Slowing a celing fan

[Rick Hughes]

Yep .. that would be my try at this.

[Rick Hughes]

yep ... with a decent swash plate

[Rick Hughes]

These are superb at cooling house in warm weather .... keep meaning to build one ... esp like this remote version with insulated doors:

[Davey]

From the second one, follow the link to: "How to make a Lasko box fan circulate more air." Redneck engineering at its best.

[Dave W]

I would imagine the low speed coil has the most turns, so maybe a small inductor in series with this winding would do something. You could experiment with the primaries of small mains transformers (secondaries unconnected). Or maybe even a centre-tapped primary between the low-speed live and neutral, and the fan's low speed winding connected between neutral and the centre-tap, supplying 120V to the winding.

I don't agree that a triac chopper would result in motor hum - it would still only be 50Hz and the current would get smoothed by the inductance of the winding to which it was connected.

[John Williamson]

As ceiling fan motors generally seem to be a multipole synchronous motor, the only way to alter the speed is to change the frequency or the number of poles. I suspect that any attempt to slow one down by reducing the available current or voltage would result in either normal speed or no rotation, followed by excessive heating of the coils. If it has shaded poles, then it may slow down with reduced voltage, but it wouldn't be particularly efficient.

[Capitol]

Ceiling fan motors are shaded pole, with quite high reistance windings and not terribly efficient. Capacitative current control is the norm.

[Dave W]

Surely inductive current control is also possible? Maybe easier than finding suitable capacitors?

[meow2222]

Compared to a capacitor: more complex to calculate the spec required harder to get impractcal to try different values if your first go doesnt work well less energy efficient less reliable

NT

[meow2222]

spoilsport :)

NT

[meow2222]

too high inductance, and generally too low current rating

it too often does, it isnt, it would only partially

NT

[meow2222]

the usual approach is a series cap

It works fine, but no its not efficient. Nor is the blade geometry

NT