The gas or air enters the squirrel cage fan from the side of the fan wheel, turns 90 degrees and flows over the fan blades and exits the fan housing. The perpendicular bend of the air causes it to accelerate because of centrifugal forces. This is the main reason squirrel cage fans are also referred to as centrifugal fans, although all centrifugal fans may not be the same as squirrel cage fans.  

The centrifugal forces not only accelerate the air or gases, it also pressurizes them. This allows the squirrel cage fan to be used for many different functions. One of the most common use of squirrel cage blower fans is for central heating/cooling systems. 

On the other hand, they are also very well suited for many different industrial processes. Recently, benefits of using squirrel cage fans in air pollution control systems have been found and their use has become very popular within such systems.

Centrifugal and Squirrel Cage Blower Fans 

There are many other common and not so common uses of centrifugal and squirrel cage blower fans. They are very highly recommended for green houses. They are far more efficient and faster than exhaust fans or duct fans and can easily remove the dead air in your greenhouse and replace it with fresh air in a matter of minutes.  

The acceleration and pressure built up in the squirrel cage fan due to centrifugal forces increases the fan’s ability to push air out through various obstacles. This means that if you were to use a carbon filter, using squirrel cage fans will be far more efficient than using any other type of fan. Most exhaust fans would not have been able to generate enough pressure or the speed to push air through a carbon filter.

Squirrel cage and centrifugal blower fans are now available in many varieties, and we specifically discuss HydroFarm squirrel fan, Stanley blower fan, Dayton exhaust fan, and Lasko utility fan models. There are many different types of fans and fan sizes to choose from and they are available with many different features and functionality.

Depending on what you intend to use your squirrel cage fan for, it is important to do adequate research to identify the most suitable configuration for you. For instance, depending on the size of your greenhouse, you will need to decide whether you need a large heavy duty squirrel cage fan or multiple small pieces.