It seems that ceiling fans are around us since ages. These can be seen everywhere, from small rooms to large offices, factories or warehouses. Their shapes, colors and sizes can vary greatly. Simpler models have only one light, while more complicated ones have two, maybe three light sources. One of the best ceiling fan makers on the market today is Hampton Bay ceiling fans.

Very few people know how this simple object was invented, and how its design changed over the decades. The first fans were designed back in the 1870s. There were no electric motors available yet, so these fans used a water turbine. The power from the metal paddles to the fans was transferred using complicated power belts. Philip Diehl in 1882 was the first to mount an electric motor on a fan. Because builders did not have to make place for mechanical belts and water turbines, the fan was quite easy to install. The interior-building cooling technology uses Diehl's idea since then. The basic design of ceiling fans didn't change since then.

Ceiling fans became popular only during the 1920's. Soon because of the Great Depression, sales went down. In the 1970's, during the energy crisis, this cooling device once again started to sell well. The main reason for its renaissance was that a ceiling fan used much less electricity compared to a bulky air conditioning unit. As energy prices skyrocketed, everyone started buying them. 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.

The main difference between an air conditioning unit and a ceiling fan is that the latter simply moves the air, instead of changing its temperature. Thanks to the phenomena of convection, the room where the air moves feels cooler. The breeze created by the fan is particularly pleasant during the heat waves. Because of their simplicity, relative cheapness and energy efficiency, ceiling fans are a good alternative to climate control.