Ceiling fan

Lore & Background

The earliest form of the fan, the punkah, was invented in India around 500 BC, cut from an Indian palmyra leaf and operated manually by a cord. Some of the first rotary ceiling fans appeared in the early 1860s and 1870s in the United States, powered not by electricity but by a stream of running water driving a turbine and belt system. These systems could accommodate several fan units and became popular in stores, restaurants, and offices; some survive today in parts of the southern United States.

The electrically powered ceiling fan was invented in 1882 by Philip Diehl, who adapted the electric motor he had engineered for the first electrically powered Singer sewing machines. Each fan had its own self-contained motor unit, with no need for belt drive. Diehl faced fierce competition due to the commercial success of the ceiling fan and created a light kit fitted to the ceiling fan to combine both functions. By World War I, most ceiling fans were made with four blades instead of the original two, making them quieter and allowing them to circulate more air.

Ceiling fans became commonplace in the United States by the 1920s and took hold internationally. From the Great Depression of the 1930s until the introduction of electric air conditioning in the 1950s, ceiling fans slowly faded out of vogue in the U.S., almost falling into total disuse by the 1960s. Meanwhile, they became very popular in countries with hot climates such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Middle East. In 1973, Texas entrepreneur H. W. (Hub) Markwardt began importing ceiling fans manufactured in India by Crompton Greaves, Ltd. into the U.S., and these Encon Industries branded fans found great success during the energy crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Reader's Guide

Ceiling fans have multiple functions: they increase mixing in a ventilated space, leading to more homogenous environmental conditions, and moving air is generally preferred over stagnant air. Because fans do not change air temperature and humidity but move it around, they can aid in both heating and cooling of a space. Ceiling fans are often an instrumental element of low energy HVAC, passive cooling, or natural ventilation systems in buildings. They can be an efficient way to improve thermal comfort by allowing for a higher ambient air temperature while keeping occupants comfortable, especially in warm, humid environments.

The direction a fan spins should change based on whether the room needs to be heated or cooled. Ceiling fans with a mechanism for reversing blade direction can help in both heating and cooling. While electrically reversible motors have been in production since the 1930s, most fans made before the mid-1970s are either not reversible or mechanically reversible via adjustable blade pitch. Ceiling fan technology has not evolved much since 1980, with a notable exception being the increased availability of energy-efficient, remote/app controlled brushless DC fans. Important design inroads have been made by companies such as Monte Carlo, Minka Aire, Quorum, Craftmade, Litex, and Fanimation, offering higher price ceiling fans with more decorative value.

Did You Know?

• The punkah, the earliest form of the fan, was invented in India around 500 BC and cut from an Indian palmyra leaf.
• Some of the first rotary ceiling fans in the 1860s–1870s were powered by running water and a turbine, not electricity.
• Philip Diehl invented the electrically powered ceiling fan in 1882 by adapting the motor from a Singer sewing machine.
• By the late 1980s, imported ceiling fans from India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China took the majority of the U.S. market.