Air King 9166F 20" Whole House Window Fan , Gray

****** UPDATE 15 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE*******This fan no longer works. Turned it on back in November and it was as dead as a door nail. I was busy and didn't have time to mess with it but just recently sent email to company to see if there might be a quick fix. Will let you know.Received reply from Air & Water Inc. Here it is.---Unfortunately the item is out of warranty and we are unable to exchange the product. We do not offer technical support for thee units, what I would recommend doing is contacting the manufacturer directly to see if they may be able to troubleshoot the product. To contact Air King directly please call 877-304-3785.Thank you for choosing Air & Water, Inc.----Well, the box works for Christmas light storage. It is sturdy and keeps the rats out.**********************************************I have read a lot about this fan, both good and bad. With some of the bad reviews I had to ask myself, "How far has fan motor technology progressed in the last 20 years?" I have fans over 20 years old that still run and that made me wonder about the complaints of "motor burn out." Lets take a look at what might be happening with "FANS GONE WILD."First of all this fan is like an engine, it needs air to run properly. That pedestal fan or ceiling fan in your home has and endless supply of air as it isn't removing or replacing air, it is only moving it around. But a window fan needs more - an unobstructed source. Since it is moving air either in or out of a capsule (your home) it must be able to do so freely. I know, I know, I'm just like you. I love to turn a window fan on, crack another window open about 2 inches and feel that wind roaring through but that isn't what is best for the fan in the long term. You need to have at least 2 windows open = to the size of this fan to help it live a long and healthy life. This fan is already working hard moving a lot of air - it shouldn't have to struggle for the air.As well, get rid of the screen where you have the fan installed, that equates to about a 50% blockage. It impedes air movement in either direction. It blocks air being removed by the fan if you are exhausting air from the home or it blocks air trying to enter the fan if you are blowing air into the home - get rid of it. As well, this is why you need 2 windows open to run an exhaust fan. Those 2 windows probably have screens that impede the air movement as well. You can leave those screens in place but open at least 2 windows.The test: Open the intake windows you plan on using while running your fan. With the fan running now crack a door open to the outside of the home. Without closing the door or lodging it in place, gently push the door closed. If the fan is still trying to pull air in through that door, pushing it back open, you need more windows open. Air should be entering your home with the least amount of resistance possible.My 19 year old son and I installed it - he said it was the easiest thing we have ever put together and installed - it was. It is a little noisy so you will need to place it away from a main living area. If you are like me however, that fan will put you to sleep in about 5 minutes in your bedroom. It looks good and the Storm Guard feature works easily and as advertised, allowing you to close the window when the fan is not in use.Remember and trust that this fan is moving a lot of air as advertised, you don't need a small cracked intake window with a 30 knot breeze blowing through it to know that. 2 intake windows open to the size of the fan should do. All you are looking for from where the air is entering the home is the sensation of a vague feel of air movement - not a 30 knot breeze. To restrict the air flow of a fan is like driving your car with the parking brake on - your brakes will be gone before you know it.That fan that sits on the counter or pedestal doesn't have to work for air, it is all contained within the capsule, your home, those fans merely moves air. An exhaust / intake fan is different, much different. Make it easy on your fan and make it easy on yourself.Good fan - I like it. If the motor craps out on me this decade I'll let you know and take back all of this.I haven't disregarded the bad reports I have read, I shall keep the box for a while.AlwaysUncle Jim.My name is Jim, I have a high school diploma and am a self proclaimed expert in Fanology. All of my fans still run.

I grew up in a small house with no central air conditioning and our only means of cooling the house was a 25" Air King box fan, circa 1960s. By the time of my parents last move that original fan went missing, and although it was super ugly and dirty, dented, missing carry handle and all its buttons, the speed controls worked great as long as a screwdriver was nearby, and it was mighty morphin powerful! But was it loud! People who have bought this model 9166, complain about its loudness (and it is loud) have no idea how loud those old metal box fans used to be unless they owned them; but by comparison this baby is nearly silent. However, this fan doesn't begin to compare to anything on the market today, especially something that could be picked up at a local big box store for a comparable price or less.I purchased this fan in May 2016 on the recommendation of my father who has been happily using his similar Air King model (version previous to this) for the last 10-12 years without incident yearly from mid-Spring through early Autumn. Prior to buying I read every single 1-3 star review and agonized for days over the decision to blow $150 on a fan! A fan! (I really wanted to blow that money on a new pair of Birkies!) When it all came down to taking the plunge, I realized I needed either three window fans for three different rooms or one really good house fan. The Air King 9166 won and I haven't looked back. The ONLY thing I don't appreciate about this is the noise, but it's only 25 feet away in basically the same room and I can always hear the stereo or TV which aren't ever blasting or even near to 1/4 of full volume. Not bad.I have noticed many comments regarding the fan shaking or vibrating walls and floors; I haven't had either problem in the two seasons or 10 months of operation. My home is a 2,100 sq. ft. tri-level and this fan cools the main and upper levels down nicely in the evenings, which is when I run it most often. Rarely do I ever utilize any settings other than Low/Exhaust as they are perfectly capable of making the house comfortable within 15-20 minutes. By "perfectly comfortable" I am referring to making the inside temperature just as comfortable as the temperature outside. Twice I've run the fan on the Medium/Exhaust controls due to my own impatience, and as one might expect the noise level to increase to some degree it wasn't discernible nearly as much as one might think. One time I turned it on the High/Intake settings which sent a month of filing and the contents of a standard filing cabinet drawer flying across the dining room, sailing on into the living room and smack into the bay window. So, yeah, high/intake...No. Not necessary.While I don't feel as if it needs to be said, I will say it anyway: when operating the Air King fans it is absolutely imperative that the house has plenty of proper ventilation. The window the fan is installed in must be open 100%, ideally in the same room across from the fan another window should be open several inches as well as other windows around the house, especially on the same level of the home in order for the fan to function well. This fan is installed in my dining room window which is always fully open when the fan is operational. Next to the fan window is another window that I open at least 3-4 inches minimum. Across from the dining room, is a family room with three huge windows and two smaller side windows. Those smaller windows are always adequately (3-4") open during operating hours. The kitchen is next to the dining room - same thing, windows open at minimum of 3-4". The second level bedrooms, baths, sitting room always have excellent fresh air circulation. Whether its important or overkill on my part it's worth mentioning that I always wait until the fans stops (completely or nearly depends on the mood of the day) rotating once the power has been turned off before closing the window it is housed in. Additionally, when it begins to rain I cut the power on the fan and close the window, because electricity and water...um, no! If this ($150!) fan ever quits on me it will not be my fault, and especially not because I didn't something careless.People have asked whether the fan should be screwed into the window frame, and I have done just that. The window closes effortlessly behind the fan which is brilliant. No more messing about with lugging a fan in and out of the window when it rains, is too cold, or too hot, and then wondering where to put the thing. Also, no shaking, rattling or vibrations, as mentioned above. It also seems to make good sense to screw it in from a safety standpoint as this sucker isn't any lightweight piece of equipment. Final word on this screwy business, $150...for a fan.Because I run the air conditioning so much less now than I used to, I have saved on average, June-August $127 per month. Hello new Birks!Another thing to note is, absolutely yes, you want a screen down between the outside world and this fan, if you normally live with screened windows. Otherwise - bugs! I live in the woods, my fan is still in the window and we just finished up with stink bug and mammoth wolf and barn weaver spider seasons; can you imagine if the fan was open to the elements? Oh gawd just kill me...no screens...At the end of a warm, stuffy day I highly recommend the Air King 9166 for it's cooling efficiency and capabilities.