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Tom's Guide
03-07-2025
- General
- Tom's Guide
This trending cooling fan hack is actually ‘dangerous' — according to an expert
As the temperatures rise, staying cool in our homes during a heatwave can become a challenge. This is especially the case if you don't have one of the best smart air conditioners, or your AC has suddenly stopped blowing cold air. And so it isn't any wonder why many people are resorting to clever, DIY fan hacks in a bid to beat the heat without AC and keep comfortable, especially at night. Social media and TikTok videos are full of unusual tips and tricks claiming to make a room feel cooler, and gaining millions of views. However, while there are simple ones such as the bizarre viral cooling fan hack of pointing your fan towards the window, experts reveal a trending, heatwave hack that you should never do. So if you want to avoid the risk of electric shock, avoid this 'dangerous' cooling fan hack at all costs! Shark's FlexBreeze Pro Mist is Shark's smartest cooling fan yet. It offers immense versatility, with a portable design (complete with carry handle and even a bag) and can also be converted to a freestanding fan. It's also rechargeable, and features a removable misting attachment for next-level cooling. Yes, you heard right — it's a thing! People on TikTok have actually been freezing their towels or draping damp towels on top of their electric cooling fans. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The whole idea is to create a DIY AC unit from the fan producing chilled air into the room — rather than spending a fortune. And while this might sound like a clever idea (in theory), experts warn this is a dangerous hack to be avoided. 'Water and electricity don't mix,' states Luke Osborne, technical director at Electrical Safety First. 'Anything that is frozen will eventually melt and a towel will potentially drench your fan in water. This water risks not only coming into contact with the motor but any surrounding plug sockets and will really increase the risk of an electric shock. Much like other ineffective hacks, a frozen towel won't offer enough energy to cool down a room.' Another hack that has gone viral is to attach frozen bottles of water to the back of fans to circulate cooler air around their room. 'This 'hack' is not only dangerous but ineffective too,' adds Osborne. 'The frozen bottles of water will inevitably melt, creating condensation on the outside of the bottle. This will create water droplets that risk coming into contact with the motor of the fan, increasing your risk of electric shock. You're also adding weight to your fan that it's not designed to handle, which may put unnecessary stress on your fans motor and risk damaging your device. Whilst you may find you get a few seconds of relief, this hack is pointless in that it won't supply enough cold air to reduce the temperature across a room.' If you want to be on the safe side, there are other simple ways on how to cool down your living room without AC. An easy (and free) method is to rearrange furniture away from the windows to allow air to circulate more freely throughout the room. Or you can create a cross-breeze by placing one fan facing inward on the side where cooler air is entering, and another facing outward on the opposite side to push warm air out. 'Create a cross wind by opening windows on opposite sides of the house, especially in the evenings when the outside temperatures will be cooler. Keep your curtains and blinds closed during the day. Your first thought might be to open the windows, but in doing so, you'll only let the hot air inside. Ensuring your room remains shaded can help to keep inside temperatures down.'
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
The heatwave hacks that could prove DEADLY: Experts urge Brits not to attempt to create 'DIY AC units' by attaching frozen towels to their fans
Britain is in the midst of an intense heatwave - with parts of the country set to experience record-breaking temperatures of up to 36°C today. To cope with the heat, many desperate Brits are getting creative with their fans. Thousands of videos have been posted on TikTok advising on how to adapt your basic fan to create a 'DIY AC unit'. While you might be tempted to try one of these heatwave hacks, experts have warned that some could prove deadly. The hacks to avoid are those that involve water or ice, according to Electrical Safety First. 'Water and electricity don't mix,' said Luke Osborne, technical director at Electrical Safety First. 'Anything that is frozen will eventually melt and will potentially drench your fan in water. 'This water risks not only coming into contact with the motor but any surrounding plug sockets and will really increase the risk of an electric shock.' @ao Try this fan hack to keep your home cool! 🧊 #heatwave #fan #summer ♬ original sound - AO Lets Go One of the most popular heatwave hacks on TikTok sees users attach frozen bottles of water to the back of their fan. While this initially helps to circulate cooler air around the room, it could end in disaster, according to Mr Osborne. 'This mindless "hack" is not only dangerous but ineffective too,' he explained. 'The frozen bottles of water will inevitably melt, creating condensation on the outside of the bottle. 'This will create water droplets that risk coming into contact with the motor of the fan, increasing your risk of electric shock. 'You're also adding weight to your fan that it's not designed to handle, which may put unnecessary stress on your fans motor and risk damaging your device. 'Whilst you may find you get a few seconds of relief, this hack is pointless in that it won't supply enough cold air to reduce the temperature across a room.' Other users have opted to place frozen towels over the tops of their fan in a bid to produce colder air. What's behind the UK heatwave? The UK is on the edge of a 'heat dome' over continental Europe which has pushed temperatures to extreme highs in Spain, Italy and Greece. Dr Akshay Deoras, from the University of Reading, says this is 'bringing stable, mostly cloudless weather and drawing in hot, dry air from the south'. Scientists also claim that climate change - caused by human activity such as burning fossil fuels - is making heatwaves more frequent and intense. 'Much like other ineffective hacks, a frozen towel won't offer enough energy to cool down a room,' Mr Osborne added. Meanwhile, a bowl of ice in front of your fan is also a bad idea. 'Whilst we would not recommend this hack, it offers a far lower level of risk of electric shock as the ice is nowhere near the electrical components of the fan,' Mr Osborne added. 'Even if you do try this hack, you'll likely remain hot, as a bowl of ice won't offer enough relief to continuously cool a room. 'Make sure the ice is sufficiently far enough away from the fan to avoid the device coming into contact with moisture if it's knocked over.' If you're struggling to cope in the heat, thankfully Electrical Safety First has also given their advice on safe heatwave hacks that do work. Firstly, the company advises opening windows on opposite sides of your house to create a cross wind. Next, keep your curtains and blinds closed during the day. 'Your first thought might be to open the windows, but in doing so, you'll only let the hot air inside,' Electrical Safety First said. 'Ensuring your room remains shaded can help to keep inside temperatures down. 'Consider the orientation of your building. An easterly facing room will heat up in the morning, whilst a westerly facing room will do so in the afternoon, so shade or ventilate accordingly.' Finally, when temperatures in the evening have dropped, open the windows back up. 'This will allow for the cool air to enter your home,' the experts added.
The Irish Sun
29-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
I tried the WORST summer fan ever – three reasons why everyone should avoid tempting bargain
EVERYONE is digging out the fans and their best cooling hacks as the weather heats up again. There are so many fan options and air conditioning units to choose from, but they don't come cheap. Advertisement 2 This fan device isn't worth your time Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun 2 The water does not come out as some calming mist at all Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun So when I spotted a bargain fan with a twist I thought I might be onto a winner. I'd also seen a load of these types of devices all over TikTok, with people saying how good they are. The product in question is a handheld water mist spray fan. What a great idea! A cool water mist blowing straight to my face on a hot summer's day, I believed. Advertisement More on the hot weather And at £8, I really thought I couldn't go wrong. Alas, I was very mistaken. This device is not the cooling solution I had hoped for one bit. Firstly, the mist was not very misty at all. Advertisement Most read in Tech It was more like the spray bottle I use for watering my plants, leaving my face pretty drenched - just the thing I was trying to avoid. Secondly, the fan is really quite weak - I've had far better handheld fans over the years. Met Eireann confirm 22C heat to blast this weekend as spots with 'best chance of sunshine' pinpointed And finally, at this size it's not very portable either. So, it's back to the traditional fans I go. Advertisement Maybe this particular model I bought was no good but I'm not convinced by the concept at all now and would urge others to avoid and try something else. DANGEROUS VIRAL FAN HACKS TO AVOID There are a number of cooling hacks going around on social media that experts say aren't safe at all. One of the most popular heatwave hacks online is the "DIY air conditioning unit". The hack sees users attach frozen bottles of water to the back of their fan in a bid to circulate cooler air around their room. "This mindless 'hack' is not only dangerous but ineffective too," explained Luke Osborne, technical director at . " The frozen bottles of water will inevitably melt, creating condensation on the outside of the bottle. " This will create water droplets that risk coming into contact with the motor of the fan , increasing your risk of electric shock. " You're also adding weight to your fan that it's not designed to handle, which may put unnecessary stress on your fans motor and risk damaging your device. " Whilst you may find you get a few seconds of relief, this hack is pointless in that it won't supply enough cold air to reduce the temperature across a room. " Similarly , other content creators have put freezing towels over the top of their electric fan which is also dangerous. Image credit: Getty
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Counterfeiters adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters
Counterfeiters are adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters to dupe consumers into thinking they are handling a genuine high-quality product, an investigation by the company and a UK charity has found. Apple selected 56 UK and 60 EU power adapters it identified as counterfeit and marked with Apple's trademarks or lookalikes, those not marked with the trademarks but which copied the design of a genuine charger. Of these, 22 samples underwent further internal investigation, with the charity Electrical Safety First finding 68% of them had metal weights inside. It warned the metal weights presented a risk of short circuiting the device, increasing the risk of electric shock and fire. Within a genuine power adapter there is sufficient separation between internal components to ensure that the incoming 240 volts from the mains electricity supply does not come into contact with the USB output connector, the end used to charge your device. Counterfeiters insert metal to compensate for the missing weight that would usually be made up of high-quality components typically found in a genuine adapter. The investigation found these metal weights compromised the electrical separation, meaning the consumer was at risk of coming into contact with a 'very harmful' level of voltage. "Criminal counterfeiters are doing everything they can to trick shoppers into thinking they've bagged a bargain, developing their tactics to avoid suspicion," Luke Osborne, deputy technical director at Electrical Safety First, said. "Some of these new tactics are increasing the risk of electric shock and fire to the buyer including adding in metal weights to give the impression the adapter feels like a legitimate product. Criminals are working harder than ever to deceive consumers, with no regard for their safety in the process." A separate test was undertaken to determine the strength of the plug pins on the adapters, with 71% failing. Many of the plug pins snapped completely or became distorted during the test, which the charity warned could result in the pin becoming lodged in a socket outlet and exposing the user to an electric shock. Osborne said: 'If you're looking to bag an electronic bargain it has never been more important to stick to a reputable retailer or manufacturer in order to shield yourself and your loved ones from fakes that could risk your safety.'
The Independent
28-02-2025
- The Independent
Counterfeiters adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters to dupe consumers
Counterfeiters are adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters to dupe consumers into thinking they are handling a genuine high-quality product, an investigation by the company and a UK charity has found. Apple selected 56 UK and 60 EU power adapters it identified as counterfeit and marked with Apple's trademarks or lookalikes, those not marked with the trademarks but which copied the design of a genuine charger. Of these, 22 samples underwent further internal investigation, with the charity Electrical Safety First finding 68% of them had metal weights inside. It warned the metal weights presented a risk of short circuiting the device, increasing the risk of electric shock and fire. Within a genuine power adapter there is sufficient separation between internal components to ensure that the incoming 240 volts from the mains electricity supply does not come into contact with the USB output connector, the end used to charge your device. Counterfeiters insert metal to compensate for the missing weight that would usually be made up of high-quality components typically found in a genuine adapter. The investigation found these metal weights compromised the electrical separation, meaning the consumer was at risk of coming into contact with a 'very harmful' level of voltage. Luke Osborne, deputy technical director at Electrical Safety First, said: 'Criminal counterfeiters are doing everything they can to trick shoppers into thinking they've bagged a bargain, developing their tactics to avoid suspicion. 'Some of these new tactics are increasing the risk of electric shock and fire to the buyer including adding in metal weights to give the impression the adapter feels like a legitimate product. 'Criminals are working harder than ever to deceive consumers, with no regard for their safety in the process.' A separate test was undertaken to determine the strength of the plug pins on the adapters, with 71% failing. Many of the plug pins snapped completely or became distorted during the test, which the charity warned could result in the pin becoming lodged in a socket outlet and exposing the user to an electric shock. Mr Osborne said: 'If you're looking to bag an electronic bargain it has never been more important to stick to a reputable retailer or manufacturer in order to shield yourself and your loved ones from fakes that could risk your safety.'
