When you were a kid, they were great for making your voice sound like a robot’s, creating windblown dos, and inspiring some of life’s great questions (Can I fit my fingers in there? How bad would it hurt, really?). Otherwise, they’d just sit in the corner and rattle through those sweltering summer days and nights. Now that you’re grown up, you expect more from fans — and getting it is a breeze, if you choose wisely. Which is where this guide comes in.

You may still want to rely on A/C for the hottest, muggiest days, but the rest of the time trusty old fans can help you chill. Consider the advantages: They use much less energy. They shoo heat and stale air out the window, along with bacteria and mold that just recirculate in a closed-up home. And should you ever want to try out that robot voice again…

The first principle of fans: Place them where you’ll feel them. They can’t lower a room’s temperature as well as air conditioners can. “It’s the windchill effect of the breeze on your skin that makes you cooler,” says Kate Lewis, marketing manager for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program.

Shown: VornadoFan in retro green (13 3/4 inches high), $99, www.vornado.com