July 13th, 2020 by Sarah Miles

Many of us accept that, for the most part, we won’t be able to recreate the same working environment in a home office as we have in an employer’s premises. Air conditioning and water coolers may have to be replaced by fans and tap water but actually, you can create a lovely, cool environment that will help your focus and productivity on hot summer days just by being clever in how you use standard home fans.

Firstly, choose the right fan

We would definitely recommend a tower fan (or two) in a home office. This is primarily because they are the quietest fans and therefore won’t disturb you while you’re working. This is due to their blades being on the inside and this helps to muffle the sound. However, they also have other good qualities that make them particularly suited to offices: they don’t take up a lot of space, they have low running costs and they’re modern and stylish which is important when you could be working in there for up to 8 hours a day.

MYLEK 34 Inch Black Remote Control Tower Fan

Price: £69.98

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Use the natural airflow

When we’re used to air conditioning systems at workplaces, many of us may assume that doors and windows need to be closed for air cooling systems to work properly. While this is true of air conditioning, the opposite is the case for fans. Fans actually use the existing air in the room so placing a fan near an open window will maximise its cooling ability.

Create cross ventilation

Cross ventilation is the process of drawing air into a space and then forcing it out elsewhere. You can do this by combining a fan near an open window with another near an open door or window in a different area of the room. The fan near the door should face outwards in order to expel the air out of the space.

Room layout

As already covered, fans are most effective when placed near open windows and doors but in an office, it’s also worth considering practicalities. If your work involves lots of paper documents, it may be impractical to have a fan very close to your desk as they’ll just blow around. Perhaps rearrange the office so that your desk is away from the window (and away from direct sunlight which will also help). Having an ergonomic layout will also help the airflow.

Desktop or floor standing?

Tower fans have the advantage of being available in desktop or floor standing options. Desktops are great for offices because they can literally sit on your desk (though consider paper disturbance as mentioned above). A great combination would be a desktop fan near the window on a table or window ledge (space allowing) and a floor standing fan near the door. This would maximise the movement of available air.

MYLEK White Desktop Tower Fan

Price: £23.99

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Ice

Your tap water may need a few chunks of ice if it’s going to replicate your employer’s water cooler but it can also help cool the office. Place a bowl of ice next to the fan near the window and this will cool the air directly in front it, allowing it to be dispersed around the room.

A home office may not be quite the same as an employer’s facility but you can certainly go some way towards replicating some of the conditions and cooling is definitely one. Plus, you only have yourself to please and not that colleague who’s always too cold!