Why should we install destratification fans?

First, it’s important to understand what a destratification fan system will do. A destratification system is a grid of multiple ceiling fans working in concert to continuously mix the ceiling air to the floor and balance a facility’s air temperature.

When a space’s temperature is balanced, the need to over-heat or over-cool the space due to stratification is eliminated and significant savings can be realized.

Colleges and schools have indoor athletic facilities, large classrooms and lecture halls, libraries, storage facilities and other highatrium areas where destratification fans are effective and will reduce the energy used to condition the space.

There are many other benefits from a destratification fan system:

  • Improved comfort:
    Any facility has areas that are often too cold or too hot. Occupant comfort is improved with a quality destratification fan installation.
  • Safer work areas:
    A PHI (photohydroionization) kit can be installed in some destratification fans to eliminate molds, bacteria, VOCs and odors. Health conditions can be improved in kitchens, cafeterias, locker rooms, janitorial storage areas, etc.
  • Fits into tight spaces:
    An enclosed destratification fan, unlike paddle or HVLS (high-volume, low-speed) fans, can fit tightly into a ceiling with rafters, ducts or other truss structure.
  • Helps swimmers:
    In indoor swimming facilities, destratification fans can remove the layer of chloramines just above a pool’s surface, which often irritates swimmers.
  • Longer life for lighting systems:
    Decreasing ceiling temperatures extends the life of the lighting system.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Christian Avedon is sales and marketing director for Airius (www.airiusfans.com), a Longmont, CO, manufacturer of destratification fans.

Featured

  • TCU Marks Campus Expansion Milestone

    Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, recently held a topping-out ceremony to mark progress on a major campus expansion effort including four new residential facilities and a five-story parking garage, according to a news release.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • Designing for Every Mind

    Learning environments have the power to shape not just what students know, but who they become. When a school is designed with genuine empathy—for the full range of ways students think, sense, and engage with the world—it becomes more than a building. It becomes a catalyst for growth, confidence, and belonging. That is the animating idea behind neurodiverse design, and it is one that is transforming how more architects and designers are thinking about school design.

  • Year-Round Schools Require Year-Round Indoor Air Quality Planning

    While many schools are out for the summer, year-round schools follow a more “balanced” schedule with shorter, more frequent breaks spaced throughout the school year. Even though this offers educational benefits, these facilities have less downtime for building maintenance. This can become an issue when facilities managers overlook the importance of routine HVAC maintenance and air duct cleaning services.