Each one of us knows what ceiling fans are. They are used everywhere, from homes to offices, warehouses and factories. Their sizes, shapes and colors can vary greatly. Some have only one light, other models have two, maybe even three lights. One of the best ceiling fan makers on the market today is Harbor Breeze ceiling fans.

However, very few of us knows how ceiling fans were invented, and how they evolved over time. The first fans were built in the 1870′s. Electric motors were not an everyday commodity, so these fans rotated used a water turbine. The power coming from metal paddles was transmitted to the fan with power belts. A decade later, in 1882, Philip Diehl mounted the first electric motor onto a ceiling fan unit. Because builders did not have to make place for mechanical belts and water turbines, the fan was quite easy to install. Diehl’s idea was a major breakthrough in interior-building cooling technology. The basic concept of the ceiling fan did not change since then.

Ceiling fans became popular only during the 1920′s. Soon because of the Great Depression, sales went down. The ceiling fan became once again fashionable during the energy crisis of the 1970s. The simple ceiling fan could work with a fraction of the energy needed by an air conditioning unit. Everyone started to use fans as energy prices went up. Today ceiling fans evolved from the simple object capable of cooling a room into fashionable and sometimes quite expensive decoration pieces. Certain interior decorators use fans extensively. The reason for this is that fans can make a dull, empty room more interesting, while providing their prime function of climate control.

There is a fundamental difference between the ceiling fan and an air conditioner. The physical phenomena of convection makes the room feel less warm. The fan also creates a nice current we all crave for during the summer heat. Ceiling fans are incredibly simple and practical devices for controlling the climate of a room.