So I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to find a solution – my dude lives in a shedrow barn that does not have power. The lack of light really doesn’t bother me as I can put a battery operated light when I need to. But poor guy sweats like a beast in the summer. There is only one door and no additional windows to provide circulation so he just bakes in there. He doesn’t get locked in the stall ever, so he can go outside, but if someone has found a solution, that would be awesome!! Can you somehow retrofit a fence solar battery to run a little box fan?
I have no experience with this problem, but here is a discussion from five years ago. Hopefully someone will chime in with any technology updates -
https://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/forum/discussion-forums/around-the-farm/306097-solar-powered-fan
It depends how far the run-in is from a building with power.
When I lived in the Low Desert years ago, I made my own heavy duty outdoor extension cord and ran it 100’ to the horses 3-sided shed.
I bolted a big box fan (that was on a moveable frame) into a top corner and plugged it into my outdoor extension cord.
I was able to plug or unplug the fan from the house. You could also buy a heavy duty outdoor timer and plug the extension cord into that, so the fan comes on/off via the timer.
Just know everything HAS to be as heavy duty as you can find on the market:)
I did that for five years without issue.
I went to an Ace Hardware and bought the electric cord off a reel, in order to have one continuous piece of wiring. I made my own socket box and plug. It cost a little over $100.
That was 1998 and I still have that big clunky extension cord in case I ever need it again:)
I have a run in about 200 feet from the closest outlet. We just ran an extension cord. Worked fine and the electricity cost didn’t increase in any significant way.
GeekAire Rechargeable Outdoor High Velocity Floor Fan,16’’ Portable 15600mAh Battery Operated Fan with Metal Blade for Garage Barn Gym Camp,3-24 h Run Time Cordless Industrial Fan,USB Output for Phone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXCDTB9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_iamSEbPPRMXMV
TADddaaaa!!! I think I am going to buy one too!!!
Ooooohhhhh, that looks perfect! My boy is going to love it!!
I have two of the GeekAire fans. Love them! I have electricity in my barn I lease, but I have exactly one outlet and it’s in line with the lights- lights have to be on to use it. It’s made fans and tank heaters challenging. So I bought three rechargeable fans last summer— two GeekAire ones and a dirt cheap tiny one. Not surprisingly, you get what you pay for! The tiny one is basically useless, but the GeekAire ones are almost as good as a regular fan. Plus, I can bring them to horse shows, etc.
I’m curious to see how they do in their second season.
1 Like
Western harmonics has solar fans that come with the panel and the owner is super easy to call and talk to, even gave me advice for other panels that may work better but for now I am thinking rechargable, the geek look best so far!
How long does a charge last and what setting do you put it on please?
If you get a plug-n-play DC-powered fan (ie, can be run off batteries or solar panels, vs your AC electrical service from the grid), be aware they’re generally made for the boat-and-RV crowd. They’re designed to be compatible with 12V car or marine batteries, and that’s not enough power to move much air. You’ll find the airflow CFM (cubic feet per minute) to be much less than a standard, cheap AC-powered box fan. In a wide-open space, I doubt you’d feel much benefit unless you’re right in front of it. Might end up being just something that makes you feel good because you want them to have a fan-- and yes, they’ll stand there–but is it really doing much for the money you’ll spend?
This isn’t a flaw of solar power, just that the typical use for this kind of fan is for an enclosed small space so that’s what they sell. You can get plenty of airflow from solar power, you just need to ensure the solar panels have at least as much voltage/current output as what the fan draws. You’d need a controller to that you don’t send too much current to the fan, b/c that’s when bad things happen. (I made that mistake once-- panel had too much output and when I flipped the switch on, the fan motor started RACING and within 30 sec it suffered what engineers might call an unscheduled rapid separation of parts. i.e. I blew it to pieces. (Was out in the middle of a field, no harm done to anything except the fan and my pride.) Best setup would be a solar panel feeding a battery array that powers the fan. If you visit some “off grid” type forums, you’ll get lots and lots of tips on those systems.
1 Like
re: the geek aire-- I wasn’t familiar with them so I followed the link. Have to say: be very, very careful with Li-ion batteries. I personally would not run them unattended in a barn. (For credentials, I work in the energy storage industry, where we install large-scale Li-ion batteries.) While the technology is safe in a utility-scale, controlled setting, these batteries can pose a serious fire hazard if they experience short circuits, overheating, damage from being dropped. These events can lead to what’s called thermal runaway which creates an ultra-hot fire that generally cannot be put out even with an extinguisher. Again, it’s not that li-ion batteries are inherently unstable/unsafe, but in cheap electronics you are more likely to encounter such problems. This is why you can’t put these batteries in your luggage on airplanes.
I just looked up the product safety guide for geek-aire, and I will say I’m relieved to see the recharger unit has overcharging and thermal protection, which is good. I couldn’t find whether it’s UL-listed or not-- personally I would not buy if it’s not. If you do use it, I urge you to clean it religiously to prevent dust buildup (good practice for any fan). Ensure it does not get dropped or otherwise exposed to physical shock. If it trips off and stops taking a full charge, most definitely take that seriously and take the fan out of service.
2 Likes
It doesn’t have traditional fan settings of low/med/high, but rather a dial.
With the dial about 1/4 of the way, it was similar to setting a traditional fan on low and would last all day between feedings, or about 8-10 hours. It was enough of a breeze that the horses would come stand under it and seem content. Then I’d take them down to charge them every night.
Thats what I was hoping for! Mine will be switching to night turnout soon and I’d like to have fans going from 12pm when I am home at lunch till about 6 or so when they go out! Is there anyway to set them on a timer so I could have them start around 10 when I am at work I wonder?
I just purchased an 18" hanging solar fan kit from Western Harmonics. Hoping to receive and install end of the month! I also have a shed where there is no access to power and is too far away for an extension cord to be a solution.
I installed a solar light this past winter and it’s worked fabulously. Hoping the fan will be the same.
https://solarfans.net/12v,%20hanging%20fan,%20horses,%20greenhouse,%20solar%20fan
This is exactly what I was looking for! Does this charge a battery or does it turn the fan off when the sun goes down? I’m going to double and triple check with the barn owner that she’ll let me put it up before I drop $200 on it.
The way this one is wired, there is no battery - fan turns as solar panel has sun. I believe Western Harmonics does have battery systems available on other products. The owner has been very helpful and I’m sure he’d be happy to answer any questions!
I haven’t used any of their products yet so I can’t attest to performance, but they look very promising!
Why not cut a window in the run in so there is some additional air flow, even with a fan if there isn’t some good cross ventilation the fan will just be blowing hot air. If the fan has a thermostat and it heats up it will shut off. You need a window and a fan.
