# Buying an electric fan



## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

I need to buy an electric fan for my apartment. A simple fan that sits on a table top or window ledge.

I am in Guadalajara, very near centro. 

The Liberty Market is very nearby (Mercado Libertad San Juan de Dios). A huge place, not sure how it is organized - maybe it is not organized.

Suggestions on where to search for one. I could of course go to Walmart, but are there better/other places?


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Any Chedraui or Soriana has a fan, Home Depot is always higher and Walmart is the most expensive for groceries.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

BTW, it was 60 degrees here in the mountains this morning, I almost lit a fire in the fireplace.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

UrbanMan said:


> I need to buy an electric fan for my apartment. A simple fan that sits on a table top or window ledge.
> 
> I am in Guadalajara, very near centro.
> 
> ...


There is a store on Federalismo that sells nothing but fans in all sizes and shapes. I think it is at the corner of Calle Independencia and Federalismo.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

Zorro2017 said:


> BTW, it was 60 degrees here in the mountains this morning, I almost lit a fire in the fireplace.


GDL is most nights currently falling to under 60F in the wee hours of the morning. Once the sun is up and the morning cloud dissipates (roughly 9am), the warm up is fairly rapid. 

From 7pm and further into the night, it is very comfortable. Under 75F by 8pm, under 70F by 9pm, I estimate. It's just a matter of pulling that nice air into my apartment. 

I did buy a fan, a refurbished one, at a tiny shop less than 2km from where I live. There are lots of little repair shops of various kinds in the barrio, I am slowly unearthing them, as well as all the different food shops. The nearest supermercado is more than 5km away, but I am beginning to understand that you can buy nearly everything from the closer shops, just have to know where they are.

The particular shop where I found the fan, looks like he and his wife are refurbishers of anything and everything small home electric. 180 pesos, tabletop, oscillates, approximately 30 cm in diameter.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> There are lots of little repair shops of various kinds in the barrio, I am slowly unearthing them, as well as all the different food shops. The nearest supermercado is more than 5km away, but I am beginning to understand that you can buy nearly everything from the closer shops, just have to know where they are.


Beware of horse meat.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

Zorro2017 said:


> Walmart is the most expensive for groceries.


In my short experience, for some food items yes, for many food items they are quite competitive. The range of products is a big plus.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> In my short experience, for some food items yes, for many food items they are quite competitive. The range of products is a big plus.


Not here in our part of Mexico, an average shopping trip usually costs us 1,100 to 1400 pesos. A trip to Walmart last week was over 2,000.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Re fans: Lots of folks think when their fans, both stand-up or ceiling, start running really slowly, that they are toast and go buy a new one. All they need is a new capacitor, about the size of a small matchbox, with 2 wires coming out of them, that cost about 35 pesos.

I have a couple stand-up fans that I bought for 300 pesos many years ago that I have replaced the capacitors on, and they run like brand new fans.

Also did my ceiling fans. Both types are about a 15 minute job that anyone with little mechanical confidence can do. If you can replace a plug end on a lamp cord, it's about the same skill level. No electrical training necessary. Make sure to unplug the stand-ups or turn off the ceiling fan breaker first.

Stay away from those big "Ventiladores" places. They are way more expensive than a mom and pop fan store. Wanted 200 pesos for a 35 peso capacitor. And any decent electrical supply place sells them.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

surabi said:


> Re fans: Lots of folks think when their fans, both stand-up or ceiling, start running really slowly, that they are toast and go buy a new one. All they need is a new capacitor, about the size of a small matchbox, with 2 wires coming out of them, that cost about 35 pesos.
> 
> I have a couple stand-up fans that I bought for 300 pesos many years ago that I have replaced the capacitors on, and they run like brand new fans.
> 
> ...


Where are you finding capacitors Surabi? The Radio Shack we have here and the others I have seen in Mexico don't have capacitors, resistors, transistors and such.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Zorro2017 said:


> Where are you finding capacitors Surabi? The Radio Shack we have here and the others I have seen in Mexico don't have capacitors, resistors, transistors and such.


Radio Shack at one time was an electrical/electronics store selling parts. It hasn't been that for a long time. Now it is a electronic toy store. But there are lots of electrical supply stores selling wire, outlets, sockets, etc. I would try one of those.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Zorro2017 said:


> Where are you finding capacitors Surabi? The Radio Shack we have here and the others I have seen in Mexico don't have capacitors, resistors, transistors and such.


Have bought them in little independent fan stores, also hardware stores and electrical supply stores. I live in PV area, so couldn't say specifically where in your area.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

I used to build fish shockers out of Radio Shack components small enough to fit in a Skoal can.


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## 4Lionsnbaja (Nov 12, 2017)

surabi said:


> when fans, both stand-up or ceiling, start running really slowly, All they need is a new capacitor,


Or a good cleaning.
I picked up fan this past summer at a flea market, $30 pesos, it was loud, slow and not fanning much air. Took it apart cleaned the blade, front and back screen, it worked like brand new after that.

Its amazing how the flint and dust really impact a fans performance, it basically suffocates the fan, it'd be like trying to breathe with a hairball in your nose.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

4Lionsnbaja said:


> Or a good cleaning.
> I picked up fan this past summer at a flea market, $30 pesos, it was loud, slow and not fanning much air. Took it apart cleaned the blade, front and back screen, it worked like brand new after that.
> 
> Its amazing how the flint and dust really impact a fans performance, it basically suffocates the fan, it'd be like trying to breathe with a hairball in your nose.


 Yes, definitely on the regular cleaning, plus all that dust and dirt is blowing on you, ecch. But if it still runs slow after a good cleaning, the new capacitor makes it spin like crazy again. And oiling or spraying some WD40 on the spinning shaft.

I've had a new ceiling fan (not a cheapo one either) require a new capacitor after a year, some inexpensive stand-up types needing them only every 3 years or so.


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

surabi said:


> if it still runs slow after .... And oiling or spraying some WD40 on the spinning shaft.


Let me add what I hope is some useful elaboration.

Point of fact, WD40 is not a lubricant. I'm not an engineer, but ask any engineer, and he/she will confirm.

WD40 is a cleaner. It evaporates relatively quickly - not 100% but it does largely evaporate - in a couple of weeks in most circumstances. This is unlike lubricants, where the goal is for the product to stick around. So it can be useful in this case, if the issue is dirt or corrosion.

Use as little as possible ... WD40 or any lubricating oil getting on electrical connections is a bad thing. Its also not great to get WD40 on plastic. I know the tendency of many is to go nuts when applying, but this is a classic case of less is more.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

UrbanMan said:


> Let me add what I hope is some useful elaboration.
> 
> Point of fact, WD40 is not a lubricant. I'm not an engineer, but ask any engineer, and he/she will confirm.
> 
> ...


I actually use a silicone spray. I said WD, cause most people have that around, and those fan shafts do tend to get corroded. But the silicone works well. Available at Autozone. Also works in sewing machines instead of oil.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

If you ever see Mobil 1 spray lubricant, buy it. I haven't seen it here but it is the best spray lubricant I've ever seen.


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