The Duracraft wall model offers a cooling alternative to ceiling fans.

There are as many fan types as there are electrical equipment manufacturers. The electric fan was one of the very first electric appliances manufactured, and fans date back more than a hundred years.

Old fans had blades made of metal and were designed to spin as fast as possible. Since the 1970s, however, blades and housing are more likely to be made of high-impact plastics such as ABS, and designs are more aerodynamic and energy efficient.

Here's a sampling of other types of fans:

Whole house fan: This is a large unit that fits flat into the ceiling and draws air from the entire house and blows it out attic vents. These are increasingly popular as a relatively inexpensive way to cool a house and an attic simultaneously. One example is the Broan 30-inch, generally selling for between $300 and $400. Pluses: Cheap, unobtrusive. Minuses: Noisy, awkward to install.

Window fan: A square unit that fits into a window to either blow cool air into a room or hot air out. These require very little installation, and are popular among apartment renters or condo owners who can't alter their living spaces. An example is the Duracraft DW640, about $95. Pluses: Inexpensive, can be taken with you when you move. Minuses: Noisy, disrupts the view, not all that efficient.

Oscillating fan: These are smaller fans that blow columns of air in varying directions around a room. These almost always feature a blade unit in a protective grill and a geared motor head atop a column - the angle and sweep and speed can be controlled by the user. Some models, such as the Duracraft DC200 ($79) can be hung on a wall. Most are about $30. Pluses: Inexpensive, small, and be taken with you. Minuses: Awkward, old-fashioned, aren't easily controlled, have a relatively short life and tend to get dirty.

Designer fan: These are variations on the oscillating fan, and use modern design to overcome the oscillator's shortcomings and brutish appearance. These include the Hitachi Tower Fan CF-26 ($100), a tall column; the Hitachi Auto-Aire BF-63EA ($70), a small flat unit with a rotating grill to change air direction; and various types of Vornados ($75 to $100), a squat, Darth-Vader-like unit that uses an angled grill to maximize air velocity. Pluses: Your fan can fit your decor. Minuses: You pay more for it, but the mechanical reliability is the same.

The Vornado fan - stylish.

In Hawaii, however, ceiling fans are more likely to be run constantly in one direction - down - and in areas where salt air and humidity can affect them. This creates an ionic situation that attracts dust and moisture. This means that units are likelier to corrode, and that fan blades absorb moisture and begin to split apart, causing them to become unbalanced. This is particularly true of composite-material blades on cheaper brands of fans.

The solution for many Hawaii homes are fans that were manufactured for inside-outside environments. These includes ABS (plastic) blades, powder-coat baked finishes and fittings made of stainless steel or other non-corrosive materials. Brands include:

The Sierra Rain Fan, about $230 from Pacific Distributors. According to PD sales manager Patrick Scanlan, it's their best-selling model because it was specifically designed by Sierra for Hawaii climates.

The Hunter Sea Island, about $200 from Fan & Light Factory and others. Another model, the Hunter Original Outdoor, uses fabric-covered blades in a variety of colors. When these get dirty, pull them off and throw them in the washer.

The Regency Veranda, about $140; the Emerson Patio Fan, about $180; or the Casablanca Cascade, about $300, from The Fan Shop. The Cascade is a heavy-duty model designed for long life amid salty environments, and is used by the Aloha Tower merchants for lanai venues.