lisaffire's Full Review: Holmes Products HAWF2041 Twin Window Mount Fan
So, hot enough for ya? We're in the middle of our first official heat wave which for many means closing up the house like a zipper sealed bag and turning on the air conditioning. Some of us are not so fortunate or, for our own varied reasons, we choose not to install air conditions and find that a really good fan can do a lot to brighten our already too sunny day.
We've had fans too... pedestal floor stand fans, ceiling fans, desk top fans. Some oscillate, others just spin around - of course the idea is to move air that's otherwise going to stagnate and roast you in a house that becomes more of an oven in the hot and humid days of summer. Last year we invested in two Holmes Twin Window Mount fans to see how we'd like them and to give them a 'spin', as it were.
First, the installation:
Installation is very straight forward. We opted to put one in our living room. It's a small room and serves as our entrance AND common living area. We spend a lot of time as a family there and the room which faces North gets the majority of the morning into early afternoon sun - on a hot summer day this can mean that room gets like an oven. We're in need of a screen door too which doesn't help matters. Getting fresh air in and stale air out is a must.
Unlike other fans that you have to find a spot for on the floor or on a desk (both of which can be a 'hot' commodity in a cluttered smaller house like ours) our Holmes Twin Window Mount fan only required a window. Thanks to it's ingenious design that includes an 'baffle' on the one side it's adjustable for just about any sized window. There are locking clips near the baffle that help it stay put, once you get it installed.
Second, the power source:
The Holmes Twin Window Mount fan, set in the window, needs electricity that most any regular outlet can provide. Unlike air conditioners that require a 3-prong grounded outlet, ours does just fine with our ancient 2-prong extension cord that reaches the closest outlet.
Third, time to blow this place:
The set up is very straight forward and unlike other window mount fans, the Holmes Twin Window Mount fan has independently operated fans. What does this mean? Each fan has it's own dial to control whether it's set on Low, Medium or High AND each fan can be told to bring in fresh air or suck out the stale out with an Intake/Exhaust switch for each side. So, say you come home, your room is entirely too stuffy. You can choose to set it to exhaust to pull out the hot air. If it's markedly cooler outside, choose intake for both fans. However, if it's at a stage where it's cooler outside and stuffy inside you can do both at once by setting one fan to blow in the cool via its intake switch, and the other to suck out the icky air via its own, independent switch set to exhaust.
Does it work?:
Yes, mostly this has been a wonderful fan that I'd highly recommend to anyone who has a window they can open and limited space for things like floor and desk fans. It won't cool the air like an air conditioner because it's 'merely' a fan but it WILL do the job of pulling air in or out, one way or the other and even both at the same time. I do wish the high setting was a bit more powerful. The best part is even on high, the noise level isn't that bad. We have it in a window right by our couch and even at night, it doesn't drone too loudly to be annoying while watching TV (nor do we have to set the TV so loud to be heard over the fan, that it wakes up the neighborhood).
There is also a 'thermostat' feature that can be set so when a certain temperature is reached, the fan will turn off or on, accordingly. Alas, there aren't any specifics noted, just a gradation of dots to denote cooler to warmer options. Having it on the larger dots will allow for a continuous cooling cycle. On the smaller dots it will turn off or on in an unscientific fashion but one that can be convenient if you want to leave it on during the night but fear it might get too chilly. You can guesstimate where to set it and it will indeed turn off. You'll need to adjust to taste, of course.
Also, while not water proof, this fan is designed to now allow a light shower get in the way of its operation. Because of how it sits within the window too it's mostly protected from the elements, although when a bad storm is coming, I will pop my Holmes Twin Window Mount Fan out and just set it by the window for easy installation after the storm passes. It's just my personal worry over having an electrically driven appliance get wet.
This fan does as it's advertised to do and I'm glad we got two of them, though one of them is missing this summer, so far. Eventually, I'd love to have one in every room, when the budget allows to allow for complete "set it up and leave it" ease. We do have curtains which I find if I prop up on the top of the fan allows plenty of air to come in and not block things other than the sun from continuing to heat this poor little house and us inside.
So if you're like us, looking for a fan that both 'sucks and blows' in a GOOD way, then look no further than the dependable fan that we're a fan of: the Holmes Twin Window Mount Fan.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Holmes, Twin 9" White, Window Fan, 3 Speed Setting, Electrically Reversible For Intake, Exhaust Or Air Exchange, Comfort Control Thermostat.More at Amazon Marketplace
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