Best Overhead Fan For Sleeping?

[ronswelters2]

If you ask or observe the ordinary Thai how they keep cool in their climate they will tell you they use a fan, one of those awkward back-and-forth Japanese models that you always feel is going to break when you attempt to adjust it.

Overhead fans are great. I have excellent experience with this inexpensive Thai model, less than 1000 baht at Lotus and easy to take home and install. They come in white and green.

I've done a few studies of different fans and arrangments, if you are interested you can see on my blog at: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/blog/ronswelters2/index.php?

I've never heard of it happening but these things could be pretty deadly if you put them too low or stand near them when you are trying to fix somehing say while standing on a ladder or the bed.

Ron

[johng]

I've never heard of it happening but these things could be pretty deadly

A work collegue of my girlfriend needed 14 stitches to her hand after being hit with one of those fans

the blood "spurted out like it does in the moves"

[trogers]

Ceiling fans should only be installed when you have a floor to ceiling height of at least 2.6m. The fan will take up at least 30cm, leave a clear height of 2.3m, a fingertip/tiptoe stretch for a six-footer.

I only use fans in my condo units with blades made from timber or MDF, never metal. Do not want anything nasty to happen to my tenants.

When you see a ceiling fan rotate clockwise, turn it off and get it fixed or else it will detach and fall down. They should only rotate counter-clockwise.

[basjke]

Ceiling fans should only be installed when you have a floor to ceiling height of at least 2.6m. The fan will take up at least 30cm, leave a clear height of 2.3m, a fingertip/tiptoe stretch for a six-footer.

I only use fans in my condo units with blades made from timber or MDF, never metal. Do not want anything nasty to happen to my tenants.

When you see a ceiling fan rotate clockwise, turn it off and get it fixed or else it will detach and fall down. They should only rotate counter-clockwise.

Can you please explain what's wrong with a fan rotating clockwise.All my fans are rotating that way for years without any problem.Actually I don't remember seeing a fan running the other way.

[longball53098]

Many modern fans have a control switch to reverse the direction of the airflow. In the countries that have heating and cooling seasons its better to reverse the airflow so the fan can gently blow the hot air from the ceiling area down to the floor levels for better heating in a big room.

[trogers]

Many modern fans have a control switch to reverse the direction of the airflow. In the countries that have heating and cooling seasons its better to reverse the airflow so the fan can gently blow the hot air from the ceiling area down to the floor levels for better heating in a big room.

Ceiling fans have always been used for blowing air downwards. I have not see the reverse.

[trogers]

Ceiling fans should only be installed when you have a floor to ceiling height of at least 2.6m. The fan will take up at least 30cm, leave a clear height of 2.3m, a fingertip/tiptoe stretch for a six-footer.

I only use fans in my condo units with blades made from timber or MDF, never metal. Do not want anything nasty to happen to my tenants.

When you see a ceiling fan rotate clockwise, turn it off and get it fixed or else it will detach and fall down. They should only rotate counter-clockwise.

Can you please explain what's wrong with a fan rotating clockwise.All my fans are rotating that way for years without any problem.Actually I don't remember seeing a fan running the other way.

I was referring to ceiling fans, not floor mounted or table fans.

[fremmel]

Ron, like you I'm a "fan" of overhead fans but I've had trouble finding one that was quiet enough. I'd like to find one that I can use in the bedroom at night and not hear any motor noise or 50 Hz hum. Up here in Udon all the ones that are more attractive than the basic, sort of industrial looking fan you posted seem to be made by the same company under various brand names with different casings but all have the same motor. I bought one branded ABC and in a quiet room, if you listen, you can hear the motor at low speed. In your blog you mention a 3,000 baht fan that you liked that was very quiet. What brand was that? Is it quiet enough that you can't hear it at all?

I'm not looking for a fan with lights or any fancy do-dads. Just a basic, quiet, four or five blade fan like the old Hunter or Hampton Bay ones. Has anyone found a really quiet fan in Thailand?

[trogers]

Looks like we are going back to hanging carpets...

[basjke]

I'm not looking for a fan with lights or any fancy do-dads. Just a basic, quiet, four or five blade fan like the old Hunter or Hampton Bay ones. Has anyone found a really quiet fan in Thailand?

I have seen them several times but don't know yet where they are sold.All I know is that they are sold in thailand around 6000 baht.They are very solid,super silent with one light below the fan,have 3 wooden blades and remote control and I've been told they come with lifetime warranty.I am looking for them myself but haven't located the supplier yet however I think that they are sold at chatuchak market.Maybe someone familiar with Chatuchak can confirm.

[trogers]

I'm not looking for a fan with lights or any fancy do-dads. Just a basic, quiet, four or five blade fan like the old Hunter or Hampton Bay ones. Has anyone found a really quiet fan in Thailand?

I have seen them several times but don't know yet where they are sold.All I know is that they are sold in thailand around 6000 baht.They are very solid,super silent with one light below the fan,have 3 wooden blades and remote control and I've been told they come with lifetime warranty.I am looking for them myself but haven't located the supplier yet however I think that they are sold at chatuchak market.Maybe someone familiar with Chatuchak can confirm.

Largest maker of ceiling fans in Thailand: http://www.ceifan.com/index.php?langtype=en&pageid=en_16

[jackr]

When you see a ceiling fan rotate clockwise, turn it off and get it fixed or else it will detach and fall down. They should only rotate counter-clockwise.

That's one of the funniest things I've read on here. Why would it fall down, it's not like the motor is on a screwthread? Perhaps you're getting mixed up with extract fans which are sometimes held in by a screw cap with a left-hand thread. As long as the ceiling fan fixed well and the pin is in, you'll be fine in either direction.

Many modern fans have a control switch to reverse the direction of the airflow. In the countries that have heating and cooling seasons its better to reverse the airflow so the fan can gently blow the hot air from the ceiling area down to the floor levels for better heating in a big room.

Both my living room ones do that. Reverse direction when it's boiling hot and have the air dragged up from the floor.

Ron, like you I'm a "fan" of overhead fans but I've had trouble finding one that was quiet enough. I'd like to find one that I can use in the bedroom at night and not hear any motor noise or 50 Hz hum. Up here in Udon all the ones that are more attractive than the basic, sort of industrial looking fan you posted seem to be made by the same company under various brand names with different casings but all have the same motor. I bought one branded ABC and in a quiet room, if you listen, you can hear the motor at low speed. In your blog you mention a 3,000 baht fan that you liked that was very quiet. What brand was that? Is it quiet enough that you can't hear it at all?

I'm not looking for a fan with lights or any fancy do-dads. Just a basic, quiet, four or five blade fan like the old Hunter or Hampton Bay ones. Has anyone found a really quiet fan in Thailand?

I have two of the type in the pic troger posted in the lounge, an ABC and a Sun Light I think it is. They're both around the 3k region but the ABC is the noisy one. When I say noisy, it's barely audible, yet the Sun Light one is totally silent. You'll only hear anything when you ramp it up and then it's all air movement noise. Set him on low and turn your back and you wouldn't know it were running... apart from the breeze of course.

[trogers]

When you see a ceiling fan rotate clockwise, turn it off and get it fixed or else it will detach and fall down. They should only rotate counter-clockwise.

That's one of the funniest things I've read on here. Why would it fall down, it's not like the motor is on a screwthread? Perhaps you're getting mixed up with extract fans which are sometimes held in by a screw cap with a left-hand thread. As long as the ceiling fan fixed well and the pin is in, you'll be fine in either direction.

Many modern fans have a control switch to reverse the direction of the airflow. In the countries that have heating and cooling seasons its better to reverse the airflow so the fan can gently blow the hot air from the ceiling area down to the floor levels for better heating in a big room.

Both my living room ones do that. Reverse direction when it's boiling hot and have the air dragged up from the floor.

Ron, like you I'm a "fan" of overhead fans but I've had trouble finding one that was quiet enough. I'd like to find one that I can use in the bedroom at night and not hear any motor noise or 50 Hz hum. Up here in Udon all the ones that are more attractive than the basic, sort of industrial looking fan you posted seem to be made by the same company under various brand names with different casings but all have the same motor. I bought one branded ABC and in a quiet room, if you listen, you can hear the motor at low speed. In your blog you mention a 3,000 baht fan that you liked that was very quiet. What brand was that? Is it quiet enough that you can't hear it at all?

I'm not looking for a fan with lights or any fancy do-dads. Just a basic, quiet, four or five blade fan like the old Hunter or Hampton Bay ones. Has anyone found a really quiet fan in Thailand?

I have two of the type in the pic troger posted in the lounge, an ABC and a Sun Light I think it is. They're both around the 3k region but the ABC is the noisy one. When I say noisy, it's barely audible, yet the Sun Light one is totally silent. You'll only hear anything when you ramp it up and then it's all air movement noise. Set him on low and turn your back and you wouldn't know it were running... apart from the breeze of course.

Check your ABC fan and see if it is holding the fan up with just a single nut (no pin). If so, a reverse rotation of the fan will gradually unscrew that nut and the fan falls. One fell on to my classmate over 30 years ago in a classroom.

For me, a fan that emits sound at a similar level as the air-con unit is acceptable.

[basjke]

I'm not looking for a fan with lights or any fancy do-dads. Just a basic, quiet, four or five blade fan like the old Hunter or Hampton Bay ones. Has anyone found a really quiet fan in Thailand?

I have seen them several times but don't know yet where they are sold.All I know is that they are sold in thailand around 6000 baht.They are very solid,super silent with one light below the fan,have 3 wooden blades and remote control and I've been told they come with lifetime warranty.I am looking for them myself but haven't located the supplier yet however I think that they are sold at chatuchak market.Maybe someone familiar with Chatuchak can confirm.

Largest maker of ceiling fans in Thailand: http://www.ceifan.com/index.php?langtype=en&pageid=en_16

Thanks for that Trogers,the fan I was looking for is indeed from that company.Saved me a trip to jj.market.

[fremmel]

I have two of the type in the pic troger posted in the lounge, an ABC and a Sun Light I think it is. They're both around the 3k region but the ABC is the noisy one. When I say noisy, it's barely audible, yet the Sun Light one is totally silent. You'll only hear anything when you ramp it up and then it's all air movement noise. Set him on low and turn your back and you wouldn't know it were running... apart from the breeze of course.

For me, a fan that emits sound at a similar level as the air-con unit is acceptable.

Yes, the ABC I have is barely audible, certainly not as loud as the air-con. I don't mind the air-con noise but fan motor noise is not as "white" as the air-con and is just annoying to me when everything else is quiet.

When I was looking at fans the sales guy at HomePro (which I know isn't necessarily a good source of information) said that the motor used in the Sunlight fans was the same as the ABC fans. And when I looked on the net I saw they were made by the same company, Compass East, with the same motor warrenty so that made sense. Global had ABCs at a cheaper price so I bought one there.

I notice from the Compass East site that the fans branded Compass East have a 10 year warrenty on their motor so maybe I ought to try one of those if I can find one. Failing that I guess I'll try a Sunlight since Jackr has had a good experience.

[LeungKen]

These look pretty good, I wonder if they are available in "Big C"..

http://www.winddeco.com/_Images%5CBlobs%5CPunkah.jpg

based on the old punkah idea.

Edited August 5, 2009 by LeungKen

[Mighty Mouse]

How about a ceiling fan with retractable blades.

Fairly new on the market but maybe not yet in LOS.

[jackr]

Check your ABC fan and see if it is holding the fan up with just a single nut (no pin). If so, a reverse rotation of the fan will gradually unscrew that nut and the fan falls. One fell on to my classmate over 30 years ago in a classroom.

Nah, pin with a split pin through it which is the way it should be. I see what you're getting at though. Sorry to hear about your mate.

[jackr]

When I was looking at fans the sales guy at HomePro (which I know isn't necessarily a good source of information) said that the motor used in the Sunlight fans was the same as the ABC fans. And when I looked on the net I saw they were made by the same company, Compass East, with the same motor warrenty so that made sense. Global had ABCs at a cheaper price so I bought one there.

Yep, they are really similar and probably one of those things where you're either lucky or not. The ABC does have a set of lights hanging from it, though, and I guess any sort of looseness anywhere in the set up could result in noise.

[ronswelters2]

If you ask or observe the ordinary Thai how they keep cool in their climate they will tell you they use a fan, one of those awkward back-and-forth Japanese models that you always feel is going to break when you attempt to adjust it.

Overhead fans are great. I have excellent experience with this inexpensive Thai model, less than 1000 baht at Lotus and easy to take home and install. They come in white and green.

I've done a few studies of different fans and arrangments, if you are interested you can see on my blog at: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/blog/ronswelters2/index.php?

I've never heard of it happening but these things could be pretty deadly if you put them too low or stand near them when you are trying to fix somehing say while standing on a ladder or the bed.

Ron

This may be a small point but one problem that comes up with these things is they wobble dangerously when the fan blade load is not exactly balanced, usually when you first install. My first inclination was to add some weight some place like a car tire but the easy answer is to get all the blades level; as soon is one is a little out of level the wobble begins.

[jackr]

The cheapos don't come with a balancing kit and it's also hit n miss if you get true blades. Those ABC ones we've been discussing have rigid blades (plastic/wood) and come with a proper balancing kit. Just clip the weight onto the trailing edge of one of the blades and slide up or down to get it right.

[elkangorito]

Check your ABC fan and see if it is holding the fan up with just a single nut (no pin). If so, a reverse rotation of the fan will gradually unscrew that nut and the fan falls. One fell on to my classmate over 30 years ago in a classroom.

That's why spring washers, Nyloc nuts etc &/or split-pins were invented. If a fan is installed without any of these things, it's bad tradesmanship & poses a threat to all who reside under it. Then again, TIT.

If you want a quiet fan, make sure the blades do not have any undulations in them. Just think of an aircraft wing...nice & smooth.

Also, capacitors can help to reduce noise in some fans, depending upon the motor type.

[robertsonmartin]

Anyone had any problems with acrylic blade fans?

I bought a couple of ceiling fans earlier in the year (not cheapo fans, about 5K each) and on both fans where the bracket fixes to the blade with 3 bolts (rubber gasket used also), after a period of time the acrylic blade started to crack between the three bolt holes until they eventually failed. This was not due to the blades being unbalanced as this was very carefully setup when the fans were installed.

I've now replaced both fans with steel blades and haven't had a problem since.

I asked in Homeworks about this and they said they hadn't seen this problem, however, when I checked out their acrylic bladed fans in the showroom there were visible cracks between the mounting screws also.

Just something to bear in mind when choosing a fan. The acrylic blades look nice but not as robust as steel.

[fremmel]

I took another shot at finding a quiet fan this weekend. I looked for this Compass East model but couldn't find it in the color we wanted. Since Jackr had good luck with his Sunlight I decided to try one of these. Homepro had them on sale at 2,600 baht marked down from 2,900. Global had one at their regular price of 2,490 so I bought it there. Thanks for the heads up on the acrylic blades, which this model has. Unfortunately it was just after the nick of time . Guess I'll just wait to see how they hold up.

The Sunlight's very quiet. Almost noiseless. In a room where there's any other noise at all you can't hear it. Even if there's no noise you have to really listen for it. The fan does rotate counter clockwise but it has a reversing switch for using it in cooler weather when you want it to stir the air but don't want to feel the breeze. The down rod attaches to the fan with a clevis pin, not a nut. The top of the down rod has a half ball attached to it by another pin and that sits in a socket in the ceiling bracket. No danger of falling, which ever way it turns, as long as the bracket stays screwed into the ceiling. It does come with a balancing kit and at the highest speed there's a very slight bit of wobble. But I'll never run it that fast so I don't think I'll bother with balancing it.

The Sunlight is probably quiet enough for the bedroom, certainly so if the air-con is on. But now that I'm on a quest I'd still like to try the Compass East one - and it does have steel blades. Global had the model I wanted for about 3,200 baht but it was in the wrong color. If I can't find it anywhere else here in Udon I'll try ordering one from them but their ordering process isn't great.

[jackr]

Nice one. Those compasses are nice, although I do think having wood/plastic is the way to go just in case one manages to get a body part within the spinny region for whatever reason, bedroom gymnastics included.

Yep, acrylic is super-strong but also very brittle.

[moe666]

If you can find it Minka fans are top notch but pricey.

[kamalabob2]

In Thailand there are at least two major ceiling fan manufacturers. In December 2007 after comparing what was available at the time in my price range I selected to purchase fifteen ceiling fans for inside our home and outside under the veranda ceiling from the Culminate Airy Co in Bangkok. I went with my wife and our builder to the three story showroom near BangNa and it was an educational shopping experience with the sales manager who understood and spoke English. It was easy to have questions answered and obtain firm price quotes via e-mail in advance of our showroom visit. There were no "sales tricks" at the showroom and we placed our order after seeing the actual fans in operation. C.E.I. has three "local" brands that are widely distributed in Thailand that are in fact manufactured in Thailand. They have also in the past done contract work for Hunter Fan and whoever is marketing Honeywell fans in Europe and North America. In the showroom I also spotted an attractive Emerson Odyssey CF2455

http://www.hansenwholesale.com/ceilingfans...;ModelNo=CF2455 in white.

The last quality fan I had for twenty years in California was a

http://www.casablancafanco.com/product/spe...malibustar.html and this fan is in that league. In my experience a good quality fan is worth the money upfront as it will last much longer and be far more quiet.

The problem I encountered in Thailand was our building contractor had included "fan installation" in the house building contract. CEI offered to ship the fans to Buriram Province free, but installation would be an extra fee. I took a gamble and took the "free" installation in March 2008 (which was not really free, the builder had to be paying a piece rate to the moon lighting electricians she had do our house electric installation) with the thought I could get it fixed later if the "experienced" electricians did poorly.

So far after the one year guarantee on the fans (motors have a much longer guarantee) we noticed some wobbling and noise in three fans. It took two e-mails to "Nico" at C.E.I. fan headquarters and two phone calls to "Sorn Pechpa" the regional sales manager to confirm a date for a service technician to fix any of our fans. A flat fee was agreed upon with satisfaction guaranteed. I realize I had waited until after the warranty period but the fee quoted was fair given the cost of the one Emerson fan and the scope of the job.

This morning on time a polite technician and Sorn the sales manager arrived with tools, spare parts and a great attitude. In the next three hours they fixed the problems (incorrect installation by the original local electricians and poor balancing by that original staff) swapped out a defective remote (damaged by incorrect wiring) and adjusted all the fans to perfection. The CEI staff had the same high level of skill as I have seen from Siemens, Cotto/Toto and American Standard Bangkok based repair staff.

It was well worth the money, there was no "trick -sorry bill higher lost in translation type of run around" and it made me think that a person who was purchasing new quality fans should consider the options for installation and if they already own CEI fans with any problems to contact the company for a professional repair.

Here are some photos of the staff solving a problem at a fair price.

[quiksilva]

What about overhead fans for exterior use?

[trogers]

What about overhead fans for exterior use?

Same company has fans with acrylic blades that are suitable for patios.

[Gonsalviz]

Many modern fans have a control switch to reverse the direction of the airflow. In the countries that have heating and cooling seasons its better to reverse the airflow so the fan can gently blow the hot air from the ceiling area down to the floor levels for better heating in a big room.

Ceiling fans have always been used for blowing air downwards. I have not see the reverse.

Wrong.