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The
Owen Williams Mission Viejo Handyman Service Company
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GET
A FREE ESTIMATE!
CALL US TODAY!
(949)
514-4172
or (949) 933-0178
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are Licenced # 878985 and Insured
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Handyman
Serving:
Mission Viejo
Rancho Santa Margarita
- Coto De Caza
Lake Forest
- Foothill Ranch
- El Toro
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Irvine
Ladera
Ranch
San Clemente
Aliso Viejo
HANDMAN
MISSION VIEJO
TIPS
#1
WOW! How to Get the Most From Your Garage with Overhead
Bin Garage Storage!
#2
How to Install
A Ceiling Fan
Overhead
Garage Storage, Garage Overhead Storage & Garage Overhead
Rack Storage, Orange County, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Newport
Beach, San Juan Capistrano, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach, Rancho
Santa Margarita, Anaheim, Orange, Tustin, Coto De Caza,
San Clemente, Huntington Beach, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel,
Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Leisure World,
Foothill Ranch, Ladera Ranch, El Toro, Placentia, Anaheim
Hills, Villa Park, Costa Mesa, Yorba Linka, Brea, Fullerton,
Fountain Valley, Placentia
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MINKA
AIRE CEILING FANS
Lowest Prices plus Free Shipping
WE
ALSO DO CEILING FAN INSTALLATIONS
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ABOUT
MINKA GROUP
Light
and air are the two elements that dominate the world of
The Minka Group, which manufactures and distributes lighting
and ceiling fan fixtures through more than 2,100 dealers
in the US. The company has an extensive product line from
chandeliers to table lamps, floor lamps to wall sconces,
and mirrors to wall art.
Minka markets its products under the Ambience, George
Kovacs, The Great Outdoors, Metropolitan Lighting Fixture,
Minka-Aire, and Minka Lavery brand names. Customers range
from independent lighting showroom dealers to larger accounts
such as Home Depot and Lowe's. In its 19th year, the Minka
Group has grown to become a leader in both the lighting
and ceiling fan industries.
As
a company, we pride ourselves in the quality and workmanship
of each and every fixture we produce. The Minka Group
employs more then 200 people in its Corona, CA and Charlotte,
NC facilities and its products are sold exclusively through
over 2100 lighting showroom dealers nationwide. Along
with its in-house design and manufacturing capabilities,
the company utilizes the talents of many of today's leading
designers and sources product components from around the
world.
MINKA
AIRE GROUP IS LOCATED: 1151 W. Bradford Ct. Corona, CA
92882 USA - Map +1-951-735-9220 (Phone) 951-735-9758 Company
website: http://www.minkagroup.net
Management: Marian Tang CEO, Kurt Schulzman President,
John Tarazona Corporate Controller Industry Information
Sector: Industrial Goods Industry: Industrial Electrical
Equipment The Minka Group has grown to become a leader
in the decorative lighting industry. As a company, they
pride themselves in the quality and workmanship of each
and every fixture we produce.
With
the people and distribution operating on two continents,
the Minka Group family of businesses is leading the way
in product design, knit together by a single level of
quality over a broad range of price points. Our products
are available at retail under the brand names Minka-Lavery,
Metropolitan, Ambience, Minka-Aire, The Great Outdoors
and George Kovacs as well as several nationally recognized
private label brands.
ALL
ABOUT CEILING FANS
A
ceiling fan is a device suspended from the ceiling of
a room, which employs hub-mounted rotating paddles to
circulate air in order to produce a cooling or destratification
effect.
History
Collage
of three photos of an extraordinarily rare Panasonic-brand
ceiling fan from the early 1980s; model unknown, believed
to be F5210WH. Example of an early high-quality imported
ceiling fan.
The
first ceiling fans appeared in the 1860s and 1870s, in
the United States. At that time, they were not powered
by any form of electric motor. Instead, a stream of running
water was used, in conjunction with a turbine, to drive
a system of belts which would turn the blades of two-blade
fan units. These systems could accommodate several fan
units, and so became popular in stores, restaurants, and
offices. Some of these systems still survive today, and
can be seen in parts of the southern United States where
they originally proved useful.
The
electrically-powered ceiling fan was invented in 1882
by Philip Diehl (pronounced the same as "deal"). Diehl
had engineered the electric motor used in the first Singer
sewing machines, and in 1882 adapted that motor for use
in a ceiling-mounted fan. "The Diehl Electric Fan", as
it was known, operated like a common modern-day ceiling
fan; each fan had its own self-contained motor unit, eliminating
the need for costly and bulky belt systems.
Diehl
was almost immediately up against fierce competition due
to the commercial success of the ceiling fan. However,
he continued to make improvements to his invention. One
such improvement, the "Diehl Electrolier", was a light
kit adapted onto the ceiling fan to compensate for any
light fixture(s) displaced by the installation of the
ceiling fan, and/or to add extra overhead lighting to
the room.
By
World War I, most ceiling fans were being manufactured
with four blades instead of the original two. Besides
making fans quieter, this change allowed them to circulate
more air, thereby making more efficient use of their motors.
By
the 1920s, ceiling fans had become commonplace in the
United States, and had started to take hold internationally;
however, during the Great Depression, ceiling fans faded
out of vogue in the U.S. By the end of World War II, ceiling
fans had become almost non-existent, and remained that
way into the 1950s. Those which remained were considered
items of nostalgia. However, the ceiling fan was still
very popular in other countries, notably those with warm
climates which could not afford high-energy-consuming
devices, namely air conditioning.
In
the 1960s, some East Asian manufacturers started exporting
their ceiling fans to the United States. They caught on
slowly at first, but found great success during the energy
crisis of the late 1970s, since ceiling fans consume far
less energy than air conditioning units.
Due
to this renewed commercial success, many American manufacturers
started to produce (or significantly increase production
of) ceiling fans, resulting in a revival of interest in
the product. The well-known Casablanca Fan Company was
founded in 1974. Other popular American manufacturers
at the time included the Hunter Fan Co. (which was then
a division of Robbins & Myers, Inc), FASCO (F. A.
Smith Co.), Emerson Electric, and Lasko; the latter two
were often relabeled and sold by Sears-Roebuck.
During
the rest of the 1970s, and through to the late 1980s,
ceiling fans remained popular in the American market.
Many small American manufacturers, most of them rather
short-lived, started making ceiling fans. Throughout the
1980s, the balance of sales between American-made ceiling
fans and those imported from Asian manufacturers changed
dramatically. The high cost of American parts and labor
became prohibitive for many consumers (for example, a
basic American-made ceiling fan could cost anywhere
from $100 to $250, whereas the cost of the fanciest
imported fans rarely exceeded $85).
Due
to the ever-reducing cost of amenities such as air conditioning,
ceiling fan sales once again started to decline, beginning
in the early- to mid-1990s. With the reduction in sales
came a reduction in research and development, as well
as features. Once-standard features (such as solid wood
blades, built-in variable-speed dials, high-quality stator/rotor
("stack") motors, and die-cast steel construction) have
been largely replaced by cheap, standardized parts.
Since
2000 there have been important inroads made by companies
offering higher price ceiling fans with more decorative
value. In 2001, Washington Post writer Patricia Dane Rogers
wrote, “Like so many other mundane household objects,
these old standbys are going high-style and high-tech.”
Newer companies such as Minka, Fanimation, The Modern
Fan Co., The Period Arts Fan Co. and Monte Carlo brought
well-built fans with distinctive design to the market.
Uses
Most
ceiling fans can be used in two different ways; that is,
most fans have a mechanism, commonly an electrical switch,
for reversing the direction in which the blades rotate.
In
summer, when the fan's direction of rotation is
set so that air is blown downward (typically counter-clockwise
except for the fan with the blade tilting different way,
when standing under the fan and looking upwards), the
breeze created by a ceiling fan speeds the evaporation
of sweat on human skin, which is experienced as a cooling
effect.
In
winter, buildings in colder climates are usually
heated. Air naturally stratifies — that is, warmer air
rises to the ceiling while cooler air sinks to the floor.
A ceiling fan, with its direction of rotation set so that
air is drawn upward (typically clockwise except for the
fan with the blade tilting different way), takes cool
air from lower levels in the room and pushes it upward
towards the ceiling. The warm air, which had naturally
risen to the ceiling, is forced out of the way of the
incoming cool air; it travels along the ceiling and down
the walls, to lower levels where people in the room can
feel it; this reverse rotation has the added advantages
of not creating the wind-chill effect of the summer operation
scheme, and of heating the air slightly by forcing it
along the entire surface area of the ceiling which is
typically hot due to risen hot air trapped on the other
side in the attic.
Even
though most ceiling fans can be mounted to all types of
ceilings, not all can be mounted to angled or cathedral
ceiling without an added bracket or down-rod.
Exception
There
is an exception to the standard rule of blowing down in
the summer and up in the winter. When a ceiling fan is
mounted in a room with very high ceilings that are two
stories/levels high. The mode of operation is reversed.
In this scenario the fan is mounted so high up that there
is no significant "wind chill effect". The purpose then
becomes to move hot air down in the winter and pull cold
air up in the summer.
Parts
of a ceiling fan
The
key components of a ceiling fan are the following:
- An
electric motor (see Types of ceiling fans below
for descriptions)
- One
to six paddles (called "blades"); usually made
of wood, MDF, metal, or plastic; which mount under,
on top of, or on the side of the motor. The majority
of residential ceiling fans have either four or five
blades, while most industrial ceiling fans have three.
However, a very few specialized art fans (fans made
more for artistic appearance than functionality) have
other numbers of blades, such as one, or eight or
more.
- Metal
arms, called blade irons (alternately blade
brackets, blade arms, blade holders,
or flanges), which connect the blades to the
motor.
- Flywheel,
a metal or tough rubber double-torus which is attached
to the motor shaft, and to which the blade irons may
be attached. The flywheel inner ring is locked to
the shaft by a lock-screw, and the blade irons to
the outer ring by bolts that feed into tapped metal
inserts. Older flywheels may become brittle and break,
a common cause of fan failure. Replacing the flywheel
requires disconnecting wiring and removing the switch
housing to gain access to the shaft lock-screw.
- Rotor,
alternative to blade irons. First patented by industrial
designer Ron Rezek in 1991, the one-piece die cast
rotor receives and secures the blades and bolts right
to the motor, eliminating most balance problems and
minimizing exposed fasteners.
- A
mechanism for mounting the fan to the ceiling
- Some
fans mount using a "ball-and-socket" system.
With this system, there is a metal or plastic
hemisphere mounted on the end of the downrod;
this hemisphere rests in a ceiling-mounted metal
bracket and allows the fan to move freely (which
is very useful on vaulted ceilings). Some companies
have come up with slight modifications of this
design.
- Some
fans mount using a "J-hook" (also known
as a "claw-hook") system. In this system,
a metal hook (which comes in a variety of configurations)
secures to a ceiling-mounted metal bolt (again,
available in a variety of configurations). Usually,
there is a rubber bushing inserted between the
hook and the bolt as a noise-reduction agent.
- Some
fans can be mounted using a Low-Ceiling Adapter,
a special kit which must be purchased from the
fan's manufacturer. This eliminates the need for
a downrod, and is therefore useful in rooms with
low ceiling clearance.
- In
recent years, it has become increasingly common
for a ball-and-socket fan to be designed such
that the canopy (ceiling cover piece) can optionally
be screwed directly into the top of the motor
housing; then the whole fan can be secured directly
onto the ceiling mounting bracket. This is known
as a "close-to-ceiling" mount.
Other
components, which vary by model and style, can include:
- A
downrod, a metal pipe used to suspend the fan
from the ceiling. Downrods come in many lengths.
- A
decorative encasement for the motor (known as the
"motor housing").
- A
switch housing (also known as a "switch
cup"), a metal cylinder mounted below and in the
center of the fan's motor. The switch housing is used
to conceal and protect various components, which can
include wires, capacitors, and switches; on fans that
require oiling, it often conceals the oil reservoir
which lubricates the bearings. The switch housing
also makes for a convenient place to mount a light
kit.
- Blade
badges, decorative adornments attached to the
visible underside of the blades for the purpose of
concealing the screws used to attach the blades to
the blade irons.
- Assorted
switches used for turning the fan on and off,
adjusting the speed at which the blades rotate, changing
the direction in which the blades rotate, and operating
any lamps that may be present.
- Lamps
- Uplights,
which are installed on top of the fan's motor
housing and project light up onto the ceiling,
for aesthetic reasons (to "create ambiance")
- Downlights,
often referred to as a "light kit", which
add ambient light to a room and can be used to
replace any ceiling-mounted lamps that were displaced
by the installation of a ceiling fan
- Decorative
light bulbs mounted inside the motor housing -
in this type of setup, the motor housing often
has glass panel sections which allow light to
shine though.
Configurations
- Commercial
or industrial ceiling fans are usually used in
offices, factories or industries. Commercial ceiling
fans are designed to be cost effective and can save
more than 75% on energy, which is always welcome in
businesses. The industrial or commercial ceiling fans
only use three blades plus a high-speed motor to function.
To use more blades would strain the motor and use
up more electricity. It can be purchased with an ultra
quiet motor. These energy efficient ceiling fans push
massive amounts of air compared traditional ceiling
fan. If it’s summer they keep the air circulating
and in winter they push warm air from the ceiling
to the floor.
- A
hugger or low profile ceiling fan has been installed
as close as possible to the surface of the ceiling
without the ceiling fan blades scraping it. Hugger
fans are usually installed in rooms which have lower
ceilings. Hugger ceiling fans can’t be used in rooms
with vaulted ceilings. In cold climates, a ceiling
fan may disperse heat to warm up the room as well
by dispersing downwards the warm air that rises to
the ceiling surface. Though the ceiling fan cannot
lower room temperatures, when used in tandem with
a room air-conditioner it may be able to disperse
the cool air all around the room.
- Outdoor
ceiling fans may be used in covered locations
but outside the house proper, such as in a porch exposed
to the garden. The outdoor ceiling fan should never
be placed where the elements (especially water) can
reach it and its motor. Outdoor ceiling fan should
be covered with a rust-proof finish and non-warp blades.
Outdoor fans are made of materials which can withstand
cold, heat and humidity.
- Energy
star ceiling fans are manufactured under the energy
star label. Usually energy star fans hold the distinction
of being more energy efficient (50%), have lower price
tags, and save a lot of money on energy savings. There
are also energy star ceiling fans cooling other types
of structures besides home such as warehouses, offices,
businesses, and schools. Energy star ceiling fans
are available in home repair stores and furniture
stores, or you may order the product online at a discount
online store.
Operating
a ceiling fan
A
basic modern ceiling fan with standard pull-chain
controls for the fan and light kit.
The
way in which a fan is operated depends on its manufacturer,
style, and the era in which it was made. Operating methods
include:
- Pull-chain/pull-cord
control. This is the most common method of operation
for household fans. This style of fan is equipped
with a metal-bead chain or cloth cord which, when
pulled, cycles the fan through the operational speed(s)
and then back to off. These fans typically have three
speeds (high, medium, and low); however, the speed
range can be anywhere from one through four.
- Variable-speed
control. During the 1970s and 1980s, fans were
often produced with a variable-speed control. This
was a dial mounted on the fan which, when turned in
either direction, continuously varied the speed at
which the blades rotated—similar to a dimmer switch
for a light fixture. A few fans substituted a rotary
click-type switch for the infinite-speed dial, providing
a set number of speeds (usually five).
- Different
fan manufacturers used the variable-speed control
in different ways:
- The
variable-speed dial controlling the fan entirely;
to turn the fan on, the user turns the knob
until it clicks out of the "off" position,
and can then choose the fan's speed.
- A
pull-chain present along with the variable-speed
control; the dial can be set in one place
and left there, with the pull-chain serving
only to turn the fan on and off. Many of these
fans have an option to wire the light kit
to this pull-chain in order to control both
the fan and the light with one chain. Using
this method, the user can have either the
fan or light on individually, both on, or
both off.
- "Vari-Low":
A pull-chain and variable-speed control are
present. Such a fan has two speeds controlled
by a pull-chain: high (full power, independent
of the position of the variable-speed control),
and variable (speed determined by the position
of the variable-speed control).
Old-style
and new-style chokes.
- Wall-mounted
control. Some fans have their control(s) mounted
the wall instead of on the fans themselves; such controls
and are usually proprietary and/or specialized switches.
- Digital
control: With this style of control, all of
the fan's functions—on/off status, speed, direction
of rotation, and any attached light fixtures—are
controlled by a computerized wall control, which
typically does not require any special wiring.
Instead, it uses the normal house wiring to send
coded electrical pulses to the fan, which decodes
and acts on them using a built-in set of electronics.
This style of control typically has anywhere from
three to six speeds.
- Choke.
This style of switch takes varying physical forms.
The wall control, which contains a resistor of
some sort, determines how much power is delivered
to the fan and therefore how fast it spins. Older
incarnations of this type of control employed
an iron-core transformer as their resistor; these
controls were typically large, boxy, and surface-mounted
on the wall. Those controls had anywhere from
four to eight speeds, typically four or five.
Newer versions of the choke-style control employ
electronic equipment as their resistor; this is
much smaller, so the switch is typically mounted
in a standard in-wall gang box; these typically
have four speeds.
-
-
- Solid
State variable speed control. These controls,
commonly used on industrial fans, give you
the option to control more than one (up to
15) fans off of one switch. 2.5 to 6 amp controls
typically mount in place of a typical wall
switch, while 8 to 15 amp controls can be
much larger and boxier.
- Wireless
remote control. In recent years, remote controls
have become an affordable option for controlling ceiling
fans. While some models do employ this as their sole
form of operation, it is more common for a person
to purchase an after-market kit and install it on
an existing fan. The hand-held remote transmits radio
frequency or infrared signals to a receiver unit installed
in the fan, which interprets and acts on the signals.
Bases
for comparison
There
are several factors which determine a fan's efficacy and
efficiency. Each of these factors can be used as a basis
for comparison when deciding between different candidate
fans to purchase.
A
fan's efficacy (in other words, its ability to
generate airflow) is measured by its CFM (Cubic Feet of
air moved per Minute) rating. The following factors all
have an effect on a fan's CFM rating:
- Length
of the fan's blades. The longer a fan's blades
are, the larger percentage of a room's air volume
upon which the fan will have a relevant impact. This
factor is of greater importance in large rooms. The
majority of ceiling fans come in one of three sizes
(sweep diameter): 36", 42", or 52".
- Total
surface area of the fan's blades. The greater
a blade's surface area, the more air it is able to
move. However, there can be "too much" surface area
(refer to Blade surface area to air-feed ratio
below).
- Pitch
of the fan's blades. The angle at which the fan's
blades are tilted relative to the X-axis is referred
to as the "blade pitch". The steeper (greater) the
pitch, the greater the airflow. Since increased pitch
also means increased drag, only fans with well-made
motors can support steep pitches. Cheaply-made fans
typically have a pitch between 9 and 13 degrees. A
pitch of 15 degrees and upwards is considered very
good, with numbers in the 20s being the highest.
- Speed
of rotation. The speed at which a fan rotates,
measured in RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), directly
correlates to the amount of air moved. Faster rotation
equals greater airflow.
- Blade
surface area to air-feed ratio. In general, more
blade surface area means greater airflow. However,
if there is too much blade surface area, there will
not be adequate space between the blades for air to
be drawn through. Fans which have an unusually large
blade surface area, such as fans with decorative palm-leaf-style
blades or many fans with six blades, do not have adequate
space between the blades for an unrestricted amount
of air to be drawn through. This results in reduced
airflow. The effect of this ranges from negligible
to dramatic, depending on the exact dimensions involved.
Contrary to popular belief, more blades typically
does not equal more airflow. Most four-bladed
fans move more air than comparable five-bladed fans
spinning at the same speed; this is indeed noticeable
on five-bladed fans which have an option to install
only four of the blades. Also due to this effect,
the overwhelmingly vast majority of industrial fans
have three blades.
- Height
of the fan relative to the ceiling. If a fan is
too close to the ceiling, the airflow is restricted;
that is, the fan will not be able to draw as much
air through its blades as it has the potential to
do. For this reason, "hugger"-style fans (those which
mount directly to the ceiling without the use of a
downrod) are all inherently disadvantaged. The distance
that a fan should be mounted from the ceiling is directly
correlated with its air-moving potential; no fan should
be mounted with its blades closer than 24 inches
(610 mm) to the ceiling, however that figure
is often far greater with industrial fans. Unfortunately,
this is often impossible in household situations due
to the fact that a minimum ceiling height of nine
feet would be required to meet safety codes ("blades
must be mounted a minimum of seven feet from the floor",
and 8 or more feet is typically desired).
In
addition to all of the aforementioned factors, there are
certain other factors which have an effect on a fan's
perceived efficacy (how efficacious an observer
experiences a fan as being):
Note
that this fan's blades are tilted relative to the
Z-axis; that is, they are tilted upwards.
- Height
of the fan relative to the observer. The closer
the fan is to the observer, the more air movement
the observer will feel. A fan mounted close to the
ceiling in a high-ceiling room will have a lower perceived
efficacy than if it were mounted closer to the ground.
- Tilt
of the fan's blades relative to the vertical Z-axis.
A few fan manufacturers, notably FASCO, constructed
their fans such that the blades had an "up-tilt";
that is, they were tilted relative to the Z-axis (see
picture at right). While this increased the area
of the room over which the fan had a direct effect,
thereby increasing the efficacy perceived by persons
standing at the edges of the room, it decreased the
airflow concentrated immediately under the fan, thereby
reducing the efficacy perceived by anyone standing/sitting
directly underneath it. Some industrial ceiling fans
have the tips of the blades bent to the Z-axis so
that the area of the room over which the fan has a
direct will be greater. The perceived efficacy directly
under one of these fans is not affected as much as
if the entire blade were tilted relative to the Z-axis.
- Attachments
providing directional airflow. A relatively new
product, DISKFAN, incorporates the attachment of a
disk beneath its fan blades. This addition provides
a similar effect as that found in fans with tilted
fan blades relative to the Z-axis albeit greatly pronounced.
Air is directed radially parallel to the ceiling.
This results in the perceived efficacy, directly beneath
the fan, being substantially reduced, and thereby
eliminating down drafts, all the while providing for
a gentle circulation of the room's air.
- Humidity
of the room. Since a fan creates its cooling effect
by speeding the evaporation of moisture (both sweat
and ambient humidity) on human skin, its perceived
efficacy is directly correlated with the amount of
humidity (moisture) in the room. In dry environments,
such as desert climates, a fan has a lesser perceived
efficacy than in humid environments; this is especially
notable during cold weather, where a humid environment
has a pronounced wind-chill effect which is lacking
in dry environments.
In
terms of efficiency (in other words, airflow generated
versus energy input), the basis for comparison is to divide
the fan's CFM rating by its input wattage. So, if the
fan moves 6630 CFM on its highest speed, and uses 85 watts
to do so, its energy efficiency is 78. A consumer can
apply that same equation to several candidate fans to
objectively compare their energy efficiency. The U.S.
Department of Energy now requires that this efficiency
number appears on the box to facilitate the consumers
choice.
Types
of ceiling fans
Many
styles of ceiling fans have been developed over the years,
in response to several different factors such as growing
energy-consumption consciousness and changes in decorating
styles. The advent and evolution of electronic technology
has also played a major role in ceiling fan development.
Following is a list of major ceiling fan styles and their
defining characteristics:
A
cast-iron ceiling fan made by Hunter, dating from
the early 1980s. This model is called the "Original".
- Cast-iron
ceiling fans. Cast-iron ceiling fans account for
almost all ceiling fans made from their invention
in 1882 through the 1950s. A cast-iron housing encases
a very heavy-duty oil-bath motor, usually of the shaded-pole
variety. These fans must be oiled periodically, usually
once or twice per year, since they use an oil-bath
system for lubrication. Because these fans are so
sturdily built, and due to their utter lack of electronic
components, it is not uncommon to see cast-iron fans
aged eighty years or more running strong and still
in use today.
- The
Hunter 'Original' (see picture at right)
(manufactured by the Hunter Fan Co., formerly
a division of Robbins & Myers, Inc.) is an
example of a cast-iron ceiling fan. It has enjoyed
the longest production run of any fan in history,
dating from 1906 to the present (it is still being
manufactured as the "Classic Original", with several
spin-off models). The Original employed a shaded-pole
motor from its inception until the late 1980s,
at which point it was changed to a permanent split-capacitor
motor. Though the fan's physical appearance remained
unchanged, the motor was further downgraded in
2002 when production was shipped overseas; the
motor, though still oil-lubricated, was switched
to a "skeletal" design, as discussed below.
- Stack-motor
ceiling fans. In the late 1970s, due to rising
energy costs prompted by the energy crisis, Emerson
invented a new style of electric motor designed specifically
for ceiling fans, the "stack" motor. This powerful,
energy-efficient motor aided in the comeback of ceiling
fans in America, since it was far less expensive to
operate than air conditioning. With this design (which
consists of a basic stator and squirrel-cage rotor),
the fan's blades mount to a central hub, known as
a flywheel. The flywheel can be made of either
metal or reinforced rubber, and can be mounted either
flush with the fan's motor housing (concealed) or
prominently below the fan's motor housing (known as
a "dropped flywheel"). Many manufacturers used
and/or developed their own stack motors, including
(but not limited to) Casablanca, Emerson, FASCO, Hunter,
and NuTone. Some manufacturers trademarked their personal
incarnation of this motor: for example, Emerson came
out with the "K-55" and "K-63" motors, and Casablanca
with the "XLP-2000". One of the earliest stack-motor
fans was the Emerson "Heat Fan", aka the "Blender
Fan" (see picture at left), a utilitarian fan
with a dropped flywheel and blades made of fiberglass
or plastic. This fan was produced from 1976 through
1983 and, while targeted at commercial settings, also
found great success in residential settings. Another
stack-motor fan; one without the dropped flywheel;
is the Casablanca "Delta" pictured at the beginning
of this article. While this motor is not nearly as
widely used as in the 1970s and 1980s, it can still
be found in certain high-end Casablanca and Emerson
fans.
One
disadvantage of this type of fan is that the flywheel,
if it is made from rubber, will dry out and crack over
time and eventually break; this is usually not dangerous,
but it renders the fan inoperable until the flywheel is
replaced.
- Direct-drive
ceiling fans employ a motor with a stationary
inner core with a shell that revolves around it (commonly
called a "spinner" or "pancake" motor); the blades
attach to this shell. Direct-drive motors are the
least expensive motors to produce, and on the whole
are the most prone to failure and noise generation.
While the very first motors of this type (first used
in the 1960s) were relatively heavy-duty, the quality
of these motors has dropped significantly in recent
years. This type of motor has become the standard
for today's fans; it has been (and is) used in all
Hampton Bay and Harbor Breeze ceiling fans, and has
become commonly used by all other brands.
- Spinner
fans employ a direct-drive motor and do not have
a stationary decorative cover (motor housing).
This accounts for most industrial-style fans
(though such fans sometimes have more moderate-quality
motors), and some inexpensive residential-style
fans (particularly those made overseas).
- Spinner-motor
fans, sometimes confusingly (and incorrectly)
referred to as "spinners", employ a direct-drive
(spinner) motor and do have a stationary
decorative cover (motor housing). "Spinner-motor"
fans account for nearly all fans manufactured
from the late 1980s to the present, including
nearly all fans made overseas
- Skeletal
motors, which are a high-quality subset of direct-drive
motors, can be found on some nicer fans. Examples
of skeletal motors include Hunter's "AirMax" motor,
Casablanca's "XTR200" motor, and the motors made by
Lasko for use in their ceiling fans. Skeletal motors
differ from regular direct-drive motors in that:
- They
have an open ("skeletal") design, which allows
for far better ventilation and therefore a longer
lifespan. This is in comparison to a regular direct-drive
motor's design, in which the motor's inner workings
are completely enclosed within a tight metal shell
which may or may not have openings for ventilation;
when openings are present, they are almost always
small to the point of being inadequate.
- They
are larger than regular direct-drive motors and,
as a result, are more powerful and less prone
to burning out.
- Friction-drive
ceiling fans. This short-lived type of ceiling
fan was attempted by companies such as Emerson and
NuTone in the late 1970s with little success. Its
advantage was its tremendously low power consumption,
but the fans were unreliable and very noisy, in addition
to being grievously underpowered. Friction-drive ceiling
fans employ a low-torque motor that is mounted transversely
in relation to the flywheel. A rubber wheel mounted
on the end of the motor's shaft drove a hub (via contact
friction, hence the name) which, in turn, drove the
flywheel. It was a system based on the fact that a
low-torque motor spinning quickly can drive a large,
heavy device at a slow speed without great energy
consumption (see Gear ratio).
- Gear-drive
ceiling fans. These were similar to (and even
less common than) the friction drive models; however,
instead of a rubber wheel on the motor shaft using
friction to turn the flywheel, a gear on the end of
the motor shaft meshed with gear teeth formed into
the flywheel, thus rotating it.
- Belt-driven
ceiling fans. As stated earlier in this article,
the first ceiling fans used a water-powered system
of belts to turn the blades of fan units (which consisted
of nothing more than blades mounted on a flywheel).
For period-themed decor, a few companies (notably
Fanimation) have created reproduction belt-drive fan
systems. The reproduction systems feature an electric
motor as the driving force, in place of the water-powered
motor.
Safety
concerns with installation
A
typical ceiling fan weighs between 15 and 50 pounds when
fully assembled. While many junction boxes can support
that weight while the fan is hanging still, a fan in
operation exerts many additional stresses — notably
torsion — on the object from which it is hung; this can
cause an improper junction box to fail. For this reason,
in the United States the National Electric Code (document
NFPA 70, Article 314) states that ceiling fans must be
supported by an electrical junction box listed for that
use. It is a common mistake for homeowners to replace
a light fixture with a ceiling fan without upgrading to
a proper junction box.
Another
concern with installing a ceiling fan relates to the height
of the blades relative to the floor. American law states
that no fan can be mounted with its blades closer than
seven feet from the floor; this often proves, however,
to not be high enough. If a person fully extends his or
her arms into the air — as sometimes happens during normal
tasks such as stretching, changing bedsheets, or recreation
— they may become seriously injured if there is an operating
ceiling fan mounted too close. Also, if one is wearing
a tall hat, carrying a ladder, long wooden board, pipe,
or some other long and awkward object, one end may inadvertently
enter the path of rotation of a ceiling fan's blades;
this can be very dangerous if the fan is operating at
the time, and can cause damage to the fan regardless.
The
risk of damage/injury is lower when the fan is pushing
air downward, because in that case any object that hits
the blades will be deflected downwards by the face of
the blade (just like the air).
Wobbling
Wobbling
is not at all created or influenced by the ceiling on
which the fan is mounted, or the way in which the fan
is mounted, or anything else along those lines. Rather,
the one and only cause of wobbling is fan blades being
out of weight-alignment with each other. This can happen
due to a variety of factors, including: blades being warped,
blade irons being bent, blades or blade irons not being
screwed on straight, blades being different weights or
shapes or sizes (minute differences matter), etc.
Despite
the fact that a "balancing kit" (bag of small, adhesive-backed
metal or plastic chips) is included with all new ceiling
fans, many wobbling issues are not the result of a blade
being too light, and therefore cannot be fixed by this
method. Hunter states that their new system, the Perfect
Balance system, can "automatically adjust the blades with
every rotation and eliminate wobble once and for all."
Contrary
to popular misconception, wobbling will not cause a ceiling
fan to fall. Ceiling fans are secured by clevis pins locked
with cotter pins, so wobbling can't have an effect on
the fan's security. To date, there are no reports of a
fan wobbling itself off the ceiling and falling. It is
important that, when installing the fan, the installer
closely follow the manufacturer's instructions with regard
to using proper mounting screws. It is also important
that all screws (especially the set screws which hold
twist-on downrods in place) be tight.
Starting
arrangement in fan motor
Fans
use a capacitor start motor owing to the high torque required
to start the fan after which the torque required lowers.
it has single phase induction motor which need starting
torque.for that purpose capacitor is used to make phase
shift b/w running and starting winding.
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