Tips to cut down the power consumption of old fans
Fans are an absolute necessity in most Indian households; whatever social strata we belong to, fans are something that is found in almost all households. However, like most things in the technical world, even fans have seen a development. Earlier, fans used to be heavy, the power consumption of old ceiling fans was very high, and the maintenance was comparatively more. However, while the wattage of old ceiling fans was high, we now have new fans which are certified by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Do old fans consume more electricity?
Old fans definitely consume more energy than regular fans. As seen in the table below.
| Old Fan (8-year) | New Fan (2-year) | ||
| Speed | Wattage | Speed | Wattage |
| 1 | 13 | 1 | 14 |
| 2 | 25 | 2 | 26 |
| 3 | 37 | 3 | 39 |
| 4 | 48 | 4 | 48 |
| 5 | 92 | 5 | 76 |
Energy consumption of Old Fan Vs New Fan
Most Indian households require fans in the summer season and tend to run them at a higher speed to ward away the scorching heat. In this table here, we can see that an older ceiling fan’s wattage is way higher than a newer fan. The new or old fan power consumption depends upon numerous factors such as the fan’s age, the fan blade’s sweep, the height at which the fan is installed, the electricity voltage and whether the fan is clean or not. Usually, the engineering of the old fans deteriorates over time, and they consume more energy. This can lead to significantly higher energy consumption. We should therefore go for newer fans, and it is always a plus to go for appliances with a BEE Star label, as it makes us much more aware of our fan’s energy consumption. BEE has made star rating mandatory from January 2023. It is advisable to buy only 5 – star rated fans which are energy efficient.
Old fans are also quite heavy and can be dangerous as compared to lighter and more efficient newer fans. The fans in our country can be divided into three categories:
1. Regular ceiling fans: These fans are built with an older technology that primarily uses AC induction motors which are not tuned for the best energy efficiency. However, under BEE, all the ceiling fans will undergo a transition and manufacturers will need to improve their current product offerings to achieve better energy efficiency. This can be done by increasing the copper content, and steel content in the motor armature to reduce energy losses.
2. Energy efficient ceiling fans: Yet another category, these fans come with an official BEE certification and are therefore far more efficient than their predecessors. These fans are standard and can be used in homes.
3. Super energy efficient ceiling fans: As an emerging category, the super energy efficient fans use a Brushless DC Motor and save more than 50% of the energy as compared to regular fans.
We must strive to make investments that are not just good for the environment, but also help us save energy; after all, electricity is expensive and there are many households which face a shortage of it. By installing better fans, we are investing in a sustainable future.
Tips to Reduce the Power Consumption of a Ceiling Fan
While we’ve learnt about the energy consumption of both fans, we must actively strive for energy reduction and efficiency as well. Here are some ceiling fan maintenance tips that will help you reduce the bill and increase the performance of the fans. Let’s go:
1. Clean your fans: This is one of the rudimentary steps towards a highly efficient ceiling fan. If we don’t clean our fans, we risk dust accumulation in the important parts of the fan, which can reduce the performance.
2. No wobbly movements: The central part of the fan on which the blades are fixed shouldn’t wobble and make movements; it should be balanced. You may want to get an electrician to fix this problem. Also, a fan has certain screws that put it all together, these may loosen over time. Therefore we should have them tightened.
3. Lubrication is key: No one likes a noisy fan, yet another tip is to lubricate our fans with the proper lubricant. The oils used on a sewing machine are perfect, but you must consult an electrician.
These tips above are simple and can be used in our day-to-day lives for energy-efficient usage of fans. We must also look into investing in newer ceiling fans for saving energy.