Summary
Other than improvements such as remote-control operation, the basics of ceiling fans have not changed dramatically in the last 40 years. It was in the 1860s that the devices showed up in the U.S.; at the time, of course, they were not powered by an electric motor-but by a stream of running water that, in conjunction with a turbine, activated a series of belts that turned the two blades of the fan. The electrically powered ceiling fan was invented in 1882 by Philip Diehl, who adapted a motor he had originally engineered for sewing machines. Diehl also introduced ceiling-light kits for the fans (which at the time displaced existing light fixtures). Ceiling fans progressed to four blades in the early 19th century; they remained popular until World War II. After a hiatus, they returned to favor, thanks to the energy crisis of the 1970s and the availability of inexpensive models imported from abroad.
Overseas manufacturers still play a big role. Ceiling fans are composed of an enclosed electric motor, blades, "irons" that hold the blades in place and a mounting device. Most parts are imported from only three sources in Taiwan, according to Don Vandervort's Web site, Hometips. com, and repackaged and distributed by companies in this country. This could explain the similarities among fans offered by competing companies, but it also means that consumers can mix and match various components to get the look they want. The majority of ceiling fans available come from a short list of companies, including [Hunter], Casablanca and Emerson, which also produce models sold as a unit through home centers and other mass merchandisers.Fanimation has come out with a single-blade model called the Enigma (about $900) that will revolutionize the image of the ceiling fan as something out of Casablanca (the movie, not the company). According to Raffles' [Leonard Ginsburg], the design element seems more important to women than to men, but the classics still sell. "The Hunter original is still great," he said: "It has an oil-bath motor-you have to change the oil about every 25 years. It does weigh about 50 pounds, and you can't install it without reinforced ceilings."See the full content of this document
Extract
Hitting the Fan
If there is anything sweeter than taking a nap underneath a ceiling fan on a hot summer afternoon, it is rolling over and falling back to sleep feeling cool air wafting over your body. In the old days, of course, the experience would be enhanced by the rhythmic whirring of the fan, but today's models are practically silent.
On a practical level, there is the matter of energy savings: Some experts claim a ce...See the full content of this document
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