Are Tower Fans Safe?

Fan safety has come a long way from when I was a child.

I can remember having a pedestal fan in the house when I was a kid that you could get your whole hand into the blades.

Seems crazy. Yet that wasn’t so long ago.

And till this day, a ceiling fan is wide open for anyone to come along and get hung up in it, if they’re having to do something high up.

But when you take a look at the range of fans being offered in any big box store or Amazon, one thing is for sure, fans are made much safer than they once were.

Although there are a few that I think could stand to tighten it up a bit.

But on the other side of the coin there are some types of fans that have made safety almost a non-issue.

Are tower fans safe?

Among the safest of fans that you can purchase is a tower fan.

Why?
For starters the blade inside of a tower fan is a long cylinder with very short blades.

And the grill that covers the blades is closed off tightly enough that fingers are not easily placed inside it.

A tower fan is as close to being a bladeless fan as you can get without actually taking the blade completely out.

But there is a type of tower fan that does just that.

A Bladeless fan, although not quite as tall as a regular tower fan, still qualifies for the tower fan moniker.

Bladeless fans are just what they sound like, a fan that does not have any type of fan blade at all.

The fan looks more like a circular tube attached to the top of a tower heater.

It is completely safe for anyone including babies, toddlers, or pets.

A bladeless fan is not only much safer than a regular fan, it is also much more efficient and much quieter than a standard fan.

The system behind a bladeless fan operates by pulling air into a base that redistributes the air 360° around the circular tube that I mentioned before.

This creates air flow around the entire room at one time instead of being directional or semi-directional oscillating.

Bladeless fans also make one of the best air purifiers you can purchase.

Since the design of a bladeless fan dictates that air moves through the fan, it’s a very logical step to pull the air through a HEPA and Carbon filter in the process.

A better, more efficient fan that also serves as one of the best air purifiers.

Summary

Are tower fans safe?

Tower fans are among the safest fans that you can purchase.

They have a closed off grill that makes getting your hands or worse your children’s hands into the blade almost impossible.

The cylinder shape of the blade apparatus makes the need for long blades obsolete. And able to do less damage to something were to get into them.

But easily the safest type of fan that is also a type of tower fan is bladeless fan because it does not have any blade that you can get your hand into at all.

Pedestal fan vs Tower fan Overview

Pedestal fans advantages

Air flow is directional both horizontally and vertically
Can be purchased as fold away units that can be stored easily.

Pedestal fan disadvantages

They have a large base so they take up more room than a tower fan.
Traditional circular fans that are more open and less safe for children.

Tower fan advantages

Blades are hidden and are very safe even for small children
Create a larger area of wind because of the length of the fan.
Smaller and easier to store.
Lend themselves more to being combined with a heater and an air purifier.

Tower fan disadvantages

Are not adjustable vertically.
Do not create as much air flow above the 40 inch height Mark.

A fan is one of those products that doesn’t seem too exciting to go on about really.

Everybody uses a fan from time to time and they are kind of just in the backdrop until you need to turn it on.

But if you haven’t taken any time to look at what’s been going on in the fan world lately,

you may be shocked or at least surprised by the amount of innovation that has been happening out there.

I’m probably just old, but some of these new styles of fans are really cool. Pun intended.

And I might get a little long-winded talking about them. Haha

Pedestal fans

A Pedestal is a word that describes the column that a statue sits on in the art world. It’s also called a plinth. Imagine a bust of George Washington sitting on a Roman style column. That’s a pedestal.

In the fan world, it’s an elongated adjustable stand that gives you the ability to raise a fan up and down vertically.

For instance, a cyclone pedestal fan by Lasko can raise up and down anywhere from 38″ up to 54 and a half inches.

Which is pretty much the norm.

The typical pedestal fan is a circular fan on top of a stand that oscillates 90° horizontally.

And it has the added advantage of being adjustable up and down vertically about 30° so that the fan direction can be targeted even further.

Pedestal fans, because of their adjustability, are very useful and convenient.

But they do have a huge built-in disadvantage in that the larger the fan blade size, the larger the base at the bottom of the pedestal has to be to support the fan.

So naturally they are going to pick up a little more space.

But this is where some of the innovation I was talking about earlier is starting to shine through in the market.

Lately when you think about a pedestal fan, a circular fan on top of a stand with a large circular base is what comes to mind.

But technically as long as there’s a pedestal to place the fan on top of,

You can use a variety of different styles of fans on top of a Stand and still call it a pedestal fan.

For example take a look at the Everdure pedestal fan.

This fan has a look that resembles portable lighting on a Hollywood TV set.

The canister design looks really sharp but it also encloses the blades so that getting your fingers into the fan blades becomes impossible.

Very cool.

It also creates a more slender fan design that uses less space.

Fold away pedestal fan

Another cool innovation in pedestal fans is the ability to fold the fan up and use it as a travel fan.

Tripole is an example of such a fan.

And its fold away position only takes up 12″ x 6.5″.

No more having the fan in the middle of the floor because there is nowhere to put it.

The adjustability on this fan is insane.

It oscillates 70° horizontal and is adjustable 200° vertically. Essentially you can point the fan in any direction from one stationary spot.

This fan is also battery operated (optional). And can run 5 and 1/2 hours on a single charge. Great for camping.

Hybrid Pedestal Fan

Lasko has a pedestal fan that is essentially a tower fan that sits on a pedestal.

Hmm..

What’s the point?

Because of the smaller fan size, you can get about a foot taller than pedestal fans.

Tower fans generally fall in the 40 to 45″ height range. Which means that there’s not much direct cooling going on above that height.

Being able to adjust a tower fan up and down on a stand is actually a very usable feature.

For instance, if you have a very tall bed, a tower fan can be a little too short to blow any air directly on you.

But being able to adjust the height of said fan would make all the difference.

The obvious downside here is that even though it does oscillate horizontally, it can’t be adjusted vertically.

Tower Fans

This is a good spot to switch over and talk about some tower fans.

Tower fans are cylinder looking fans in which the blades are hidden. Because of this fact, there’s very little risk that anyone would ever get their fingers into the fan blades. Even a very small child.

And because even at the base they only come in around 12 in, they take up very little space.

The design of a tower fan lens itself is combined with a heater and as we get into some of the more innovative designs for tower fans, you’ll see that many of them lend themselves to being an excellent air purifier besides.

The blade design on a traditional tower fan (this Lasko, for example) creates more airflow than a pedestal fan. The effect is more of a line of air; the cover has much more space directly in front of the fan than a pedestal fan.

And if there has been some outstanding innovation in the pedestal fan arena,

Innovations in the tower fan category are nothing short of amazing.

Bladeless Tower Fans

Bladeless fans are pretty much the future of tower fans. Since Dyson came out with the Air Multiplier over a decade ago, it has seemed to spark the imagination of what could be done with a tower fan.

Take the “Airmate tower fan” for instance.

This tower fan is a fully working HEPA filter as well as a powerful fan.

In the appliance world, when you start to combine different technologies, you don’t always get the best from either technology.

Not so with the Airmate tower fan and air purifier.

The bladeless design of the Airmate pulls air into the fan and then redistributes it to get a much wider airflow than the standard tower fan.

And since the air is already being pulled into the machine as a means of creating air flow,

The logical next step is to clean the air in the process by filtering it through a HEPA filter.

This combination makes for one of the best fan designs and one of the best air purifier designs.

It also has a very cool, futuristic look. A little bit of Stormtrooper in the white version or Mando in the grey version. (Yep, those are Star Wars references)

The noise level on this fan is exceptionally low also. The majority of people say that you cannot even hear it working on the low setting.

This fan really begs the question of why you would ever go back to an old school floor fan. It’s that innovative.

Yeah… but does it have a heater function?

Modere

Just when I thought I had seen the most modern tower fan, I found one that exceeded the capabilities of anything else I have seen.

The Modere tower fan is a three-in-1, fan, heater, and air purifier.

This fan has an answer to one of the biggest drawbacks that most Tower fans have.

And that is that they do not adjust vertically.

The bladeless design on this fan does give you the option of adjusting it vertically.

That in itself separates this fan from the pack.

But that is only the beginning.

This fan is also a fully functional space heater and air purifier.

The air purifier uses a pre filter for larger debris, a HEPA h13 filter for particles as small as 001 microns. And a UV light to sterilize the filter and fan as the air is moving through it.

The heater can be adjusted up to 86°. And it has the standard tip over protection that turns the unit off if it is knocked over.

And it is all connected via Wi-Fi. Which means it can be voice controlled with Alexa or controlled with a touchscreen via the downloadable app. But it also has a remote control and on board buttons.

Dyson Cool Link

It’s kind of hard to talk about innovations in any type of appliance without talking about Dyson.

Yes, Dyson products tend to be expensive. But the above fans probably would not exist if Dyson never came out with the original Air Multiplier.

The Dyson cool link hpo2 is the original air multiplying technology combined with a heater and air purifier.

Though the fan is nothing short of amazing, there is no question that it is being copied by other fan manufacturers.

The bladeless design not only increases air flow exponentially, it makes fan blade safety a non-issue. The unique airflow technology combines it with an air purifier, also a no-brainer.

The real dazzling component of this combination fan, heater, and air purifier is the air purifier.

This air purifier has censoring technology that automatically adjusts the air flow to remove indoor air pollutants as needed.

Pretty wild..

The filtering on this air purifier also includes a carbon filter to remove gases and odors.

Dyson is not only the most innovative, they also pour in the most features to ensure that you get your money’s worth. Wi-Fi, directional speeds, ultra quiet, you name it.

Summary

Comparing a pedestal fan to a tower fan comes down to a couple of unique benefits and advantages that each have over the other.

Pedestal fans are fully oscillating fans that have the added advantage of being able to adjust them not only up and down on the stand, but the blade direction can be adjusted vertically also.

Tower fans are not adjustable vertically but they do tend to create more airflow because of their long fan blade design.

Tower fans do have an advantage over pedestal fans in that the blades are closed in and there is much less risk of ever getting your fingers into the blades.
Even when we’re talking about small children.

And also, innovations in the tower fan world have begun to blaze a new trail in what a fan really is and what it can actually do.

Bladeless designs or able to create a whole different level of airflow than previously known.

They are also able to incorporate fully functional air purifiers and heaters without diminishing any of the technologies that are combined.

Bladeless fans are absolutely safe and take the possibility of one of your children ever putting their hands into a spinning fan blade completely out of the equation.

Is There a Silent Window Air Conditioner?

Window air conditioners are an excellent way to cool off a room provided you do not want the room to be extra quiet.

That’s because the cycling of the air conditioner becomes a backdrop to your life anytime that the air conditioner is on. Yes it’s kind of annoying.

Is there a silent window air conditioner?

There is no such thing as a completely silent window air conditioner.

A window AC that creates zero noise is a impossibility because of the fact all the parts of a window air conditioner that make noise are located in the same “all-in-one” unit.

The running motor noise that a window AC makes is literally behind the vents where the cool air blows out of.

And there’s no way to have a refrigerated type air conditioner without having a condenser and compressor cycling on and off.

There is a reason that anytime you do a search on Google or a silent air conditioner you find yourself on a search result page of top quietest air conditioners.

A window AC is a all-in-one unit.

And when I say “all in one”, I mean all the components that make an air conditioner work, including the compressor and the fan.

And although there are other noises that a window air conditioner make from time to time, the compressor and the fan are the main running sound that you hear when you operate a window AC.

Window air conditioners use the same type of technology that a central heat and air unit (HVAC) uses.

But the reason that a central heat and air unit seems to cool the air very quietly inside of a house is because the compressor is located outside of the house.

The distance between the part that blows the cool air in the house and the outdoor compressor is far enough from each other that you do not hear the compressor noise.

But if you a window that is next to the outdoor HVAC compressor running then you know very well that they are far from silent.

In fact, they can be very loud. Loud enough that there are people who build sound barriers around them to keep the noise down.

What is the Quietest Window AC?

The type of window AC that is the quietest is the inverter u-shaped style.

It is because a u-shaped window air conditioners like the Soleusair allow for the window to come through the center of the air conditioner, which makes the actual window a barrier between the blower section of the air conditioner and the noise and compressor in the back of the AC.

The noise level of the Soleusair comes in at only 38 decibels. That’s about the same as running a very quiet refrigerator.

Other window ACs like the Haier Serenity achieve a very quiet result by ensuring that each component inside of the unit is insulated.

Haier Serenity achieves about 42 decibels. Very close to the inverter u-shaped window ACs.

Summary

Is there a silent window air conditioner?

Window air conditioners are a convenient way to get refrigerated air cooling your room. They are all in one solution that work well because they are able to exhaust the heat that they generate directly outside the house.

But being that they are a complete packaged unit including all the components that actually create the cool air including a noisy compressor, it is impossible to have a window air conditioner that creates zero noise and is completely silent.

But that doesn’t mean there are some very quiet window air conditioners on the market.

If it is very important that you have zero noise, other solutions like a mini split air conditioner, that split the location of the air conditioner and the compressor so that the noisy compressor is located outside.

Still not a completely silent option, but nearly.

Can a Window AC be Used Inside?

Just recently A friend of mine told me that he had a window air conditioner sitting in the garage but he didn’t have a window that it would fit in.

Him and his wife decided that they would just bring it in the house and sit it on the table. Unfortunately that didn’t work out too well for them. Let me explain why.

Can a window air conditioner be used inside?

Exhaust

A window AC is not meant to be used inside of a house.

Just placing a window air conditioner on a table and turning it on will not give you the intended result of cooling off your room.

The reason you can’t use a Window AC inside is that window air conditioners exhaust heat from the rear of the unit.

If you have ever walked behind a window air conditioner while it is running, you probably noticed that the air was hot directly behind it.

It is the same thing if you have walked by a large compressor sitting next to somebody’s house while it is operating.
The air coming off of the compressor is hot.

Just sitting a window AC on top of a table and turning it on will cool the air from the front and heat the air from the back which will essentially cancel out each other.

The entire reason a window air conditioner is meant to sit into a window is the fact that it needs a place to exhaust the heat.

Condensation

Another reason why you can’t simply place a window air conditioner inside besides the heat exhausting from the rear is the condensation that drips out oh the bottom of the unit.

Window air conditioners pull the hot air out of your room and drag it across refrigerated coils that condense the air and remove the humidity.

The humidity exits the air conditioner as liquid out of a drainage hole on the bottom of the air conditioner.

If you run a window air conditioner inside of a room, it will exhaust heat out of the back and drip water onto your table or surface that you put it.

Portable Air Conditioner

A portable air conditioner runs on the same type of technology but it has the added advantage of being able to move around the room a little more freely then a window air conditioner.

But even a portable refrigerated air conditioners have to have a hose running to a window to exhaust the heat out of the room.

Evaporative Air Coolers

The only type of air coolers that do not require any type of way to exhaust the heat coming over the air conditioner is evaporative air coolers.

Evaporative air coolers use water to cool off a room. Very much like the way the wind blowing over a body of water like a pool or lake cools the air.

But even though they do not require a way to exhaust the heat, they are maintenance heavy machines because they require water to be refilled frequently.

They also must be cleaned frequently to avoid mold and bacteria that can easily grow inside of them if the water is allowed to be standing for too long.

Summary

Can a window air conditioner be used inside?

A window air conditioner will not cool a room by bringing it inside and sitting it on a table or other surface.

It is because a window AC exhaust heat out of the rear and cold air from the vents.

Without a way to exhaust the heat through a window, the heat will cancel out the cool air.

Window air conditioners also dehumidify as they run. Which means that they pull the water out of the air as a means of cooling the air.

When the humidity is pulled out, it becomes liquid that needs a place to drain to.

Which in normal situations is outside because the window AC is sitting in a window.

But bringing a window air conditioner inside means the condensation will be dripping inside of the house or room.

Why Does a Window AC Have to Be in the Window?

Why does a window AC have to be in the window?

A window AC is designed to sit in a window because it needs a place to exhaust the heat that it creates and a place to drip the water that it makes as it dehumidifies.

Window air conditioners are also called through the wall air conditioners sometimes too.

With a through the wall air conditioner, the concept is the same.

The air conditioner sits inside of a wall with the face of the air conditioner inside of the room that you want to cool and the rear of the air conditioner sitting on the outside of the house.

Window air conditioners are a type of miniature HVAC refrigerated air conditioner that are all in one box.

Other type of refrigerated air conditioning like a central heat and air unit (HVAC) for a mini split air conditioner use a separate compressor that is located outside of the house.

If you’ve ever walked by a compressor sitting on the side of someone’s house or business, you probably noticed the heat coming off of the unit.

It is because refrigerated air conditioners exhaust heat as they cool the air.

Window air conditioners are basically a convenient all in the same box type of HVAC, and just like a full size HVAC, they create heat as they cool as well.

But since the compressor of a window AC is built into the same box, one side of the air conditioner needs a place to exhaust the heat and drip the condensation.

That’s why it is designed to sit into a window.

Portable air conditioners

A portable air conditioner is a refrigerated air conditioner that is basically the same thing as a window air conditioner but sits inside of the room instead of sitting in a window.

But it still requires a window to exhaust the heat from.

The difference is it exhausts through a hose instead of directly out of the rear of the machine.

The condensation created in the process goes into a drainage catch that has to be emptied from time to time.

A portable air conditioner can also be exhausted into the Attic.

Since it has a hose that extends from the machine around 6 ft.

If the room you are in has an attic but no windows, there is the possibility of exhausting into the Attic. This is most likely a do-it-yourself project. Good luck finding any type of commercial conversion kit.

Portable air conditioners are also good in situations where there are odd shaped or smaller than usual windows.

A lot of times rooms like basements will have very small windows that do not accommodate a window air conditioner, but they can accommodate the exhaust hose on a portable air conditioner.

Summary

Why does a window AC have to be in the window?

Window ACS are placed in a window for 2 reasons.

1. They create heat that needs a place to exhaust.
2. They need a place to drip the condensation that is formed while the unit is running.

Placing a window air conditioner through an outside wall is also a common installation process that does not require a window. But it does require cutting a hole through the wall.

Portable air conditioners work on the same premise, but they exhaust the heat through a hose which is meant to sit in a window.

A portable air conditioner can work anywhere that there is a place to run a hose that can accept heat. An attic for instance.

Why are Window Air Conditioners So Loud?

Window air conditioners are an easy solution for people who need air conditioning but do not have the luxury of Central Heat and Air (HVAC).

Easy. Maybe. Convenient. Yes they are.

But they are not quiet.

Why are window air conditioners so loud?

A window AC is a refrigerated air conditioner that contains all the components of a full sized HVAC all in one box.

Noisy AC components like the compressor and fan motor that are normally separated completely outside from the house in a full Central Heat and Air unit,

are packed into a tight package within a window air conditioner.

That means that the noise that is usually separated and contained outside is instead included with your window AC.

1. Compressor and fan

The main reason that a window air conditioner is so loud is there is a noisy compressor directly behind the vents that the cold air comes from.

Like we talked about before, refrigerator air conditioners use a compressor and a condenser fan. Without these two components, you do not have a working air conditioner.

And since these components are located directly inside of the window air conditioner, there are very few options for getting away from the constant cycling noise that they make.

But the compressor is not the only source of noise coming from and out of a window AC.

Other reasons that window AC are so loud are:

2. Outside noise

Even though a window AC fits between the window and the window seal easily enough, it is rare that you would ever purchase a unit that fits a window on the sides.
That is why there are plastic inserts that come included with the AC purchase.

Those plastic ” fillers” are meant to keep the outside air from getting inside.
But they are not thick enough to do much in the way of keeping the outdoor noise from coming through.

Making your own “fillers” out of some thicker wood is an easy do it yourself project that can help cut down the noise leaking through the sides quite a bit.

Window ACs are very heavily vented on the outside of the unit. The sides of the AC have a slotted grill to help keep the compressor cool. But they also allow noise to come directly through the air conditioner.

3. Rain and gurgling

One of the most annoying noises that a window air conditioner can make is the sound of water gurgling inside of the air conditioner.

This usually happens when the air is extra humid and the air conditioner is condensing more water than usual.

Blowing rain is also a source of water that can get into the rear of the air conditioner via the side grill vents.

It is also a good indicator that the drain hole that allows the water to drip out of the air conditioner has a blockage and is not letting the water drip as quickly as it needs.

And/or the drainage hole is clear but the air conditioner is not sitting in the window level.

Depending on where the drain hole is on the bottom of the window AC in question, the unit may need to sit exactly level for the water to drain out correctly.

Or the unit may need to have a slight tilt to the rear for the water to move towards the rear end of the air conditioner.

The window unit should never be tilted forwards. That is just asking for the water to drain towards the front of the air conditioner which is located inside of the house.

Summary
Why are window air conditioners so loud?

The main reason window air conditioners are so loud is that they have all the components of a standard size central heat and air unit,

But they’re all packed into a little box that sits in your window.

Some of the parts inside of a window air conditioner like the compressor and fan that on a full size HVAC would be separated and placed outside,

Are all sitting right inside of the window air conditioner so that you can hear them running directly through the vents where the cold air comes out of.

Why Do Window Air Conditioners Drip Water?

Window air conditioners are one of the easiest ways that you can get cold air into a room. Provided you have a window to install it in.

But there are things about window air conditioners that are not exactly well known and people don’t realize are a thing till they actually get it home and installed.

For instance, you may have not realized that the air conditioner that you put in your window was going to be a continuous dripping faucet.

Why do window air conditioners drip water?

Window air conditioners actually dehumidify the air as they are cooling it off.

One of the functions of a refrigerated air conditioner like a window AC is to pull the moisture out of the air as a means of making the room cold.

The moisture that is pulled out of the air is condensed, turning it into water that exits through a drain hole in the bottom of the air conditioner.

This is a perfectly normal function of a window air conditioner. The amount of water that a window air conditioner drips is directly related to the relative humidity.

If you were running a window AC when the humidity is high, you will notice that the amount of water draining out of your AC is much higher than usual.

Likewise, if the weather is dry, you may not even notice any water draining out of your air conditioner.

When is it not normal for a window air conditioner to drip?

If the window air conditioner in question is dripping water but it is not dripping out through the drain hole, the drain hole is probably clogged, making the water find a different exit.

If you find your AC is dripping water but it is not coming out of the drain hole, you’ll probably find that the bottom of the AC is filling up with water.

This can be an issue if the air conditioner is not tilted because the water can begin to leak through the bottom into the room side of the air conditioner instead of the outdoor section of the air conditioner.

So keeping the drainage hole cleaned out on the window air conditioner is important and can save you from having any type of damage to your walls if the leak becomes big enough.

Another issue that can result in water dripping from window AC in an area other than the drainage hole is a window AC that is not properly leveled and tilted slightly back to the rear.

To give you a better idea of what I’m talking about, think about it this way.

If I were to pour water into a glass that is sitting on an uneven table. The water would set heavier on the inside of the glass that is lower than the other side because of the uneven table.

It’s the same thing with the window AC, if it is not level horizontally, then the condensed water will want to gather on the side of the air conditioner that is lower than the other side.

Which means that it will not drain evenly and may cause water to drip out of the side instead of the drainage hole.

Summary

Why do window air conditioners drip water?

“Window air conditioners dehumidify the air as they cool the air down.

In the dehumidification process, the humidity in the air is condensed and turned to water.

The water exits the window air conditioner through a drainage hole on the bottom of the AC.”

The water that exits the AC is the continuous dripping that window air conditioners are known for especially in humid weather.

How to Quiet a Noisy Window Air Conditioner

Window air conditioners are pretty noisy by nature.

After all, they sit halfway in and out of a window with a motorized compressor sitting right behind the vents where the cool air comes out.

But like any machinery, window air conditioners can become noisy after time.

New vibrations, parts clanging, new outdoor sounds can make a window AC unit much louder than it was intended to be.

But for every problem, there is a solution. Usually.

In this article we are going to attempt to help you identify the noise, and give you a solution to get rid of the sound or at least dampen it.

Let’s get rolling.

How to Quiet a Noisy Window Air Conditioner

1. Gurgling

The gurgling sound coming from a window air conditioner is one of the most noticeable noises that a window AC unit can make.

And to be honest, it’s not one that you’re going to always be able to get rid of.

The problem arises when condensation builds up to the point that there is water standing inside of the air conditioner.

Not only will you start hearing a gurgling noise, you will also start to feel mist coming out of the vents.

This is a drainage issue.

It is either caused by a drain hole being stopped up to the point that water does not drain,

Or an air conditioner that is unlevel so that the water does not flow towards the drainage hole.

If the drainage hole is stopped up, the easiest thing to do is to take a water hose and spray the inside of the air conditioner out and take a pencil or something similar and dig the gunk out of the drain hole.

If the stoppage is more extreme, then there is the possibility of having to take the outside of the air conditioner off and doing a thorough cleaning inside.

In the case of an uneven window air conditioner, leveling it can be done using a level and some shims.

Most window ACS call for the rear of the AC to be slightly tilted backwards so that the water runs towards the outside of the house and not the inside.

But like I said before there’s not always an answer for this problem.

The reason is that some window air conditioners do not have drainage holes and are meant to rely on evaporation to get rid of the condensation.

But if the humidity outside is too high, sometimes it can overcome the ability of the air conditioner to evaporate the condensation.

This can result in water inside of your air conditioner making a gurgling sound.

2. Walls vibrating

This is a problem that can create an annoying buzzing sound in the walls.

There are a couple of things to look for when you have vibration sounds around the air conditioner.

The vibration in the walls is a direct result of the vibration of the air conditioner.

If the air conditioner is sitting directly on the window sill without a buffer between the unit and the wood, then the walls will vibrate with the vibration that is happening naturally with the air conditioner.

Putting a piece of foam window seal weather stripping between the air conditioner and the window seal, as well as the window should cut down the amount of vibration coming from the air conditioner quite significantly.

If the vibration is extra loud, it is a result of an abnormally heavy vibration coming from the window unit itself.

In this case, it’s more than likely that something has come loose inside of the air conditioner and is shaking.

A screw has worked itself loose and you have something shaking that should be tightened down.

The solution is to take the air conditioner out of the window, remove the outer casing and look for, then tighten down the part that has vibrated loose.

Once everything is fastened down and foam insulation has been installed between the windowsill, the AC, and the window, you should notice a big difference.

3. Outside noise

Rarely does a window air conditioner take up the whole space of a window.
That is why they provide you with the plastic, adjustable fillers to place on both sides of the air conditioner.

Those fillers tend to work fine for a little while as far as keeping the outdoor air on the outside. But even for that they tend to weather fast and break.

But they were never meant to keep the outdoor noise out. The plastic on those things is much too thin to be considered a noise dampener.

Replacing the window fillers that come with the air conditioner with something much thicker will keep the outside noise outside much better.

Even some 3/4 inch plywood can block the outdoor noise way more efficiently.

And even more sound absorbing material is an insulation product called mineral wool. Not all of your hardware stores are going to carry it, but it is the same stuff that they make sound absorbers for music studios.

It is not strong enough to work as a standalone product when you’re talking about using it as a window filler, so it will have to be glued to another product. Like the three quarter inch plywood.

The whole process is to cut the plywood to the exact measurements that you need to fill in the spaces on the side of the AC.

Cut the mineral wool to the exact same sizes as of the wood and glue it on to the wood with some spray adhesive.

You can cover the pieces with some fabric or wallpaper so that the mineral will insulation is not exposed.

Put your new pieces into the window and fill in the gaps around them with some spray insulation.

4. Other outdoor noises

Some outdoor noises come directly through the grill of the air conditioner.

Usually the sound of the compressor inside of the air conditioner is loud enough to cover up any outdoor noises coming through the unit itself.

But there are times when this is not the case.

How do you dampen an air conditioner noise?

One solution is to build an enclosure around the air conditioner. This can be a fully( open bottom) insulated box that sits on the outside of the air conditioner.

Important: But there is one stipulation. It must sit at least a foot around the air conditioner.

The reason a window air conditioner needs to be in the window is because of the heat that exhausts out of the rear and the side grills that let air into the air conditioner to keep the components cool.

So any encasement around an air conditioner has to allow for these two things to occur.

Putting anything directly against the outside of the air conditioner will cause the unit to not only not cool the air like it’s supposed to, it will overheat and trip the overload button.

This is why, even though there are people selling them for this reason, putting a weighted blanket on the outside of the air conditioner to reduce the outdoor noise is not a good idea.

How to stop rain noise on window AC?

Another outdoor noise that can be a little loud inside of the house when you have a window air conditioner is the sound of rain hitting the unit.

Very similar to the sound of rain hitting a metal roof.

This can be solved by putting a dampener directly on the outdoor portion of the roof of the AC.

One ideal is to use rubber welcome mats.
You can purchase them with foam inside of them also, which would make a great sound dampener.

And they are also easy to cut with a pair of scissors.

Very simply measure the size you need and cut it out of the welcome mat.

You can send it directly on the AC. If it is too windy in the area that you have the AC, double-sided tape can be used to keep it from blowing off.

Leaves and branches

Another outdoor noise is simply the sound of please brushing up against your air conditioner.

In this case a little bit of outdoor maintenance in the form of clearing out some brush is going to be necessary.

6. Window air conditioner compressor noise

Compressor noise comes with an AC window unit.

Unlike other types of air conditioners like mini splits and HVAC which are split into two halves with the compressor completely outside, window ACS are an all in one box type solution.

In other words, there’s no getting away from the sound of the compressor running on a window AC completely.

But not all compressor noises or meant to be there. Compressors are machines that vibrate. Vibration can lead to parts breaking and parts coming undone inside of the air conditioner over time.

Why does my window AC sound like a helicopter?

If the compressor is abnormally loud, and though this is not normally true of brand new units, something in the compressor might have come loose.
Which is making an extra sound inside of the air conditioner, providing extra noise then usual.

This is a disassembling job. You’ll have to take the air conditioner out of the window, unscrew the casing and take it off and then search for what is making the noise.

If you turn it on without the outside casing , and the noise is not there anymore, then your problem lies with the casing.

Maybe something has come loose and is tapping the casing or the casing has gotten bent and is pushed up against a component inside of the air conditioner.

Summary

How to quiet a noisy window air conditioner?

Window air conditioners can create a lot of noise and they can also allow a lot of noise to get through them.

Some of the different kinds of noises include gurgling water sounds, mechanical banging sounds, loud outside noise getting through the air conditioner, and standard compressor noises.

In the above article, we talked about making sure that the air conditioner is level and the drain hole is completely open.

We also talked about vibrations and how to handle the result of what a vibrating window air conditioner can give.

We also talked about how window air conditioners are inherently noisy because they are an all-in-one solution that has the running compressor directly inside of it, and vents little love the noise to come directly into the room that you were using the air conditioner in.

Hopefully one of these tips is what you were looking for and you are able to quieten down your window AC.

How Do You Get the Most Heat Out of a Candle?

You may have wondered if it was worth it to try to get heat out of a candle?

After all, what can one or two candles actually do in terms of getting enough warmth off of them to make a difference?

But you may be surprised to learn that there are some very unique ways that people have come up with to concentrate the heat off of only a couple of candles to generate enough heat to warm your hands on.

How do you get more heat from a candle?

Getting more heat from a candle comes down to supplying more oxygen to the candle.

When you generally let a candle and set it on a table, the oxygen burns and floats up to the ceiling. Creating a situation where the oxygen is lost very quickly.

So to increase the oxygen, it only makes sense that you would somehow trap the already supplied oxygen in around the candle.

That is the premise around these uniquely designed do-it-yourself candle fueled heaters.

Let’s take a look at a few.

The first one is called a “coffee can heater”

You can find a whole variety of coffee can candle heaters on ol interweb.

A lot of very creative ideas.

But the simplest ideal for a coffee can candle heater is to combine a metal coffee can with two or three tea lights burning in the bottom of the can.

Tea lights are the elixir of this easy design.

Because they already have a metal cup that they sit in, they naturally get hotter on the outside than glass-based candles.

Simply burning a few tea light candles in a clean metal coffee can that has been stripped of any kind of paper on the outside, is enough to create enough heat to get you by in an emergency situation.

Just remember the bottom of the can is going to get very hot, so don’t sit it on anything that may burn.

And though you probably are the cautious type, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t leave a coffee can candle heater alone.

Another type of interesting candle heater that is easy to make and can help you get quite a bit more heat off of a candle or two, then you would be just lighting it is the flower pot heater.

This design takes a clay flower pot with the plate base that usually comes with it when you purchase them.

The ideal is to use the plate to place a couple of lighted candles and to suspend the flower pot upside down over the candles.

Most people just use a couple of bricks to lift the flower pot above the flower pot plate. But you can also get creative and hang the flower pot above the plate using hooks and chains.

Again, it is a very simple design that works because the clay flower pot gets very warm when it is heated.

Placing the flower pot upside down over the candles traps the heat under the clay, supplying more oxygen to the candles, so that they burn hotter, and trapping the heat inside of the flower pot.

After seeing these ideals for an emergency candle heater, I plan on buying my coffee in a metal coffee can next time I’m shopping for coffee.

And the ideal with the clay pots connected with hooks and chain really looks like a cool do-it-yourself project.

Can a Single Candle Heat a Room?

Can a single candle heat a room?

You may have wondered yourself about how much heat can actually come from a candle.

Emergency situations can and do arise and having a contingency plan that includes survival techniques and a MacGyver knowledge of household products like candles can be very helpful.

What can a single candle do to heat a room? Really.

You could logically say that a single candle could have a heating effect on the temperature of a room even if it is very miniscule.

Some often quoted research suggests that it takes about 20 burning candles to match the heat of a small space heater.

That’s based on the ideal that a candle is creating about 80 w of heat and a space heater is rated at 1500 watts.

So one candle out of 20 burning will potentially give you 1/20 of the heat that you would get from a small space heater.

But in reality, if all you have is one candle to heat a room, you shouldn’t expect to do much to warm it.

That’s not to say that candles are useless at helping keep warm.

There are some really awesome survival methods that people have concocted over the years that can magnify the heat from one or two candles,

And while it is not realistic to say that a single candle can heat a room, there are methods to use a candle or two, combined with a coffee can or a couple of clay pots, can give off enough heat to warm a very small space or warm your hands at least.

The easiest way to get more heat out of a single candle is to encase the candle so that the amount of heat is multiplied.

You can do this with a metal coffee can. By placing a couple of tea light candles in the bottom of a coffee can.

The heat coming off of the candles combined with the heat transferring from the metal of the candle to the metal of the coffee can, can build up enough heat to huddle around it in an emergency or survival situation.

Another unique way that people use candles combined with household items to create heat is to trap the heat of the candles inside of a clay flower pot.

Even the small amount of heat coming off a candle is enough to heat a clay flower pot to the point of not being able to touch it.

A simple flower pot candle heater includes a couple of mid sized flower pots. A mid-sized flower pot and one flower pot slightly smaller.

A long piece of ‘All Thread”. All Thread is a type of solid pipe that is threaded like a screw.

Five long washers that go around the all thread. And five nuts that screw onto the all thread.

Four tea candle lights.

Use the illustration for assembly.

Summary

Can a single candle heat a room?

You’re not going to be able to heat a whole room with a single candle. But there are creative ways of combining candles with items like coffee cans and clay flower pots that can cause a candle to produce much more heat than it would if it were lit and sit on a table where the oxygen could dissipate quickly.