The sun is shining, and the air is hot … summer is here. Although we as humans appreciate the warmer weather, our cows do not. Because ventilation and cooling is so important to cow comfort and minimizing heat stress, let’s take a moment to focus on simple fan maintenance and ways to increase their overall impact.

Neglecting maintenance on your fans can cause a decrease in their output of up to 40 to 50 percent. That doesn’t mean they’re going to draw 40 percent less energy; they are just going to move 40 percent less air. That is like losing twice.

Whether you have tunnel or circulation fans, you need to keep them clean, replace parts and keep up on repairs so they can do their crucial job. Here are some of the basics on fan maintenance, and remember to always turn off the power to fans before you service or repair them:

TIP: Timing: Do a fan maintenance check before you start running them for the season. Check them again a couple times over the summer.

TIP: Cleaning: Remove dirt and dust from blades and louvers and anywhere there is buildup. Use a brush first and compressed air to get into tough-to-reach places.

TIP: Louvers: If these don’t open and close properly, you could be losing up to half of the fan’s efficiency. Keep louvers clean and lubricate hinges with a non-dirt attracting oil.

TIP: Belt adjustment and replacement: Replace worn belts. Check the belt tension to be sure it is adjusted properly for a new belt and to compensate for wear after a few weeks of running in the summer.

TIP: Wiring: When doing routine cleaning, be sure to look for any stripped, loose or exposed wires. Depending on the complexity of your system, it may be a good idea to have an electrician check everything out before summer.

TIP: Vibrations: If fans are shaking and off balance, that can cause a few different issues. Constant vibrations will loosen fan and bracket parts and can cause serious damage. Check all bolt and fastener points on the mounting system as well as on the fan itself. Bent blades also need to be identified and replaced.

Another part of any fan’s efficiency is how long and how high the fans are running. If all of your fans are going full speed 24 hours a day – including when the temperatures are low in the evening – they aren’t being efficiently used. This is where automation can come into play. There are varying levels of automation you can implement.

Variable-frequency drives can be installed to control the speed of fans and will save energy as well as wear on fan motors. These can be manually operated on a toggle switch or coupled with a temperature control system and engaged automatically.

Temperature and climate control systems are great for dairies that don’t want to have to worry about turning fans on and off all summer, as they will only run when they are needed.

If you are using a thermostat, it is important that they are installed in the right place. Keep them about 10 feet away from a fan and out of direct sunlight.

They need to be monitoring the temperature of the air around the cows and not be in a place where you can get an exaggerated reading. Some systems can tie into a complete ventilation automation system which can include curtains, fans and sprinklers.

With rising energy costs, automation is becoming very popular, and it is also a way to improve general management efficiencies and increase cow comfort. Technologies have come a long way, and it may be time to look into these options. These systems aren’t just about cooling; they’re important to maintaining air quality year-round.

Don’t lose milk production due to heat stress. Keeping cows happy and cool this summer means plenty of air movement, and that can mean a lot of fans. Make sure they are doing their job. Keep up on maintenance and cleaning, and check out automation options.  PD