COMPARATIVE TEST
Ceiling Fans
Only 1 out of these justifies the five-star rating
It’s telling that 5 out of the 6 brands tested did not meet the requirement of BEE’s five-star rating, especially in service value – this being a basic determinant of energy efficacy (higher the ‘service value’, better the energy efficiency and air delivered). This finding may come as a surprise to most of us, considering that the ceiling fan seems to be a very basic, standard sort of product—one that doesn’t warrant much thought or research. Any model of one of the known brands would do, isn’t it? Keeping this general perception in mind, we have in this report put the spotlight on energy efficiency (and energy efficiency is very important in the case of a product used so widely and that collectively consume a huge amount of electricity). With the millions of ceiling fans sold annually in India and the huge amount of electricity being consumed, think of the potential savings in electrical energy that can be realised with energy-efficient motors. So here we are, comparing seven ceiling-fan brands with five stars (energy-efficiency rating assigned by Bureau of Energy Efficiency, BEE, as per which five stars denote highest efficiency and one star the least) on not just their energy efficiency but also their performance, quality and safety aspects.
We tested the brands on parameters such as air delivery, service value, power input, power factor, voltage, leakage current, temperature rise, creepage distance and clearances, insulation resistance, earthing connection, design and general construction, suspension system, starting and fan speed.
The tests were conducted at an NABL-accredited laboratory. It should be noted that the Havells ceiling fan got jammed and further tests could not be conducted on it.
The samples were tested as per specifications in Indian Standard 374–2018 (electric ceilingtype fans and regulators). The standard sizes of ceiling fans covered in the standard are 900 mm, 1,050 mm, 1,200 mm, 1,400 mm and 1,500 mm. This Consumer Voice report focuses on 1,200 mm fans – which also happen to be the most commonly used – with BEE rating of five stars. These fans are the regular, nondecorative models with three blades.