Is overall bill reduced by using fan regulators

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the impact of fan regulators on electricity bills, specifically whether using these devices reduces overall energy consumption and costs. Participants explore the mechanics of fan regulators, their effects on current and voltage, and related phenomena such as humming sounds from inverters.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the electricity bill may decrease when using fan regulators due to reduced current draw as the fan speed is lowered.
  • Others question whether all extra voltage is dissipated as heat in the regulator or if current remains the same, indicating uncertainty about the energy dynamics involved.
  • A participant describes a fan regulator as a device that alters fan speed by providing varying resistance, noting that higher resistance leads to reduced voltage and increased heat generation.
  • Another participant proposes that the fan regulator likely uses electronic switching to reduce average voltage rather than simply adding resistance, implying a more efficient energy use.
  • Concerns are raised about the humming sound from an inverter when the fan speed is reduced, with speculation about whether this is due to reduced current or improved power factor.
  • One participant mentions that mechanical vibrations in electronic components could also contribute to the humming sound, suggesting multiple factors may be at play.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the efficiency and mechanics of fan regulators, with no consensus reached on whether they definitively reduce electricity bills or how they operate in terms of energy dissipation.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the exact nature of current variation in AC versus DC circuits when resistance is introduced, as well as the specific mechanisms by which fan regulators operate.

CRT
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actually i searched a lot regarding this question but didnt find exact answer anywhere.some say electricity bill reduces some vice versa.do all extra voltage is dissipated as heat? in the regulator,or current drawn remains same or only partially dissipated as heat.Thanks.
 
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CRT said:
actually i searched a lot regarding this question but didnt find exact answer anywhere.some say electricity bill reduces some vice versa.do all extra voltage is dissipated as heat? in the regulator,or current drawn remains same or only partially dissipated as heat.Thanks.

Could you please provide some more context to your question? What's a fan regulator? Where is it being used?
 
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http://maxelectrical.tradeindia.com/fan-regulator-1133953.html a fan regulator is a device put in series with fan to alter its speed.it can provide different value of resistance through a rotatory switch numbered 1 ,2,3,4,5.At position 5 the speed of fan is max.at 1 its min.as resistance of regulator is max.at that position.http://maxelectrical.tradeindia.com/fan-regulator-1133953.html
 
sorry the url was not uploaded.its here-
maxelectrical.tradeindia.com/fan-regulator-1133953.html
 
CRT said:
sorry the url was not uploaded.its here-
maxelectrical.tradeindia.com/fan-regulator-1133953.html
it has been designed for India 230v/50hz.it gets hotter if we increse its resistance through rotary switch(to position4,3,2,1),but the fan slows down.as it gets reduced voltage now.sorry if i am still not able to elaborate.
 
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IMG_20150502_095225_1.jpg
 
The current drawn from the mains will reduce as you slow the fan with a series resistor, so the power bill will reduce. You are paying some for the heat generated by the resistor, but overall you save money since the watt-hours that you are billed for is current* 230V* time.
 
thanks sir.but i wanted to know one more thing.my inverter was producing humming sound one day,the moment i slowed down my fan the sound was silent.was it due to reduced current drawn or a little bit improved power factor.
is variation in current in ac circuit as well as dc circuit upon introduction of new resistance is same way?
 
  • #10
If the electronics box contains a transformer (or a smoothing inductor) this can produce a humming sound if the current in its wires is great enough. At lower currents, this hum may not be noticeable. Some hums can be mechanical vibrations due to something being lose or flexible, perhaps some turns on an inductor coil are not firmly glued down, or the core of a transformer may not be tightly held together.

If these loose areas don't vibrate much they may not contact anything to make noise, but when they vibrate a little bit more they hit something solid and cause produce sound. The more energy in a coil, the more energetic they will vibrate.
 
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  • #11
thanks for your precious time for answering sir.
 
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  • #12
CRT said:
http://maxelectrical.tradeindia.com/fan-regulator-1133953.html a fan regulator is a device put in series with fan to alter its speed.it can provide different value of resistance through a rotatory switch numbered 1 ,2,3,4,5.At position 5 the speed of fan is max.at 1 its min.as resistance of regulator is max.at that position.[PLAIN]http://maxelectrical.tradeindia.com/fan-regulator-1133953.html[/QUOTE]
This is unlikely to insert varying resistances in series with the fan. This probably electronically switches just a portion of each AC cycle through the fan, thus reducing the average voltage and hence reducing the fan's speed. The part of the voltage that isn't used by the fan represents saved power, rather than wasted power (generating heat) that you would see with added resistance.
 
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  • #13
The device in post #6 is most likely an inductor with variable taps. Last ones I installed for ceiling fans used this approach and looked very similar to what was posted.
 
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