As has been discussed in multiple threads already, we Americans (and maybe British? I don't know.) find that baffling — airing out for hours in the dead of winter (why even bother insulating?!?), but then closing the windows the second there's the slightest hint of a cooling breeze in the summer. It's absolutely perplexing to us.
I installed one all by myself. Bought it in Singapore for about Fr.80. No problem checking it in on the flight as it is quite light.
Got one of the big hooks, which I drilled into the ceiling next to where the lamp should be, and hooked up the fan and used the cable meant for the lamp. It is remote controlled. I actually found it easier than installing a lamp because I needed to drill only one big hole. It is great to have the constant breeze and up to medium setting it is almost silent, unlike most table and standing fans.
That was my previous apartment with 3m ceilings. Now my new apartment has the standard 2.4m ceiling so having a ceiling fan is quite risky....
Airing out shouldn't take more than 5 minutes - max 10. The trick is to open all the windows in your apartment as wide as they will go, allow to air out for 5 mins then go around closing them again. You don't lose a lot of heat but the air is a lot less skanky.
Pro-ceiling fan here....I wish we had them. Our apartment (build in 2008 I believe) only has windows on ONE side. Thus, NO air circulation. We have one big standing fan, and a smaller one, and I can tell you the big standing one is much uglier than a ceiling fan would be...(I actually really like some designs of ceiling fans, like the ones that look like big bamboo leaves...anyway.) Plus it is a pain to move back and forth 2x a day (I'm lazy so what) and it collects dust at the bottom and in the grill. SO...That is why I think Switzerland should embrace ceiling fans, the end. (Cuz God, if you're not going to have AC come on, don't even get me started....if you live on any high up floor in a "high rise" apt. building, it's going to be hot especially if there is no air flow!!) The end part 2.
The Swiss don't like drafts. They can sit on a stifling hot train and throw you a look if you open the window. I've even been asked to close it on one occasion by a woman who was across the aisle and in a different row. We have TWO ceiling fans and love them. I use them all year to circulate the air.
Although the summers here are relatively short, there usually is a week or three that I find absolutely brutal, particularly as we live in an attic flat so for us, it is particularly hot.
Meanwhile, short summer, long summer, what difference? Most ceiling fans I've seen have a switch to shift the spin direction so in the summer you have it blowing down, in winter it blows up and helps push the hot air back around the room, helping to make heating more efficient.
Even so, and although I will keep poking hubby to get one for over our computers, I'd love to get my hands on a window fan which would actually draw cool air IN in the evenings.