I don’t mean someone who appreciates my work.
I have a specific mental problem where I need the soothing sound of a fan to get to sleep. However, my old fan has gone the way of all flesh, and I just can’t find one without an annoying motor noise whirring away behind that oh-so-heavenly whoosh of air.
I haven’t slept properly for several weeks, and I’d rather not have to resort to psychiatry. Again.
Anyone know which brands/models are the best and where I can get them?
Cambodia is probably cheapest, but it might be difficult to get her a passport or visa. Vietnam, maybe? Personally I would recommend getting 2 or 3. One to wave the fan, one to massage your temples, and the other to massage your feet.
As a short-term option you could ask Buttercup to do it. She has nothing to do at night and needs to feel useful. Moonlighting as your punkahwallah would be the perfect gig for someone of her abilities.
Failing that, go walk around Carrefour, RT Mart etc and listen to all the display models.
Yep, I second that.
We bought a TECO from Carrefour and it’s pretty quiet, at least I think so. I have trouble with big noises too, esp from machines, but I don’t find it hard to sleep if the teco-fan is on.
The productnumber is XA1294BD and it’s white.
Thanks Loretta. Unfortunately, Buttercup knows me well and therefore I’m unlikely to be able to convince her into my boudoir. Tinster, thanks for the model no. I’ll have a look. However, my problem is rather serious - it’s not necessarily loud background machine noises, but any discernible noise at all.
Which means I’m probably just insane, which at the end of the day may be a little easier to deal with.
Listen to the various models and buy the quietest. Later on, if it starts making noises, try three things. First, tighten any casing screws you see. Second, try putting it on a foam pad (you can cut one out from interlocking playroom tiles made of foam, for example). This worked wonders for one of my fans, as it turned out that most of the noise was created by vibration between its base and the floor. Third, ask a handyman to take it apart and oil it where needed.
Failing that, get earplugs. You sound like a prime candidate. 
[color=blue][Moderator’s Note: This poster has a terrible memory, though some may claim he is going completely insane. He actually has fans made by Tatung, as he reluctantly admits to in a later posting.][/color]
I’ll ditto the recommendation for TECO. We have two TECO fans, and I don’t know the model numbers offhand, but they are much quieter than any other fan I’ve used. By the way, the Chinese name for TECO is 東元 (dong yuan).
I got one from one of those ubiquitous electrical applicance shops you see about the place. Can’t remember the brand but it’s easily recognizable as its kind of retro style and the whole thing is shiny chrome. Looks cool, very heavy and stable and absolutely no motor noise or rattling at all. Problem for you might be that it’s SO quiet, the noise of the air through the fan actually sounds pretty loud, but I kind of like that.
Thanks for all the help - I’ll look at TECO. Sandman - do you have a photo or anything? That sounds great - the sound of the wind is what I want/need to cover up all the external noise from neighbours.
Looks pretty much like the one above. Easy enough to find as there’s usually only one model like it in the shop.
You have a computer at home? With speakers?
Download recordings of waves breaking and play them at night. It’s amazing how soothing that is. I have one that includes occasional seagulls, one far off fog horn, and a whale, but the best one is waves on a pebbly beach. You can also get rainstorms, crickets (or maybe frogs, you’ll have to ask Buttercup how you tell them apart), and I guess that there must be recordings of wind out there.
Pull my finger.
Da Tong makes a hospital green electric fan al la the 1950’s. My MIL has one that is 30+yrs old and still running. I’ve one that is 10+. They are very quiet and very powerful. If you have young kids be careful because the blades are solid metal and the notor high torque. Worth every penny.
In an earlier post I claimed to have two TECO fans that were quiet and reliable. Well, I got home today and turned on the fan only to mutter a few curses to myself upon noticing that it is actually a Tatung fan I had in the bedroom. I had to check the other one, and curse it if it isn’t also a Tatung fan. While I’m sure that TECO makes fine, fine products, the one I meant to praise is the Tatung 14" TF-L14B fan. In Chinese the company name is 大同 (da tong).
Sounds familiar.
I can agree with others’ opinions on the brand TECO. I have one. I think I spent around 1500NT$ for it almost 2 years ago (it can be extended to up to about 80 cm height). It’s controlled by digital push buttons (not mechanical buttons).
What I especially like about this fan, is that its slowest speed uses a special periodic on/off switching, so that it generates just a small, gentle ‘breeze’, which is very nice to use while sleeping. This electronic controlled speed would turn on the fan for 4 seconds, off for 4 seconds, on for 4 seconds, … and so on). The resulting sound is almost like listening to the waves of the ocean… who knows this might help you a lot.
If a fan would not help you, there are a kind of earplugs which employ electronically generated ‘white noise’ (sound). These things can be expensive, though. I’ve never used them, but I know some people swear by them. They cancel out any other background noises. White ‘noise’ can also be likened to the sound of the ocean.
White noise has ghosts in it. I saw a documentary.
(see my previous post)
Since a long time, I’ve been having this idea of making a little electronic box so that any fan connected to it can operate in this periodic on/off switching. I intend to make it variably controlled (the on-period & total period). Kind of like using an external dimmer.
When I finished it I’ll post the design on forumosa.