HVLS Ceiling Fan | Big Energy Saving Ceiling Fans

HVLS Ceiling Fans – The Better Alternative

Traditional ceiling fan

When one mentions ceiling fans, the traditional ones come to mind, ie around 4 to 5 feet diameter rotating at blurring speed accompanied by a constant whirring noise (like the one shown in this picture).

There is a BETTER alternative ➡️ HVLS Fans.

What are HVLS Fans

HVLS stands for high-volume, low-speed. As the words suggest, these fans rotate slowly but moves a lot of air.

As a matter of fact, in the 1990’s, William Fairbank, a professor at the University of California and Walter K. Boyd, founder of MacroAir Technologies found that a fan of large diameter rotating at a slower speed creates more efficient cooling than one which is rotating faster.

Hence, HVLS fans were born.

How Do HVLS Fans Make You Cooler

Fans work on the principle that moving air breaks up moisture on the skin and accelerates evaporation to produce a cooling effect.

Due to the larger fan size, HVLS fans don’t require high speeds to move air. The slower, steadier speed and longer fan blades push large volumes of air from the ceiling down to the floor. The air then moves horizontally until it reaches a wall or boundary, it then projects upward and sideways. When the air rises, it is pushed down again by the HVLS fan, creating continuous airflow throughout the space. Smaller high-speed fans of equivalent displacement are incapable of producing the same effect.

This process is called evaporative cooling, which explains why a person feels cool in a breeze.

How Then Do They Use Less Energy When They Are Larger?

Small fans create turbulent high velocity air jets that dissipate very quickly. This is due to friction between moving air and stationary air, which occurs at the periphery of the air column. In contrast, the large column of air created by a large fan “travels” farther due to less friction, and therefore less drag.

For eg, the air column from a standard 5 feet (1.5 m) diameter fan has more than 2.5 times as much friction than the air column from a 9 feet (2.7 m) diameter HVLS fan. Because of this, a fan pushing air at 30 km/h requires 64 times as much power as a similar sized fan delivering air at 8 km/h. The noise level is also considerably higher.

These facts support what William Fairbank and Walter Boyd discovered – larger low-speed fans result in lower power consumption and better cooling effect than smaller high-speed fans.

Are HVLS Fans Suitable for Homes?

HVLS fans usually come in diameters larger than 9 feet. It also requires more vertical space. Hence you find them mostly in large spaces like shopping malls, hawker centres and MRT stations.

With the benefit of energy savings and reducing environmental impact in mind, Gracezone have developed a 6-foot HVLS fan (Model GKF65) to cater to the home environment. As long as your home has a ceiling height of 2.6M or more, the GKF65 HVLS fan will work efficiently. You’ll experience a cool comfortable living space like never before.

Further energy savings can be derived by either turning off your air-conditioner or turning the temperature up 2°C.

Gracezone GKF-65 HVLS Fan

What is the Cost of an HVLS Fan?

HVLS fans, being larger, understandably cost more than traditional fans. They also come with a beefier fan motors known in the industry as BLDC or Brushless DC motors which are hardier, more durable, easier to maintain and more efficient.

In addition to better comfort and the list of benefits highlighted below, the cost savings on energy consumption and durability will easily outweigh the initial cost outlay over time.

Other Benefits of HVLS Fans

You’d be glad to know that HVLS fans promote a healthier living environment. Controlling humidity and moisture prevent bacteria buildup on wet surfaces. The constant air circulation helps to avoid condensation and dry up moisture. It may also be used to bring in fresh air into spaces that contain air pollutants, or to draw pollutants out from your living space.