- A mounting nut and plastic sleeve holds the motor shaft together on the fan head. The back grill is located over the motor shaft. The grill literally hangs on the knobs coming out of the motor. The oscillating fan has a handle crest atop the motor housing inside of the fan head assembly. Back and front grills protect the fan blades and prevent injury to human hands touching the fan. The fan blade itself has a hole in the center that allows it to be fitted on the mounting shaft. The blades and motor are secured by locking the front and back grills together. The grills are locked together by snapping the grill clips from the front grill to the back grill.
- The housing unit of the oscillating fan rotates on a stationary stand, or a base rest on the floor. The oscillating movement is the result of a motor at the base of the housing unit of the fan, allowing the fan to oscillate while the base or stand remains fixed without moving. The height of the oscillating fan is adjustable only on models with stands. The stand has a pole that is raised up and down, and is secured with a knob or a locking lever at the bottom of the pole. A weight and washer are located on the base to support the height adjustment pole or stand. The base of the pole is held together by a clockwise turn of the locking lever fitted through the washer and a hole in the height adjustment pole/ stand. All stands are made of plastic or a combination of plastic and a metal rod for the pole adjustment.
- The angle of the oscillating fan is adjustable for both base rest and stationary stand designs. The housing unit of the fan has a pivot rest under the motor, which is tilted forward or backward to change the angle of the face of the fan. A carriage bolt and tilt knob secure the fan housing unit onto the neck of the fan.
- An oscillating fan used year round is a more advanced model, normally including an option for heating and thermal controls. Fans that are used all year will have a digital thermostat on the pole stand or the base for controlling the hot and cold settings. These types of oscillating fans are often referred to as space heaters. Space heaters work the same way other oscillating fan models work, with the exception of a heat thermostat control panel on the front of the fan.
