For many years I was never a big fan of ceiling fans
They are virtually non-existent in the UK where I grew up
But we never had warm humid summers there anyway
In fact we had no air conditioning in our homes
English houses are mostly built from brick or stone and they stay cool even in summer
My first experience of ceiling fan living was when I moved to the suburbs of New York in 2001
It was a big rambling brick built house with a central air system providing both heating and cooling
Every room had a big ugly ceiling fan with a chain pull switch
At first I thought these were legacy items from a time when the house had no air conditioning
But once the peak of summer arrived I soon discovered that the cool air from the AC mostly sank down into the basement
The top floor bedrooms became hot and stuffy and it was essential to sleep with the ceiling fan on
Over time I became accustomed to sleeping with a mild breeze blowing on me
I even kept the ceiling fan running through the winter
But I hated the look of those ugly fans with a vengeance
Fast forward to 2023 and a move into a modern US home built only two years ago
Today’s standards require homes to be super leak tight eliminating all sources of draughts
This means that a forced air heating and cooling system can keep every room comfortable with no need for ceiling fans
Shock and horror set in as I stared up at the blank bedroom ceiling
No comforting hum from the fan motor
No gentle breeze flowing over me
No hypnotic spinning blades to mesmerize me into deep slumber
I called an electrician to see if he could install a fan
He confirmed that the house was not even pre-wired with ceiling fan boxes
But it would be a relatively simple install because of the attic access above the bedroom
The next step was to order the fan and I discovered a whole new world
Modern fans do not need chain pulls and many have a remote control
You do not have to suspend and ugly contraption from your ceiling with hideous wicker woven blades
I opted for an aviator model that looks identical to a plane propellor
It was soon installed and operating
So now my life is complete
I live in a modern house with a super cool looking cooling ceiling fan
I wake up looking at the front of the plane that crashed through the roof during the night
I am now a fully converted ceiling fan fan