misspelledsearch.com:

ceiling fan

information page

If you cannot find the information you are searching for on this page, we suggest searching Google with the correct spelling "ceiling fan":

Ceiling fan with light.

A ceiling fan is a fan suspended from the ceiling of a room. It usually has a light associated with it to replace any displaced light or to provide additional light. These devices are generally used in homes without central air conditioning, or in conjunction with air conditioning to lower energy bills.

Parts of a Ceiling Fan

A standard ceiling fan has several key components:

• An electric motor, usually encased by a decorative housing
• Two to six blades to move the air
• A mounting system, such as a downrod or a flush mount motor housing
• A series of controls.

Operating a Ceiling Fan

Standard ceiling fan controls usually include one for speed (high, medium, low, and off), one for the light (on and off), and one for directional control of the fan blades (clockwise and counterclockwise). These vary depending on the make, model, and age of the fan; computerized and remote-controlled ceiling fans are becoming very popular as the technology becomes regularly available.

Ceiling fans are normally used as a cooling device in warm months by pushing air down from above, thereby creating a wind chill effect. In winter months, a ceiling fan can act as a heat transferrer by reversing the direction of the blades. By doing so, the fan pulls air up, thereby pushing the warmer air that stratifies near the ceiling down along the walls; as long as the fan is set at a low speed, this will not create a wind chill. A fan on reverse has the leading edge of the fan blades being the downward edge; in most cases this rotation is clockwise when the operator is standing below and looking upwards at the fan.

Types of Ceiling Fans

Two major types of ceiling fans are common today, industrial and household.

Industrial Fans

Industrial-style ceiling fans typically have three metal blades, and they operate at higher revolutions per minute than a typical household ceiling fan (usually 250 to 300 RPM.) Because industrial fans operate at the higher speed, and the metal blades on industrial fans are sharper than those on a household fan, industrial fans must be mounted with the blades at least 10 feet above the floor, compared to the required 7 feet minimum blade height for a household fan. They normally range from 48 inches to 60 inches in diameter, with 36-inch models also occasionally being found. Rather than having a three-speed pull chain on the fan, industrial fans are commonly controlled by wall-mounted speed controls; these normally have four or five speeds, but solid-state controls also exist allowing an infinite speed range. A reverse feature is not commonly found on these fans.

Household Fans

Household ceiling fans typically have four or five wooden blades, and normally range from 36 to 52 inches in diameter. They range in style from plain to very ornate. A well-designed 52-inch ceiling fan with a blade pitch from 12 to 15 degrees will usually operate at a speed between 180 and 220 RPM on high (full speed). An exceptionally made household ceiling fan, such as the pre-2003 Hunter Original, will circulate over 10,000 cubic feet per minute.

Normally, these fans have a switch housing suspended directly below the center of the motor; this module holds a three-speed pull chain, a switch to reverse the fan, and a center socket to which a light kit can be attached. However, many older fans do not have a reverse feature (or it is located elsewhere on the fan), and some fans feature different items as part of the switch housing:

• An on-off pull chain that operates independently of the speed control;
• A rheostat allowing for an infinite range of speeds, controlled by a small knob;
• A light kit integrated into the switch housing itself;
• A sensor for a remote control.

Styles of Ceiling Fans

Many different styles of ceiling fans have developed over their 120-year history, as design, technology, and discoveries in energy-saving methods have evolved. Both industrial and household fans have undergone changes over the years. Many household fans are used in industrial settings, and some fans have characteristics of both a household and an industrial fan. Below is a list of ceiling fan styles and their characteristics:

• Cast iron ceiling fans: A heavy-duty motor is encased in a cast-iron housing, and must be oiled regularly, usually once per month. Because these fans are well-built, it is not uncommon to see 80-year-old cast-iron fans running and in use today. Almost all ceiling fans manufactured in the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s were cast iron fans; the most popular of these were manufactured by Emerson Electric Company, Hunter Fan and Motor Company, Century, Dayton, and Westinghouse. Emerson and Hunter still manufacture ceiling fans to this day (though not with cast iron motors); a less expensive line of household fans has been marketed under the Westinghouse brand name starting in the early 2000s. The most common example is the Hunter Original, which up until 2003 underwent very few changes in its design.

• Flywheel-type ceiling fans: In the late 1970's during the energy crisis, Emerson invented an electric motor specifically for ceiling fans that was significant in making the device readily available for households. The common version of this stack motor, which is referred to in the industry as the K55, has powered many ceiling fans from its inception to the present. Other companies, such as General Electric, Fasco, and Casablanca, invented similar motors. The windings are encased inside the motor, and turn a flywheel outside the motor casing to which the blades are attached. Many of the most powerful fans manufactured today, such as those by Emerson and Casablanca, incorporate the flywheel-type motor in their design.

One of the earliest flywheel-type fans was Emerson's Universal, a crude but very powerful fan with large fiberglass or plastic blades. This fan was produced between 1976 and 1983, and was used in both industrial and residential settings. Some more recent and well-known fans that use a stack motor with a flywheel are the Casablanca Zephyr and Victorian, the NuTone Verandah, and the Emerson Premium.

• Direct drive ceiling fans: On these fans, the motor is located inside a metal shell, which it turns. The shell, to which the blades are attached, is enclosed in a standard fan motor housing. This type of motor has become the standard for today's ceiling fans, and is usually produced in foreign countries. Standard sizes of modern direct drive motors are:
  • 153mm diameter, used in fans up to 42" and in inexpensive or builder-model 52" fans
  • 172mm diameter, used in 52" fans of more moderate quality
  • 188mm diameter, used in 52" to 60" fans of higher quality
  • Recently, direct drive motors over 200mm have been produced, and only appear on a select few models.
  • Other examples of direct drive motors are the Hunter AirMax and Casablanca XTR200 motors.

Examples of this type fan are most modern Hunters, less expensive Emerson and Casablanca fans (such as the Emerson Northwind and the Casablanca Four Seasons III), and department store brands such as Harbor Breeze (Lowe's) and Hampton Bay (The Home Depot).

• "Spinner" ceiling fans: On some fans, there is no decorative motor housing and the blades attach to the bare motor (this includes nearly all industrial fans). On others, the blades attach to the motor housing itself, which then rotates. Today, these fans are the very inexpensive (and usually poorly made) models; however, in the 1980's, some very powerful "spinners" were made by taking an industrial motor, adding wooden blades, and sometimes a light kit and/or a switch housing. Others were controlled with a wall control similar to (if not the same as) those used with the industrial fans themselves. Some of the highest quality "spinner"-type fans were made by Crompton Greaves (who still manufactures fans overseas today), and Evergo. Other unique "spinner" type fans were manufactured by Moss and Commander Electric.

• Belt-driven ceiling fans: Many of the oldest ceiling fans were controlled by a belt that connected all fans to one motor, which in turn turned the blades on the fans. One example of a belt-driven fan today is the Fanimation Bourbon Street.

• Art-type ceiling fans: Created more for show than function, these fans can feature elaborate designs on the motor housing and/or blades, oversized blades made from special material and/or carved to resemble various objects in nature (especially palm leaves), and/or unusual methods of operating. Some extreme examples include the Fanimation Enigma (a one-bladed ceiling fan), the Casablanca Malibu Star (an 84" ceiling fan seemingly made with bicycle sprockets, fishing rods, and sailcloth), and the Quorum Jellyfish.

Changes in Technology

As technology has advanced, the number of methods of controlling ceiling fans has increased. Some of the more recent fan control types are explained below:

• Remote control: A remote control sends a signal to a sensor, which is usually located either in the switch housing or the canopy (the part of the mounting device that conceals the hole in the ceiling.) The remote usually has buttons to turn the fan on or off, change the speeds, and reverse the fan's direction (although sometimes this must still be manually done), and brighten or dim the light.

• Computerized wall control: Beginning with the Casablanca Inteli-Touch, very elaborate wall controls have been designed for higher-end ceiling fans. These fans usually have more than three speeds (usually five or six), a full-range light dimmer, and a reverse feature. Most computerized wall controls have thermostats that automatically turn the fan on, up, down, or off; still others have programs that adjust the speed of the fan according to time and/or even automatically turn the light(s) on or off while the user is away from home. Several of these computerized controls have a remote control of their own which can perform several of these functions.

External Links

Major ceiling fan manufacturers

Casablanca Fan Company
Emerson Ceiling Fans
Hunter

Antique and vintage fans

Antique Fan Collectors' Association
Vintage Ceiling Fans

Installation

How To Install Ceiling Fans

This ceiling fan index site has been developed to help wayward users find the information they are looking for, no matter how they are mistakenly spelled or mistyped. This site is designed to help users find ceiling fan information for the following query variants:

ceiling	ceiling an	ceiling fa	ceiling ann
ceiling in	ceiling en	ceiling fin	ceiling fen
ceiling fn	ceiling phn	ceiling fam	ceiling fna
ceiling afn	fan	ceiing fan	celing fan
ciling fan	ceilig fan	ceilng fan	sealing fan
cieling fan	ceilint fan	cielint fan	ceiring fan
ceirint fan	ceileign fan	ceilin fan	cieleign fan
cielin fan	ceireign fan	ceirin fan	ceiliegn fan
ceilen fan	cieliegn fan	cielen fan	ceiriegn fan
ceiren fan	ceilan fan	cielan fan	ceiran fan
ceiiing fan	celllng fan	ceilimg fan	ceilign fan
ceilnig fan	ceiilng fan	celiing fan	eciling fan
eiling fan