Ceiling Fan

A ceiling fan is a device suspended from the ceiling of a room, which employs hub-mounted rotating paddles to circulate air in order to produce a cooling or destratification effect. The electrically-powered ceiling fan was invented in 1882 by Philip Diehl (pronounced the same as "deal"). Diehl had engineered the electric motor used in the first Singer sewing machines, and in 1882 adapted that motor for use in a ceiling-mounted fan. "The Diehl Electric Fan", as it was known, operated like a common modern-day ceiling fan; each fan had its own self-contained motor unit, eliminating the need for costly and bulky belt systems.

Most ceiling fans can be used in two different ways; that is, most fans have a mechanism, commonly an electrical switch, for reversing the direction in which the blades rotate. In summer, when the fan's direction of rotation is set so that air is blown downward (typically counter-clockwise, when standing under the fan and looking upwards), the breeze created by a ceiling fan speeds the evaporation of sweat on human skin, which is experienced as a cooling effect.

Commercial or industrial ceiling fans are usually used in offices, factories or industries. Commercial ceiling fans are designed to be cost effective and can save more than 75% on energy savings, which is always welcome in businesses. The industrial or commercial ceiling fans only use three blades plus a high-speed motor to function. To use more blades would strain the motor and use up more electricity. It can be purchased with an ultra quiet motor. These energy efficient ceiling fans push massive amounts of air compared traditional ceiling fan. If it’s summer they keep the air circulating and in winter they push warm air from the ceiling to the floor.

Cast-iron ceiling fans. Cast-iron ceiling fans account for almost all ceiling fans made from their invention in 1882 through the 1950s. A cast-iron housing encases a very heavy-duty oil-bath motor, usually of the shaded-pole variety. These fans must be oiled periodically, usually once or twice per year, since they use an oil-bath system for lubrication. Because these fans are so sturdily built, and due to their utter lack of electronic components, it is not uncommon to see cast-iron fans aged eighty years or more running strong and still in use today.