Strange Harms From Electric Fans
Horror Stories - Strange Harms From Electric Fans
It's unsure when this legend began, but many believed it started around 1927, where an article was printed in South Korea titled "Strange Harms From Electric Fans" that fueled the paranoia of Koreans everywhere. Electric fans were just being introduced, and so many people were unsure of how they functioned. This article warned readers that keeping an electric fan on in a closed room could be fatal. Many believe that this article marks the time when this type of thinking began, but some date it back to later times.
But how exactly can a fan kill you? There are a few different theories that have been going around over the years. The most popular one is that an electric fan could suck the air out of the room, causing the person to die of asphyxiation. Some take this thinking a step further and believe that a fan converts oxygen molecules into carbon dioxide.
Another way that fans can supposedly kill you is that when an electric fan blows air in a sealed room, the cold air will continuously circulate in the room rather than disperse. This could cause hypothermia and potentially become fatal.
The Korea Consumer Protection Agency issued a safety alert on July 18, 2006. This alert warned readers of electric fans and included the following: "If bodies are exposed to electric fans or air conditioners for too long, it causes bodies to lose water and hypothermia. If directly in contact with a fan, this could lead to death from increase of carbon dioxide saturation concentration and decrease of oxygen concentration.
The risks are higher for the elderly and patients with respiratory problems. From 2003-2005, a total of 20 cases were reported through the CISS involving asphyxiations caused by leaving electric fans and air conditioners on while sleeping. To prevent asphyxiation, timers should be set, wind direction should be rotated and doors should be left open."
But how exactly can a fan kill you? There are a few different theories that have been going around over the years. The most popular one is that an electric fan could suck the air out of the room, causing the person to die of asphyxiation. Some take this thinking a step further and believe that a fan converts oxygen molecules into carbon dioxide.
Another way that fans can supposedly kill you is that when an electric fan blows air in a sealed room, the cold air will continuously circulate in the room rather than disperse. This could cause hypothermia and potentially become fatal.
The Korea Consumer Protection Agency issued a safety alert on July 18, 2006. This alert warned readers of electric fans and included the following: "If bodies are exposed to electric fans or air conditioners for too long, it causes bodies to lose water and hypothermia. If directly in contact with a fan, this could lead to death from increase of carbon dioxide saturation concentration and decrease of oxygen concentration.
The risks are higher for the elderly and patients with respiratory problems. From 2003-2005, a total of 20 cases were reported through the CISS involving asphyxiations caused by leaving electric fans and air conditioners on while sleeping. To prevent asphyxiation, timers should be set, wind direction should be rotated and doors should be left open."
