Experts warn you’ve been using your fan wrong this summer – where to place it to cool a home fast

Have you been using your fan wrong this summer? You may well have been, as experts say you need to point the fan out of a window if you want to cool a room fast.

If you’ve invested in one of the best fans, you can feel massively frustrated if you still feel hot and sticky at home. Fans work by creating a breeze, but on super hot days, this can just feel like hot air being blown around the room.

Enter one of the more unusual fan positioning cooling hacks. It may sound counterintuitive, but facing your fan towards an open window will help cool a room quickly. Here’s how it works.

How does the hack work?

The hack is incredibly simple. All you need to do is open two windows and invest in a portable fan that you can place either on the windowsill or facing out of the window. The Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo Misting Fan (was £129.99, now £99.9) is an excellent choice because it is small, portable and powerful (and comes in an array of pretty colourways). Alternatively, if you are on a budget, the Bush Chrome Tilt Desk Fan is currently £20 at Argos.

If you’re looking to cool a bedroom, the hack works by creating a funnel of cool air, rather than simply circulating hot air around your room.

‘Pointing a fan out of a window helps push the warm air inside your home out. It’s most useful in the evening when it starts to cool down outside or first thing in the morning before it gets hot again. To get the best results, you’ll need to open another window or door elsewhere to let cooler air flow in to replace the hot air you're pushing out,’ explains Chris Michael, founder of Meaco.

How efffective is this cooling hack?

This hack is both easy, effective and cheap, making it a great way to cool a space if you don’t have one of the best portable air conditioners. However, it does rely on the temperature outside being cooler than the temperature inside, so it is best used at night or in the morning.

‘This approach is energy-efficient and can significantly cool your living space without air conditioning by exchanging hot indoor air for cooler outdoor air through natural ventilation enhanced by fans. It’s a simple trick that could make a noticeable difference, especially at night, when outdoor temperatures drop,’ says Les Roberts, energy expert at Bionic.

With more hot weather expected over the weekend, give this hack a try and feel cool relief in your home.