Box Fan Wattage Guide: How Many Watts Does it Use

During the hot summer and periods of heat, a box fan is the best option to ventilate the living room, bedroom, and other spaces. It not only could cool down any room in your house efficiently but also improve the indoor airflow. But how efficient is the box fan? Each box fan is designed for different purposes, with multiple modes of blowing wind. Today, I will cover the topic of the efficiency of the box fan.

Generally, the common box fans in the market consume between 50 to 100 watts of power. The mini box fans consume about 27W per hour, while the larger one could consume over 100 watts per hour. On average, a typical box fan consumes about 75 watts per hour when they are running at full speed.

You may wonder why the consumption of watt range is so wide? It is because a variety of box fans are varied in wattage in the market. Under the condition of the same speed mode, the large box fan consumes more wattage than the small box fans.

The consumption of the wattage of the box fans is changeable, affected by multiple factors. The environment is one of the factors that affect the wattage of the box fan. Although the box fans run between 50 to 100 watts, they can go as high as 200 watts as well at a high temperature.

The above data is calculated overall. You may wonder about the specific data of the specific size of the box fan. The 20-inch box fan usually is used as a commercial box fan, consumes about 86.5W per hour at full speed, 70.5W per hour at medium speed, 56W per hour at the lowest speed.

The 7-10 inch box fans are a type of portable box fan, is most commonly used for personal cooling devices. This size(smaller or equal to 10 inches) of the box fans is usually placed on the desk. The wattage of 7 to 10-inch box fans is about 20-30 watts at full speed.

Generally speaking, the box fan does not use a significant amount of power. But, you need to know that the consumed watts have a positive correlation with the energy cost. Therefore, the higher watts the electronic fan draws, the higher the energy cost of running. Therefore, if you want to save money, you could purchase a low-wattage box fan or an energy-efficient box fan.

TOOL OR APPLIANCE	RUNNING	ADDITIONAL STARTING WATTS
	(RATED) WATTS
Light Bulb – 60 Watt	60	0
Light Bulb – 75 Watt	75	0
Refrigerator/ Freezer	700	2200
Sump Pump – 1/3 HP	800	1300
Sump Pump – 1/2 HP	1050	2200
Water Well Pump – 1/3 HP	1000	2000
Electric Water Heater	4000	0
Heating/Cooling:
Space Heater	1800	0
Humidifier- 13 Gal	175	0
Furnace Fan Blower – 1/2 HP	800	2350
Furnace Fan Blower- 1/3 HP	700	1400
Window AC – 10,000 BTU	1200	1800
Window AC – 12,000 BTU	3250	3950
Central AC – 10,000 BTU	1500	3000
Central AC – 24,000 BTU	3800	4950
Central AC – 40,000 BTU	6000	6700
Heat Pump	4700	4500
Laundry Room:
Iron	1200	0
Washing Machine	1150	2250
DIY/Jobsite:
Quartz Halogen Work Light, 300	300	0
Quartz Halogen Work Light, 500	500	0
Quartz Halogen Work Light, 1,000	1000	0
Airless Sprayer – 11/3. HP	600	1200
Reciprocating Saw	960	0
Electric Drill – 3/8″, 4 Amps	440	600
Electric Drill – 1/2″, 5.4 Amps	600	900
Hammer Drill	1000	3000
Circular Saw – 7-1/4″	1400	2300
Miter Saw – 10″	1800	1800
Tailgating/Camping:
Electric Grill	1650	0
AM/FM Radio	100	0
CD/DVD Player	100	0
Box Fan – 20″	200	0
TOOL OR APPLIANCE	RUNNING	ADDITIONAL STARTING WATTS
	(RATED) WATTS
Clothes Dryer – Electric	5400	1350
Clothes Dryer – Gas	700	1800
Kitchen:
Microwave Oven – 625 Watts	625	0
Microwave Oven – 1000 Watts	1000	0
Coffee Maker	1000	0
Electric Stove – 8″ Element	2100	0
Dishwasher – Hot Dry	1500	1500
Food Processor	400	0
Toaster Oven	1200	0
Toaster	850	0
Electric Can Opener	168	0
Family Room:
VCR	100
Stereo Receiver	450	0
Color N – 27″	500	0
X-Box, Game Cube, Playstation	40	0
Other:
Security System	500	0
1/2 HP Garage Door Opener	875	2350
Curling Iron	1500	0
Hair Dryer – 1250 Watt	1250	0
Planer/Jointer – b”	1800	1800
Table Saw/Radial Arm Saw – 10″	2000	2000
Belt Sander	1200	2400
Air Compressor – 114 HP	975	1600
Air Compressor – 1 HP	1600	4500
Office Equipment.
Personal Computer w/ 17″ Monitor	800	0
Fax Machine	65	0
Laser Printer	950	0
Inkjet Printer	80	0
Copy Machine	1600	0
Color N – 13″	150	0
Outdoor Light String	250	0
Cell Phone Battery Charger	25	0
Inflator Pump	50	150

Expecting to buy a low-wattage box fan or energy-efficient box fan, here are two tips to help you reduce more electricity costs.

This is a simple method. Using fewer means cost less. But this tip is not enforce you not to use the electric box fan. It means you should turn it off when appropriate. If you are leaving the room, you could turn it off. Then you could turn it on when you come back.

As you see, the higher speed the box fan runs, the higher wattage it cost. Therefore, you could lower the speed mode of the fan to lower your electricity cost.

The above data is for reference only. When you want to know the actual wattage of your devices, you could check its label which is placed on the backside of the bottom of the fans. Also, you could read the product instruction given by the box fan manufacturer.