found that the best position of the misting nozzle is at the 8 o'clock position on the face of the fan, about half way out from the center. If you put the misting nozzle there, the air stream picks it up and actually projects it upwards before twisting it over and to the right. By the time it completes that loop, the twisting air spiral is no longer twisting, so it simply carries the mist forward. I found this positioning gets the furthest reach.
4. Move the fan blades forward in the housing to get better airflow:
The fan sits inside of a housing that is too wide at the rear and gets narrow at the front. The fan sits inside the wide housing. This causes some of the air to not flow through the opening at the front, but to instead, circle back around through the fan again. In my opinion, the optimal position is such that the outer edge of the fan is close its housing so the air can't bleed away from the edge. You can position the fan blades a little bit forward to reduce some of the air bleeding, but it's still not far enough.
To move the fan blades forward, use a Phillips screw driver to remove the fan cage from the front of the fan. Then, use a small Allen wrench to loosen the screw that locks the fan blade onto the motor shaft. Slide the fan blade forward about an inch (don't go more than that, otherwise the lock screw won't have anything to lock onto). Re-tighten the locking screw to secure the blade onto the motor shaft. Put the fan cage back on with the screws.
This puts the fan a bit closer to the inside of the ring on the cage that's slightly larger than the fan blades, and reducing bleeding from the edge of the fan blade. It should cause the fan to move a little more air.
I hope you find these tips informative. These are just my personal hacks and I doubt they're recommended or supported by the manufacturer -- that is, you're on your own if you try these.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Holmes HPF1151MK-UM 3-Speed Outdoor Stand Fan with Misting Kit
Stay cool and keep the bugs away when dining or entertaining on the back patio with this convenient stand fan. Designed for outdoor use, the durable fan includes a misting kit that simply clips to the front grill and works with any standard garden hose for extra comfort on even the hottest days of the year. The fan provides three speed settings, an adjustable-tilt fan head, and oscillation for wide area coverage. Other highlights include a ToughGuard finish, a 10-foot heavy-gauge power cord with a three-prong grounded plug, a stable base, and an attractive design to match any outdoor decor. The UL-listed fan measures approximately 12 by 16 by 52 inches.
Click here for more information about Holmes HPF1151MK-UM 3-Speed Outdoor Stand Fan with Misting Kit
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