I've been slowly preparing for winter. I cleaned the ceiling fans and switched the blade rotation, yesterday. They were filthy - embarrassingly so. I thought about providing a before and after, but I was too embarrassed. With our humidity and open door policy of the summer, the blades are magnets for dust. Even with the blades spinning almost nonstop in the summer, dust just glues itself to the blades. Taking care of the fans is no small task. Even with the six foot extender bars, our fans are 11 feet from the floor, so a ladder is required to get close enough to do any good. Needing a ladder guarantees the fans don't get cleaned as often as they should. Take my word for it, they were disgusting.
Anyway, I washed the light globes while dusting the fans. In addition to the expected bugs and dust bunnies, I found three Dum-Dums in the globe of the fan in the children's room. I cannot imagine how or why they were there. The aim necessary to have launched three suckers into the small opening the globe provides from 11 feet below is amazing. I know because when no one was looking, I tried to get the candy back in the globe. I couldn't.
We use the fans in winter because we try to rely only on our cast iron fireplace insert to heat this drafty old house. With these reversible fans we push the warm air around and back down to where the people are. With seventeen foot ceilings every little bit helps!
If I can help it I won't clean them again until spring. Maybe someone will leave more candy.
4 comments:
My ceiling fan is disgusting, too. And I can reach it standing on the kitchen chair. Doesn't me I do it often, though.
17 foot ceilings are nice but they aren't in the green building guide. :-)
Actually, in Mississippi 17 ft ceilings are pretty green, since we spend most of our year in the heat. Today, the 20th day of November we will still be in the upper 70's F. We won't average below 60° F until December. Of course, January and February are a bit cool, but not like y'all.
It is rather horrifying what can accumulate on the blades of these babies. You are inspiring me to get out the Murpy's Oil. Your house must really be sparkling right now.
Cherry blades? Beautiful!
I was about to defend your 17ft ceilings, but you don't need my help. Oddly enough, your Mississippi set-up rather reminds me of my Mom's Vermont "camp" -- high ceilings, high windows at the peaks, a wood stove and variable speed reversible fans do an amazing job circulating warm OR cool air as needed.
Mr King had keen admiration for the application of such simplicity and efficiency in heating and cooling that he had similar features built into his modern home -- something I regretfully failed to do. It shouldn't go unmentioned that anyone who owns a fair amount of land is going to have woodland to manage as well. He kept a list of every type of tree on his property with it's BTU output, tacked on the hallway wall.
Most of us haven't had the opportunity or desire to learn about these more natural, more economical, more efficient methods, but given the condition of the planet, learning about and applying the old ways sure seems wise, doesn't it?
I suspect you have even more to teach us about running a home & farm with high efficiency and minimal waste than you let on. Don't fear that soapbox, Wisteria; the world needs to know exactly what we've been taking for granted, and how to stop (:-) said the woman with the forced-air furnace and way too many windows...)
Maybe after Christmas you'll have time to revisit the topic...
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