Having a literal melt down

ALM said:

Do you have any tips? 

I would recommend using one of the fans and have a tray of cold water (ideally with ice in it) and position it so that the air blown by the fan passes over the tray. You may need to boost it with a box or something similar to get to the right height.

This then blows cooled, moist air that is great for keeping cool. You obviously need to be close to the fan (ie not in another room) for this to work,

Are these types of fan legal in the UK? I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

TheCatWoman said:

I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

The fan is a conventional one - the tray can be just a bowl of ice or cold water which can be 20cm or so in front of the fan to prevent contact. Since the wind is blowing away from the fan then the water vapour will not be an issue of the fan itself.

As for safety, there are electrical outlets in most bathrooms for things like hairdryers or shavers and there seems no concern over these in general.

All appliances should be fused and the mains as well (I realise you live in an ancient house but I hope the electrics are up to code) so in the event of and short circuit due to a spill then the fuses should detect the increased current flow and trip / blow.

In conclusion, there is no inherent danger here and when water is actually poured into the fan then it has safety mechanisms to protect you.

No thank you, Iain. I'm out.

Bunny said:

In the UK, as the NICEIC explains, there are heavy restrictions on electrical sockets in bathrooms. And "most bathrooms" certainly don't have electrical outlets for hairdryers.

Please read the link you sent - it clearly shows the different zones and what sort of electrical appliances can be used in each. I never suggested using an appliance in the bathroom, just pointed out that you can have sockets (for a shaver for example) which are well within the guideline.

Bunny said:

putting an open bowl of water close to a mains-powered fan introduces an obvious electrical hazard.

By this logic we could never eat a bowl of cereal in a kitchen, have an open cup of tea near a socket in the living room and so on. Please use common sense and reason to stay safe.

Bunny said:

And that's before considering that autistic people can have particular problems with clumsiness (there are plenty of threads here about that). So it's easy to see how a fan or bowl could be knocked over, causing them to come together.

I would expect that anyone knowing they are particularly clumsy or had a less capable family member who was like this would take common sense steps here, such as using a wet towel instead of a bowl of water. We have to take responsibility for our own safety and I believe we are all educated from school that adding water to electricity is bad so we know to be sensible about it.

The danger is not from the fan and bowl of water but from the humans doing things to them so I maintain that the setup itself is not inherently dangerous.

Hi everyone,

Please remember:

Rule 7: Be respectful in discussions
Disagreements are fine, but personal attacks, insults, and swearing are not. Respect other viewpoints and avoid escalating arguments.

I know its harder with the hot weather but its really important that everyone can share their views on the community.

Best wishes,

Olivia Mod

Hi everyone,

Please remember:

Rule 7: Be respectful in discussions
Disagreements are fine, but personal attacks, insults, and swearing are not. Respect other viewpoints and avoid escalating arguments.

I know its harder with the hot weather but its really important that everyone can share their views on the community.

Best wishes,

Olivia Mod