I am wiring my barn for stall fans. Does anyone have a favorite fan configuration to keep flies off them? I’ve noticed at shows that some horses just love to stand in front of their box fans. I don’t mind using box fans,… they will not be on at night or when I’m not home, and I can replace every year.
box fans really are not rated for the use, at least the way most horse owners use them… it is better to use an enclosed motor fan rated for NEMA3R or NEMA4 conditions
18" basket fans from Ramm Fence! We mounted ours in the corner of the stall, above the top of the boards, aiming down towards the far corner.
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I did the same thing. I don’t trust a box fan in a barn.
OP, yes, you need to buy closed-motor, agricultural fans for this. They should last a decade or so.
After that, you need to decide where you think the horses want to stand, or where your barn would have them aimed.
Many people hang them in the front corner, either opposite the side of the door or blowing backward from the corner the horse is fed in, if the stall door is in the middle. Either way, they are blowing diagonally and down across the stall.
You can also have them rotate, though I haven’t been in a barn with that option, so I can’t tell how the horses like it and the flies dislike it.
You can, however, hang them at the back of the stall, blowing forward, but consider whether or not you’ll have shavings blowing out under the front door. FWIW, I have not seen that happen with fans; they aren’t moving enough air that low.
Horses will align their body underneath, it, parallel to the direction of the wind. Some horses will face backward into it (as they would with natural wind) and some face into it, if the fan is high enough.
Good luck! If it’s hot and buggy enough to need a fan, you’ll be happy with this upgrade.
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I have never had a failure on a sealed motor fan, the oldest is now 31 years old … and ours are used a lot
we have most all of the fans on switched circuits (regular light switches, nothing fancy, no remote controls) … one is an industrial shop style pedestal fan that we just plug up when needed then use its on/off switches
The stall fans are wall mounted at about eight feet on easily adjustable bases (normally use the manure fork to re-aim the fan)… speed/volume of air changes require step stood to get to the switch on the fan.
the inexpensive box fans had a huge recall (about five million) fifteen years ago to add a fused inline breaker as even in designed use there were fires
A faulty box fan that cost between $12 and $25 has been the cause of at least two house fires and one barn fire that resulted in extensive property damage. Today Lasko recalled 4.8 million of the fans, which were sold nationwide between July 2002 through December 2005, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Lasko is (was) offering fan owners a free fused plug safety adapter.
Thanks everyone. Just ordered the Ramm fan, and will take the good advice here about where to mount.
While you are wiring, put in a thermostat so they turn on and off automatically. We are in so cal and they come on at 78 degrees and turn off once it goes below 78. Love it.
whatever fans you buy be sure they have sealed motors and are rated for dusty areas.
