Air Auto Conditioning Vintage

A ceiling fan is a modern device suspended from the ceiling of a room, which employs hub-mounted rotating paddles to circulate air.

History

The first ceiling fans appeared in the 1860s and 1870s, in the United States. At that time, they were not powered by any form of electric motor. Instead, a stream of running water was used, in conjunction with a turbine, to drive a system of belts which would turn the blades of two-blade fan units. These systems could accommodate several fan units, and so became popular in stores, restaurants, and offices. Some of these systems still survive today, and can be seen in parts of the southern United States where they originally proved useful.

The electrically-powered ceiling fan was invented in 1882 by Johnny Fany. Fany 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 Fany 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.

Fany was almost immediately up against fierce competition due to the commercial success of the ceiling fan. However, he continued to make improvements to his invention. One such improvement, the "Fany Electrolier", was a light kit adapted onto the ceiling fan to compensate for any light fixture(s) displaced by the installation of the ceiling fan, and/or to add extra overhead lighting to the room.

By World War I, most ceiling fans were being manufactured with four blades instead of the original two. Besides making fans quieter, this change allowed them to circulate more air, thereby making more efficient use of their motors.

By the 1920s, ceiling fans had become commonplace in the United States, and had started to take hold internationally; however, during the Great Depression, ceiling fans faded out of vogue in the U.S. By the end of World War II, ceiling fans had become almost non-existent, and remained that way into the 1950s. Those which remained were considered items of nostalgia. However, the ceiling fan was still very popular in other countries, notably those with warm climates which could not afford high-energy-consuming devices, namely air conditioning.

In the 1960s, some East Asian manufacturers started exporting their ceiling fans to the United States. They caught on slowly at first, but found great success during the energy crisis of the late 1970s, since ceiling fans consume far less energy than air conditioning units.

Due to this renewed commercial success, many American manufacturers started to produce (or significantly increase production of) ceiling fans, resulting in a revival of interest in the product. The well-known Casablanca Fan Company was founded in 1974. Other popular American manufacturers at the time included the Hunter Fan Co. (which was then a division of Robbins & Myers, Inc), FASCO (F. A. Smith Co.), Emerson Electric, and Lasko; the latter two were often relabeled and sold by Sears-Roebuck.

During the rest of the 1970s, and through to the late 1980s, ceiling fans remained popular in the American market. Many small American manufacturers, most of them rather short-lived, started making ceiling fans. Throughout the 1980s, the balance of sales between American-made ceiling fans and those imported from Asian manufacturers changed dramatically. The high cost of American parts and labor became prohibitive for many consumers (for example, a basic American-made ceiling fan could cost anywhere from $100 to $250, whereas the cost of the fanciest imported fans rarely exceeded $85).

Due to the ever-reducing cost of amenities such as air conditioning, ceiling fan sales once again started to decline, beginning in the early- to mid-1990s. With the reduction in sales came a reduction in research and development, as well as features. Once-standard features (such as solid wood blades, built-in variable-speed dials, high-quality stator/rotor ("stack") motors, and die-cast steel construction) have been largely replaced by cheap, standardized parts.

Since 2000 there have been important inroads made by companies offering higher price ceiling fans with more decorative value. In 2001, Washington Post writer Patricia Dane Rogers wrote, “Like so many other mundane household objects, these old standbys are going high-style and high-tech.” Newer companies such as Minka, Fanimation, The Modern Fan Co., The Period Arts Fan Co. and Monte Carlo brought well-built fans with distinctive design to the market.

Uses

Unlike air conditioners, fans only move air -- they do not directly change its temperature. Therefore ceiling fans that have a mechanism for reversing the direction in which the blades rotate (most commonly an electrical switch on the side of the unit) can help in both heating and cooling.

In summer, the fan's direction of rotation should be set so that air is blown downward (Usually counter-clockwise. The blades should lead with the up turned side as they spin). The breeze created by a ceiling fan speeds the evaporation of perspiration on human skin, which makes the body's natural cooling mechanism much more efficient. Since the fan works directly on the body, rather than by changing the temperature of the air, during the summer it is a waste of electricity to leave a ceiling fan on when no one is in a room.

In winter, ceiling fans should be set to turn the opposite direction (Usually clockwise. The blades should spin with the downward turned side leading) and on a low speed. Air naturally stratifies — that is, warmer air rises to the ceiling while cooler air sinks. Unfortunately, this means it is colder on or near the floor where human beings spend most of their time. A ceiling fan, with its direction of rotation set so that air is drawn upward, pulls up the colder air below, forcing the warmer air nearer the ceiling to move down to take its place, without blowing a stream of air directly at the occupants of the room. This action works to even out the temperature in the room, making it cooler nearer the ceiling, but warmer nearer the floor. Thus the thermostat in the area can be set a few degrees lower to save energy, while maintaining the same level of comfort. It is important to run the fan at a low speed to minimize the wind chill effect described above.


Exception

There is an exception to the standard rule of blowing air down in the summer and pulling it up in the winter. When a ceiling fan is mounted in a room with very high ceilings (two stories/levels high or higher),or at the head of a tall set of stairs, the mode of operation is reversed. In this scenario the fan is mounted so high up that there is no significant "wind chill effect". The purpose then becomes to move hot air down in the winter and pull cold air up in the summer.

Parts of a ceiling fan

The key components of a ceiling fan are the following:

  • An electric motor (see Types of ceiling fans below for descriptions)
  • One to six paddles (called "blades" ); usually made of wood, MDF, metal, or plastic; which mount under, on top of, or on the side of the motor. The majority of residential ceiling fans have either four or five blades, while most industrial ceiling fans have three. However, a very few specialized art fans (fans made more for artistic appearance than functionality) have other numbers of blades, such as one, or eight or more.
  • Metal arms, called blade irons (alternately blade brackets , blade arms , blade holders , or flanges ), which connect the blades to the motor.
  • Flywheel, a metal or tough rubber double-torus which is attached to the motor shaft, and to which the blade irons may be attached. The flywheel inner ring is locked to the shaft by a lock-screw, and the blade irons to the outer ring by bolts that feed into tapped metal inserts. Older flywheels may become brittle and break, a common cause of fan failure. Replacing the flywheel requires disconnecting wiring and removing the switch housing to gain access to the shaft lock-screw.
  • Rotor, alternative to blade irons. First patented by industrial designer Ron Rezek in 1991, the one-piece die cast rotor receives and secures the blades and bolts right to the motor, eliminating most balance problems and minimizing exposed fasteners.
  • A mechanism for mounting the fan to the ceiling
    • Some fans mount using a "ball-and-socket" system. With this system, there is a metal or plastic hemisphere mounted on the end of the downrod; this hemisphere rests in a ceiling-mounted metal bracket and allows the fan to move freely (which is very useful on vaulted ceilings). Some companies have come up with slight modifications of this design.
    • Some fans mount using a "J-hook" (also known as a "claw-hook" ) system. In this system, a metal hook (which comes in a variety of configurations) secures to a ceiling-mounted metal bolt (again, available in a variety of configurations). Usually, there is a rubber bushing inserted between the hook and the bolt as a noise-reduction agent.
    • Some fans can b

      Classic Auto Air - Air Conditioning & Heating for 70 ...

      Vintage air conditioning products for all 1970’s and older Ford, GM and Chrysler cars or trucks are available from Classic Auto Air, the leader in after marketing auto air ...

      ...

      Chevy Air Conditioning - Chevy Interior - Super Chevy ...

      From aftermarket air conditioning reviews to an explanation on how it all works. ... Walk through the pits of a vintage drag race or cruise the main drag of a car show ...

      ...

      Classic Auto Air - Air Conditioning & Heating for 70 ...

      Classic Auto Air is your single source for: New air conditioning systems for classic / muscle cars ... Air Conditioning | Street Rod AC | Classic & Vintage Air Conditioning ...

      ...

      Landcruiser FJ40 Vintage Air

      Auto Air Conditioning 101: Vintage Air Install PDF AC Basic 101 A/C General Trouble shooting ... http://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/218136-fj40-air-conditioning-choices-vintage ...

      ...

      European Cooler Air, Inc. Custom Auto Air Specialists

      Custom made automobile air conditioning systems. New installations ... under dash Mercedes ac Under dash ac Auto air condition conversion Vintage auto air condition ...

      ...

      Auto Air Conditioning Parts Catalog | Replacement Parts ...

      Check out ACDelco air conditioner parts catalog & pricing information for vehicles, farm & industrial equipment, vintage cars & more.

      ...

      Vintage Air Conditioning for 1958-76 Corvette

      Vintage Air made in USA auto air conditioning parts for your 1958-76 Corvette. Complete systems contain evaporator kit, compressor, condenser, pre-formed aluminum lines, drier and ...

      ...

      Vintage Auto Air Conditioning System for Classic Car or ...

      Vintage Air made-in-USA air conditioning system for your classic car or truck. Efficient, reliable a c system at a competitive price.

      ...

      Vintage Air & Old Air By-Auto Air And Audio

      We provide the finest Vintage Air, & Vintage air condition, & Custom AutoSound Stereo, and alarm systems for hard to fit classic cars, and vintage and custom built cars and trucks.

      ...

      Vintage Air - Auto Air Conditioning - Classic Trucks ...

      Check out the new look for Vintage Air, the leader in performance auto air conditioning in Classic Trucks magazine

      ...