HVLS fans can help in saving money, energy, and effort in industrial settings, which is why these large commercial-grade fans have garnered so much attention in recent times. That being said, what is a HVLS fan and how do they help exactly? Let’s find out.
What is a HVLS Fan?
HVLS stands for High Volume Low Speed and just like the name indicates, HVLS fans circulate high volumes of air over large spaces at minimum rotation speeds. These are industrial ceiling fans that may not look much different from the ceiling fans we see in homes and offices, but that’s only if you are looking at a picture online. In real life, they are significantly larger with slimmer blades that function on a different principle of air dispersion.
At the very least, you can expect an industrial HVLS fan to be 7 – 8 feet in diameter, but some of the larger models measure in at well over 20-feet in diameter. How many blades the fan will have depends on the model, its capacity, its size, and the fan’s intended use. Generally, HVLS fans will have 3 – 5 specialized HVLS blades.
How Do HVLS Fans Work?
HVLS Fans do not rely on speed, instead, they rely on the massive size of their specialized, high volume low-speed blades to create continuous, vertical columns of moving air. Once a column reaches its maximum air speed and volume, it starts moving horizontally along the floor, cooling everything in its path and breaking down on coming into contact with a large surface or any of the walls. The columns will move air at almost the same speed as the fan that created them.
The columns of moving air may not always break down after coming into contact with the wall, but may simply bounce off it, albeit with less speed and volume. If there are multiple HVLS fans in an area with sufficient distance between them, effects like moisture evaporation, air dispersion, and cooling within that space will increase significantly.
If all that reminds you about how tornadoes work, then you are on the right lane of understanding. The little whirlwinds of cool air are ideal for keeping employees and equipment cool, even when it’s sweltering outside. There are several other advantages as well, but we will discuss them later.
How Can HVLS Fans Save Money and Electricity?
As already mentioned, high volume low-speed fans do not rely on their blade rotation speed to disperse air, which is why they are called HVLS fans in the first place. Consequently, the low rotation speed ensures lower electricity consumption as compared to high-speed industrial fans per hour.
Now consider how much electricity that can save over the course of a year. Note that the savings do not come at the cost of performance either. HVLS fans are significantly better at keeping the air cool as well, rather than simply circulating hot air around. Expect the effect to be somewhat similar to how a storm instantly brings down the temperature in summer.
Now that you can at least estimate how much energy high volume low-speed fans can save for your business, converting the energy savings into financial savings should not be too difficult. Every unit of electricity not used by your fans at the facility is a unit of energy that you won’t need to pay for. As for the initial investment costs, check the pricing on the HVLS fans for sale and ask for a quote on your potential order.
How Can HVLS Fans Create a Safer Work Environment?
HVLS fans can decrease, if not eliminate sweating slabs and consequent slip and fall accidents. Sweating slab is a commonly used term to designate slippery floors within a large work environment. The floors become slippery and dangerous for everyone inside because of the moisture that slowly builds up in the stagnant air inside and finally starts to accumulate on the floor. Unless the air is circulated and the moisture is evaporated continuously, the floor will soon turn into a severe workplace hazard for forklift accidents as well.
Other than the slippery slab issue, there’s also the heat stress to consider. When it’s already 90 – 100 degrees plus outside, suffering from dehydration and heat stroke inside a factory without adequate ventilation and cooling is inevitable. Given how high volume low-speed fans work, they aid in continuous moisture evaporation and air ventilation by design. Pair the fans with an industrial HVAC system and it will ensure far fewer instances of workplace injury-related lawsuits and production halts.
How Can HVLS Fans Boost Productivity?
The primary function of any industrial-grade ceiling fan is to maintain a cool and comfortable working temperature for their employees first. If we are discussing a state as hot as Texas, for example, that is no easy feat to achieve. Provided that the area inside needs actual human beings to work in, you cannot expect them to perform at their peak speed and efficiency without adequate cooling and ventilation measures in place to keep them comfortable.
Unfortunately, that is not what always happens and places like factories and warehouses end up subjecting their employees to sweltering indoor work conditions. There is no possible way that such conditions can work in the company’s favor though. It will gain a bad reputation and even the most dedicated employee will not be able to function at high level of efficiency due to the heat stress. The company will lose productivity, reputation, employees, and money within a very short amount of time.
HVLS fans present a solution that helps both the employees and the employer in a mutually beneficial setup. As we know by now, these fans are not just significantly better at cooling and ventilating than high-speed fans, they also consume a lot less energy to produce those effects. As a result, the workers can work at a higher efficiency without having to worry about heat stress, while the employer ends up saving money along the way as well.
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