Värmefläkts

...that's Swedish for "heating fans". We have lots of oil-filled radiators in our stuga, and things warm up nicely after a few hours, although in the colder days of April and October, it takes a day or so to get acceptably toasty.

We have one radiator with a fan, which is much more efficient at warming up the house quickly. However, we're going to need to get a new one. The fan is giving up the ghost with increasingly loud squeaks, and I'm sure it won't be running at all when we're back there in a few months.

Fortunately, there are lots of different types to choose from.  Clas Ohlson has quite a range of värmefläkts on their website.

To be honest, though, I have my eye on something more exotic. Dyson, those makers of hi-tech vacuum cleaners, now sell a bladeless heating fan. It's quite small and efficient, although it is much more expensive than the more common fans available.

I couldn't find it available for sale in Sweden, so I e-mailed Dyson in the UK. Within 24 hours, they referred me to their Scandinavian branch, and those people replied with shopping information within 12 hours. Impressive.

Sure enough, it can be bought in Sweden, and in fact, I found it online for a surprisingly good price: about $424 at today's exchange rate, compared to $433 at my local Lowes. Amazing.

Besides being a hi-tech device which appeals to the nerd in me, it also can serve in the summer as a cooling fan, which would come in handy on sunny July days. The only drawback I've read about (besides the price) is that it can be noisy. I'm thinking about buying one at the local Lowes for a test. If I do, I'll report back.