Fuzzable
Vintage ceiling fans have an eternal appeal. Rarely do they go out of fashion. Be it farmhouses, traditional looking homes, theme restaurants and hotel, estates, or contemporary settings, they never fail to make an impact. However, an important question that plagues the owners of residential and commercial spaces with old-fashioned fans relates to their energy efficiency. They may be having the best vintage ceiling fans but are these fans justifying the sort of cost incurred?
If you are in the same boat, then in all probability, you’re also concerned about the extra load your farmhouse old fans contribute to your electricity bills. Here, we’ll help you figure out if you’re getting your money’s worth every time you turn on those fans.
Energy Efficiency Standards
In the earlier days, it was quite difficult to ascertain the energy efficiency of ceiling fans. Owners would be at their wits end while figuring out the adversities in their electric bills and which fans were responsible for the job. Over time, efficiency standards and power labeling norms have undergone a sea change. Brand-new ceiling fans with new regulations of energy efficiency ratings in place have replaced old fashioned energy efficiency standards and means of determining them. These days, it’s common to find ceiling fans with their energy efficiency ratings ascertained by Cooling Feet per Meter (CFM) metric with the wattage. You may want to use the same formula for understanding the energy efficiency of your old ceiling fans.
Factors to Consider to Determine the CFM of Ceiling Fans
There are some important factors that have to be kept in mind before you set out to compute the CFM of your fans. The pitch metric of the blades, the length of fan blades, as well as its shape have an impact on the cubic feet of air produced by the ceiling fans. Once you have the CFM formula in hand, you’ll find it easy to get an accurate rating for your existing fans. The result of the calculation would be the ‘airflow’ given by the fans.
Electricity Usage
The quantum of electricity used in old ceiling fans comprises of an essential portion of the energy efficiency computations. The electricity used is measured in watts. Manufacturers usually publish this figure in the product specifications. Just in case you have the user’s manual tucked away somewhere, you’ll get the electricity use in it. On the other hand, if you are a second hand owner of the vintage fan, or have inherited it, then its essential to compute the energy consumption yourself. Additionally, the fan would have a label or stamp that states the number of amperes that’ll be taken up by the fan – you may find it above the blade or the light socket. The figures may be found in the base of the fan as well. Multiply the amperes by 120 to get the electricity use.
Way Forward
Divide the CFM by the number of watts that the old-fashioned fan uses in full power to get its efficiency. The resultant figure is a ratio measurement of the efficiency rating.
