Evaluation of physiological and thermal comfort effectiveness of ceiling fan and table fan during a heat wave

Heat waves are becoming a significant global concern as they have substantial repercussions on human health. Further, the adverse impact of heat waves on health will likely worsen globally. The use of electric fans is an energy-saving and sustainable cooling strategy against heat waves, but current health guidelines discourage fan use during heat waves. Previous research has shown that health guidelines underestimated the evaporative cooling impact of fans. These studies mainly focused on the effects of table fans on various physiological parameters of occupants in hot environments. Nevertheless, the air movement produced by both table fans and ceiling fans may influence the occupants' physiological and perceptual responses significantly. Hence, the present study investigated the effectiveness of no-fan, table-fan and ceiling-fan conditions during heat waves through an experimental approach. Sixteen healthy young participants were exposed to an air temperature of 41.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C and relative humidity of 35 +/- 2 % for 2 hours. The participants' physiological parameters and perceptual responses were collected. We found that both table and ceiling fans delay the changes in thermoregulatory and cardiovascular strain compared to the no-fan scenario. Moreover, table fans minimize physiological strain and provide greater comfort than ceiling fans. Hence, people should opt for table fans over ceiling fans during heat waves.