Posted 5 years ago
AnythingOb…
(1778 items)
One of the 'immovable' items on this little wall in my house is this entirely mechanical timer-switch which ultimately controls the largeish fan/motor mechanism located in my tiny "attic" (pic #3) which resides up there just over the self-opening grille slats (pic #4) on the ceiling of my little central hallway, also immediately over said little wall. :-)
The fan, as it was designed to do, is capable of creating *quite* the refreshing draft of fresh cool (-ish, nighttime usually) air into/thru the house, as it 'sucks' outside air in thru any open windows/doors, exhausting it thru the outside eave vents. Such fans were apparently rather common features for 'southern houses' built in the mid 1900's, in an era where 'household air conditioning' hadn't quite become perfected yet. Many since have been removed/disabled, but I'm actually very happy that my house still has its one -- the thing really *IS* a kinda wonderful household appliance...
The switch itself is actually not original to my own house (the fan is, though) having been recovered from another structure elsewhere, but I'm otherwise certain it is of the correct vintage as I've since recovered remains of another exactly similar switch from a different de/construction project at another house in my neighborhood.
Early 1950's, made by MINNEAPOLIS-HONEYWELL, the switch has a fully mechanical springwound timer mechanism that tilts a glass mercury switch one way or the other to actually turn the fan motor on/off. It is in original operational condition, though I did repaint its exterior housing [w/Rust-Oleum 'hammertone silver'] because its original radiator-goldtone paint refused to clean up to my liking. Its original finish still exists on its timer dial face, front logo, and on its side where I masked the original (if grungy) color/lettering when I repainted it.
We call them 'attic fans' and I love them.
Thanks SO MUCH to Watchsearcher, fortapache, Newfld, Broochman, Brunswick, & yougottahavestuff for tapping your <love it> buttons for my switch/housefan!
Gotta also admit I never really knew of the existence of such devices, (the fan, anyways) having otherwise grown up in the upper midwest US (where *winter* happens half the year, decidedly unlike the usual climate here) until I moved here, but the fact that my little mid-century-modest house eventually came along with its original one was actually a 'positive selling point' for me whether my Realtor ever knew it or not...?? <LOL>
Once I *did* land here, then discovered this whole pre-HVAC method of 'building cooling' (up to and including a few 'industrial installations' in large public structures, the basic theory of which remains 'suck/blow the hot air from the ceiling/attic outside and replace it with cooler air sucked in from the windows below, it ain't rocket science...?) The whole concept seemed so perfectly "sensible" and indeed I'm now convinced, though it isn't practical during our "summer" months (or what suffices as our "winter" too for that matter) when it isn't so useful, but during at least a month or so each spring/fall (between 'heat' and 'a/c' seasons when the windows are open) there's *nothing* more pleasant than the ability to twist its knob and literally change out all the air in the house, in a minute or two depending on what doors/windows are open...?? ;-) :-)
More thanks to iggy for commenting. In my mind an 'attic fan' is more usually a much smaller modern (thusly 'disposable') little contraption that people add to their roofs nowadays just to suck hot air outta their attics...no matter all that, I'm still more than happy that my little house has the 'other kind'... :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
Many instruments and controls at our plant are from Honeywell....quality all the way! Minneapolis....a great city....but then again.... I'm biased....
More THANKS to iggy & buckethead!! For the record, it is accidentally another *PERFECTLY WONDERFUL* evening here tonite to crank the thing on for a little bit before I retire for the night -- the fresh breeze I'm now sorta basking in from the window over my desk is positively DELIGHTFUL. (and no doubt 'cheaper' than ifn's I'd turned on the a/c instead...still trying to resist doing that until at least after 01JUN...) <lol> :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
Just also realized I neglected to include any 'dimensions' of anything shown here -- the fan switch itself is just a little larger than any common 'lightswitch', and the grille on the ceiling is roughly 3.5' at its longest. Without crawling back up into the ceiling to measure the fan itself, I'd guess it's ~3' diameter or so...