Tom Payne
19th June 2012, 10:00
First let me say I have posted this FYI on 2 other solar forums. One forum was pleased for the info, the other all but flamed me as troll and agent for the fan company. I am not getting a one red cent from this multi million dollar company. I am just one very pleased customer. One called it a common fan. It is not, it is the new Bench Mark. I can find no other fan that is moving 294 CFM per watt.
I have been looking at AC/110 volt ceiling fans that use DC motors for years, they are not cheap. Looked again this year, and found that Lowe's now carried one such fan, and it is a real monster. It is a 9 blade, 72 inch, called a Slinger, 300$ at their on line site, and it is not inmy store, order only.. 6 speed each way, stats from memory, 9400 CFM, 293 CFM per watt. Put my fluke on it and it appears to be pulling 32 watts wide open. I need to do another amp test, might be a little bit lower.
Very well made and machined,, installation was a breeze, made by the same company that sells through the net name Fanimation, Customer support was instantaneous, USA in Indiana. This thing moves mountains of air, in a very pleasant manner, It covers our 22 X 32 family room very nicely, in reverse it washes air down the walls in a very subtle way.
Edit: added post.
I just did a more careful amp test of our new fan. I made an error on the watt usage originally. Wide open, it pulls 31.2 W.
After a couple of weeks usage, we have found the we use the 1, 2 or 3 speeds if we are under it, with the fan blowing down, and only use the 5 and 6 the rest of the time with the fan blowing upward. It rolls air down the walls with a very gentle cooling flow.
The fairly efficient fan we replaced ran wide open all summer, and pulled some 30 or 35 watts, and it was only 36 or 40 inches Dia. so I think we are getting the the same airflow of C F M with the new fan at the #3 speed, and definitely at the #4 speed.
Speed 1 = 4.8 W
2= 7.2 W
3= 12 W
4 = 14.4 W
5 = 21.6 W
6 = 31.2
Edit: adding this info, as it was a reply to this subject on another forum but the info may be useful here.
If you have 12 or 24 volt available, look up on the net for a 16" DC fan, it is bare bones frame with aggressive blades, bought one years ago and mounted as a vent fan, in top of a window. Two years ago I built a box for it, with safety wire, and it sitting at low level as a window fan now, don't remember the CFMs, but it is a lot at 12V and would blow the sheets of at 24 V, it pulls 1.2 Amps at 12 V.
I had a quick look on the net and found this, similar to what I made for a box window fan http://www.backwoodssolar.com/catalog/fans.htm
I was also surprised to see what all is available now now in DC fans, seems like the improved income of the Chinese, has increased demand for such items, as there is a huge selection out there, but performance may be lacking.
Also use these, insanely low amp draw, but are 12 V, you may find a higher voltage only pull .3 or .4A.
I Built a little cradle for them and set them in the windows of back rooms, very quite.
We have not had AC for 35 years, so fans are big deal for us. They sent some fans, with LEDs on them by mistake, simple to clip off
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/54..._Case_Fan.html
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/15..._AK-FN068.html
I have been looking at AC/110 volt ceiling fans that use DC motors for years, they are not cheap. Looked again this year, and found that Lowe's now carried one such fan, and it is a real monster. It is a 9 blade, 72 inch, called a Slinger, 300$ at their on line site, and it is not inmy store, order only.. 6 speed each way, stats from memory, 9400 CFM, 293 CFM per watt. Put my fluke on it and it appears to be pulling 32 watts wide open. I need to do another amp test, might be a little bit lower.
Very well made and machined,, installation was a breeze, made by the same company that sells through the net name Fanimation, Customer support was instantaneous, USA in Indiana. This thing moves mountains of air, in a very pleasant manner, It covers our 22 X 32 family room very nicely, in reverse it washes air down the walls in a very subtle way.
Edit: added post.
I just did a more careful amp test of our new fan. I made an error on the watt usage originally. Wide open, it pulls 31.2 W.
After a couple of weeks usage, we have found the we use the 1, 2 or 3 speeds if we are under it, with the fan blowing down, and only use the 5 and 6 the rest of the time with the fan blowing upward. It rolls air down the walls with a very gentle cooling flow.
The fairly efficient fan we replaced ran wide open all summer, and pulled some 30 or 35 watts, and it was only 36 or 40 inches Dia. so I think we are getting the the same airflow of C F M with the new fan at the #3 speed, and definitely at the #4 speed.
Speed 1 = 4.8 W
2= 7.2 W
3= 12 W
4 = 14.4 W
5 = 21.6 W
6 = 31.2
Edit: adding this info, as it was a reply to this subject on another forum but the info may be useful here.
If you have 12 or 24 volt available, look up on the net for a 16" DC fan, it is bare bones frame with aggressive blades, bought one years ago and mounted as a vent fan, in top of a window. Two years ago I built a box for it, with safety wire, and it sitting at low level as a window fan now, don't remember the CFMs, but it is a lot at 12V and would blow the sheets of at 24 V, it pulls 1.2 Amps at 12 V.
I had a quick look on the net and found this, similar to what I made for a box window fan http://www.backwoodssolar.com/catalog/fans.htm
I was also surprised to see what all is available now now in DC fans, seems like the improved income of the Chinese, has increased demand for such items, as there is a huge selection out there, but performance may be lacking.
Also use these, insanely low amp draw, but are 12 V, you may find a higher voltage only pull .3 or .4A.
I Built a little cradle for them and set them in the windows of back rooms, very quite.
We have not had AC for 35 years, so fans are big deal for us. They sent some fans, with LEDs on them by mistake, simple to clip off
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/54..._Case_Fan.html
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/15..._AK-FN068.html