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Engineers - why do all box and ceiling fans go from OFF to Cat5 hurricane?
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:06 am
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:06 am
someone please explain the physics of this to me. why isn't the first setting after OFF, Low..followed by Medium and then Hurricane Andrew?
this messes me up all the time especially when my wife is having me 'turn the ceiling fan up' and i pull the cord only for it to get slower..then i have to do that crap where I 'listen' to see if i can hear it running to know if i'm OFF so i can pull it one more time to get it on MAX.
this seems so counterintuitive and i will never not be annoyed by it.
eta old man yells at wind
this messes me up all the time especially when my wife is having me 'turn the ceiling fan up' and i pull the cord only for it to get slower..then i have to do that crap where I 'listen' to see if i can hear it running to know if i'm OFF so i can pull it one more time to get it on MAX.
this seems so counterintuitive and i will never not be annoyed by it.
eta old man yells at wind
This post was edited on 7/14/26 at 11:07 am
18
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:07 am to CAD703X
very subtle me and my wife have ceiling fans brag thread.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:08 am to CAD703X
I swear when I was a kid, fans did the opposite, low, medium, high.
Something changed.
Something changed.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:09 am to CAD703X
I stick my hand up there and slowly stop it physically so I know when its actually off. My windshield wipers do the same thing and I hate it. It goes from too slow to Mach 3 with no in-between.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:10 am to CAD703X
Me Chinese
Me Play Joke
Me Play Joke
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:10 am to CAD703X
I had this same question a few years ago and looked it up. In a nutshell, the motor on the low setting doesn't give enough juice to cleanly overcome inertia and get the fan going, but it does have enough juice to keep it going once moving. So, the fan needs to start at a higher setting to get going at anything resembling a decent pace.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:11 am to CAD703X
Better question is when they are on high why do they always clank or make some kind of noise. It's like high is programed in to make noise.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:19 am to CAD703X
Bald engineers hunt / haunt toupee wearers.
Follicle fraternization. I think that’s what Darwin called it.
Follicle fraternization. I think that’s what Darwin called it.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:22 am to Joshjrn
quote:
I had this same question a few years ago and looked it up. In a nutshell, the motor on the low setting doesn't give enough juice to cleanly overcome inertia and get the fan going, but it does have enough juice to keep it going once moving. So, the fan needs to start at a higher setting to get going at anything resembling a decent pace.
This is mildly interesting. Thank you.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:30 am to Joshjrn
I've always had the same gripe. But this:
..actually makes perfect sense and is something I never knew or thought about. And now I think I may completely change my stance on fan settings being dumb.
quote:
I had this same question a few years ago and looked it up. In a nutshell, the motor on the low setting doesn't give enough juice to cleanly overcome inertia and get the fan going, but it does have enough juice to keep it going once moving. So, the fan needs to start at a higher setting to get going at anything resembling a decent pace.
..actually makes perfect sense and is something I never knew or thought about. And now I think I may completely change my stance on fan settings being dumb.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:33 am to CAD703X
How deep do you want to go to get the answer?
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:35 am to Joshjrn
Can they make them where the pull cord doesn’t break off so easily into the hole?
This post was edited on 7/14/26 at 11:36 am
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:40 am to UptownJoeBrown
my fans, installed in 2008, start on low. i've got 2 that have failing capacitors though.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:41 am to CAD703X
Fans go Off- high- medium- low- off
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:42 am to Joshjrn
quote:
I had this same question a few years ago and looked it up. In a nutshell, the motor on the low setting doesn't give enough juice to cleanly overcome inertia and get the fan going, but it does have enough juice to keep it going once moving. So, the fan needs to start at a higher setting to get going at anything resembling a decent pace.
And, yet, a ceiling fan set on low with a wall on/off switch still comes on at the low setting without a problem. Are we just stuck with switches designed for problems that were solved decades ago?
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:51 am to CAD703X
AI Search Disclaimer:
as others have stated, there is more torque required to start a motor from off to run, so starting the fin on high will deliver the highest torque
quote:
Starting torque (or locked-rotor torque) is the maximum rotational force a motor produces at a standstill. It is measured in Newton-meters (Nm) or pound-feet (lb-ft), and represents the brute force needed to overcome static inertia and get a load moving.
Key Concepts
Breakaway Torque: The total force required to start a machine from rest, which includes the motor's starting torque plus any mechanical resistance.
Full-Load Torque: The continuous torque a motor delivers at its rated operating speed. Starting torque is typically 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than the full-load torque to successfully accelerate the load.
Pull-up Torque: The minimum torque generated by the motor as it accelerates from zero to full speed.
as others have stated, there is more torque required to start a motor from off to run, so starting the fin on high will deliver the highest torque
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:52 am to CAD703X
I kept some of the old fans in my new house.
I've got one that goes from off, to low, all the way up to p-51 Mustang taking off.
I have to turn it off when my tall friend comes over because I'm legitimately concerned the metal blades may scalp him
I've got one that goes from off, to low, all the way up to p-51 Mustang taking off.
I have to turn it off when my tall friend comes over because I'm legitimately concerned the metal blades may scalp him
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:53 am to Joshjrn
BS. I keep my fan in my office on low. I turn it off by a wall switch. It starts just fine, thats what capacitors are for.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 11:54 am to BottomlandBrew
quote:
How deep do you want to go to get the answer?
Subtle Technology Connection's YouTube post from everyone's favorite YouTube geek.
Posted on 7/14/26 at 12:01 pm to CAD703X
It is due to old electrical design. Max runs at full voltage and gets more power to spin up faster. If you start from 0 and go to low, it takes longer to get up to speed than going from 0 to max. So the concept was get the blades up to speed ASAP and then slow down if needed. I believe it is also easier on the motors.
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