It’s incredible how many HVAC myths are still powering around worksites, warehouses and back sheds like a pedestal fan on full blast. So today, I’m taking a friendly but firm swing at the myths that just won’t die — the ones we hear every single week on job sites, in workshops, in sheds, and occasionally at the pub. Let’s bust them!
Myth #1: “Fans cool the room”
Ah yes, the classic. A favourite among dads, uncles and anyone who’s stood in a hot tin shed thinking, “surely this counts as air-conditioning.” Here’s the truth: Fans don’t cool the room. They cool you. Fans move air. When that air hits your skin, your sweat evaporates faster, and that makes you feel cooler. But the room itself? Still hot. Still 38 degrees. Still cooking your tools. Even worse, if you leave a fan running in an empty space, congratulations — you’ve just bought yourself a small, spinning heater. Motors = heat. No airflow over people = pointless. What actually cools a room? Ventilation, extraction, evaporative cooling or refrigerated AC.
Fans are fantastic, but they’re part of the cooling strategy — not the whole thing.
Myth #2: “A bigger fan fixes everything”
We’ve all met this bloke: “Mate, just get the biggest fan possible. If it doesn’t fit through the door, perfect size.” Bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes it’s just . . . bigger. What you actually need is the right type of fan for the job:
- Need to move stale air out? Extraction fan
- Need gentle, even airflow over a big area? HVLS fan
- Need airflow in a specific spot? Pedestal or floor fan
- Need actual cooling? Evaporative cooler or portable AC
Putting a massive fan in a workshop with poor ventilation is like putting a turbo on a car with no exhaust. Impressive to look at, but not very useful.
Myth #3: “Ventilation doesn’t matter in winter”
This one is popular with anyone trying to avoid opening the roller door in July. But ventilation always matters. In winter, you often have:
- Diesel heaters running
- Machinery pumping out fumes
- Welding bays producing smoke
- More condensation
- Dust build-up
- Less natural airflow
Without proper ventilation, you’re creating a perfect recipe for poor air quality, fogged-up windows, headaches and safety issues.
A well-ventilated space removes fumes, reduces moisture, prevents mould, improves heater efficiency and keeps workers safer. So yes, winter ventilation matters — almost more than in summer.
Myth #4: “Evaporative coolers don’t work near the coast.”
We hear this a lot. And yes — humidity affects evaporative cooling. But “affects” doesn’t mean “doesn’t work.” Modern industrial evaporative coolers absolutely work near the coast.
They just need the right size, placement and airflow path. When set up correctly:
- They still drop temperature significantly
- They move massive volumes of fresh air
- They create a cooling breeze
- They increase worker comfort
- They cost far less to run than AC
We’ve installed industrial evaporative units in coastal workshops, marine facilities, boat sheds and even surfboard factories — with fantastic results. So don’t write them off based on backyard Bunnings units from 1998.
Bonus Myth: “Ventilation is only for compliance.”
Not true. Good ventilation:
- increases productivity
- improves worker comfort
- protects equipment
- prevents corrosion and condensation
- helps livestock
- reduces WHS risks
At Fanmaster, we’re More Than Fans — we’re heating, cooling and ventilation experts who know the myths, the truths and the fixes that actually work in real Aussie conditions. If you’ve got a myth, a mystery or a workshop that just feels wrong, give us a shout – we might even bust a few more myths while we’re at it.