bit-tech Shopping: Lasko #2155A 3 Speed Window Fan

Rating: 10

Time with product: 4 Years

Strengths: Moves a lot of air, LASKO PRODUCTS stands behind their goods

Weaknesses: Difficult to clean, requires a lot of disassembly.Wish that more parts were metal.

Summary: After 4 years of use around the clock, almost every day, my fan finally broke. I ordered another right away. I took apart the fan to wash away dust and grease (this was in my kitchen window) and lost the lock washer for the propeller. Lasko sent me three replacements FREE. Then about a year ago, the plastic propeller broke. It was $8 plus $7 shipping. Amazing!I really like this company and this has been a great product that I found by chance at Ace Hardware. I live in a 110-year-old hotel converted into small apartments. We're allowed to have one small air conditioner. This fan sucked out the hot air so my rooms could fill with chilled air. Two of my neighbors also bought this fan and love it.In the winter, I used to smoke in front of the fan so it would be pulled out. Even though I don't smoke anymore, this fan is great for pulling out odors from cooking year 'round. My apartment never smells like onions, fish, pinto beans, or brownies... all of which smell wonderful when fresh, but not so lovely after a few days.There is a comparable Air King product that costs 3-4 times as much. I looked it over and other than a metal propeller, there isn't much difference. I'm stickin' with Lasko.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3 Days

Strengths: Effective, easy to install, quiet on low.

Weaknesses: Quality varies, no timer or temperature control

Summary: Bought from Home Depot online, when tested have strange clicking noise when in exhaust mode. RMAed and exchanged for a 2nd one, then everything is fine. Since I am only using it to ventilate my bedroom, only low setting is commonly used, very quiet with good airflow. The room is on the top floor with bad ventilation, at night the AC was unable to cool the room to even outside temperature. Now with the fan installed, I am finally able to sleep comfortably. Would be nice if it has timer or temperature control, now I just turn it off before I go to sleep.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 15 Years

Strengths: Power of fan, volume of air moved, quietness of fan motor. Cheaper than air conditioning. Ability to close window in inclement weather.

Weaknesses: Fan housing subject to occasional vibration. Will not help if the relative humidity is high. A little tough to clean.

Summary: This is a great fan. I have owned 6 over the years and am very happy with them. I am currently buying another as my last one finally has lived its useful life and is ready for recycling. The fan is easy to install and the ability to close the window behind the fan in stormy weather is an absolute plus. The electricity usage is substantially lower than using air conditioning, a nice money saving option. I like the volume of air it can move and the reversible fan direction feature. By using 2 to 3 of these fans at once in my home, in a coordinated fashion, the resulting air movement has had the same air moving effect as using a smaller wholehouse fan, but without the installation cost or hassles. There are one or two areas for improvement. Even with the best installation, over time the plastic housing can vibrate and make an annoying sound. Over the years I found that installing paper "shims" between the areas of vibration will eliminate the noise. Additionally, the fan and housing will build up dust or other debris during its use each season. To really clean the fan properly, I disassemble it each year to clean it. It is not hard to do but it takes a little time to perform a thorough job. I also remember when these fans and housings were built out of all metal instead of plastic. While the plastic is lighter and easier to install, it doesn't recycle well. I wish they (Lasko) would bring back the metal version as a more environmentally friendly material for recycling the fan. Finally, if you are in a really humid atmosphere, the fan is helpful but you will really need an air conditioner to be more comfortable. In general, if you are in the market for a larger window fan, this is a great product, the price is right and I would recommend it to anyone.