Is Fan Death a Real Threat or Just a Myth?

[Suzukigold]

Do you believe in "fan death"?

Basically, I stationary fan left on in a sealed room could cause death by either suffocation or hypothermia. I know several researchers in Korea and in California have came out to say that it is all a hoax, but does anyone here know whether it is possible to suffocate from a fan in a room?

http://www.fandeath.net/

As for me, I always leave my fan on at night. I believe the media is hyping the story.

 

[CRGreathouse]

If the room is cold enough and the person does not have a cover, I suppose hypothermia would be possible. But that would be difficult: you'd tend to wake from the cold and put on a blanket. And in a closed room a fan raises the temperature, so there's a very narrow range where this would be possible at all. I think this is highly unlikely, if possible at all.

A fan certainly wouldn't induce suffocation.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The poll was closed. This is a technical question and not a matter of opinion.

A fan like this can only create a small pressure differential, perhaps a couple of PSI, and not nearlly enough to cause suffocation.