I bought an Arlec pedestal fan yesterday. When I got it home I noticed that it claimed "DC motor technology". Turns out that instead of a mains lead, it has a plug-pack that connects to it.
Anyway, I assume their motive for this change is cost, so we may see it in other models/brands. Something to watch out for.
As it happened, a part was missing, and I was able to return it for a refund.
Sylvia.
Was that one of those remote controlled ones?
More like easy compliance with Aus electrical standards.
Lucky!
Yes, though that wasn't why I bought it. Sylvia.
I saw them in Bunnings recently. No mention of power brick on the box that I could see. Would be off putting to me as well. Not that we need a pedestal fan, we have ceiling fans all over the house.
Sylvia Else snipped-for-privacy@email.invalid wrote
Can't see that.
Why are you assuming that it's a bad thing ?
You can with the best sellers if it turns out you don't like something about it.
that's what I was wondering
Perhaps the speed is continuously variable instead of in fixed steps? Personally I prefer old-fashioned ones with a physical speed switch, but if people demand blinky lights and remote controls then this is what they'll get. Unfortunately there's far more to go wrong as a result, and probably far more power wasted too.
If you like wall-warts everywhere, then fine.
Sylvia.
Huh. I can see a few reasons why I wouldn't like a DC pedestal fan, but I honestly never thought that anyone would be bothered by the meer presence of a plugpack on a wall.
I suppose they can be awkward to use with extension lead though, which a fan could often be used with.
Wall Warts are a PITA. The company buys in a heap of wall warts that are already Aus certified for 230V so they don't need to have the fan itself certified. Cheaping out is all it is.
The box claimed that the fan was more efficient. That could be true, because it appears that the typical split phase induction motor is not very efficient. However, we're talking about around 10 watts saving at most, so it's not something I would take into account when buying a fan.
Sylvia.
What puzzles me is how quickly the models change, which presumably means they have to be re-certified. Are consumers really so shallow that they'll refuse to buy something that was already available a year ago?
Sylvia.
I find that plug packs, especially the higher power ones, often take up more than their fair share of space on a power socket, and render the adjacent socket unusable.
Sylvia.
Perhaps after certifying the plug pack, the fan does not require certification since it is only a low voltage device not directly connected to the mains. Thus they can change the fan model at will.
Oscar Wilde observed that fashion is a form of ugliness so extreme that it needs to be changed regularly
Yes, he says as he looks over to a power board replete with wall warts.
but they would have to remake the fan to run on DC, so false economy
Yes, they're pretty stoopid. And women shop until their husband's drop.
I have a few pedestal fans acquired by gleaning the piles of stuff on the footpath, after the landlord has thrown out his tenant.
I have numerous Objet d'art, mainly paintings that have suffered a like fate, all costing me $zilch. These cover the walls and even make the rooms look bigger. The fans service the TV room, the parlour, the maid's room, the music room, the dining room, the dressing room, the bedroom (2), and even the spare room!
Fans are very useful because they evenly distribute the heat and cool fixing stratification. Ceiling fans are better, but the poor can't be choosey.
I do have an old utility, a Toyota 98 model which helps in collections. A good friend of mine, now sadly departed this spendthrift world, refused to buy any appliance new, instead just turned over his old stuff when it broke down.
But they only have to design and make it *once* with *no 230V AC cert. The wall wart will be certified by the maker they buy it from, again, the fan co, needs no certification. All *redesigns* need no renewal of certification.
That can be a problem, I've put up lots of Christmas lights and finding space in a power board for the power supplies can be a problem which is why I end with a string of power boards. I control the lights with smart plugs and earlier versions were quite big, so big that you can't fit 2 on a double power point but the manufacturers must have figured that out because today I bought 2 tapo "mini" smart plugs and they will fit side by side in a double power point.
Ah yes, fair enough. A double-adapter can help to move a bulky plugpack out of the way.
ElectronDepot website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.