Paddle fan light kits, they are a changin'

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mdshunk

mdshunk

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I must put up 100 paddle fans a year, and I've noticed something notable in maybe the last 6 months. It seems that most of the paddle fans with incandescent light kits have candelabra based lampholders now. This has been a bit of a pain, and a potential blessing.

I say pain, because people often forget to buy lamps, and I don't carry but one or two candelabra based lamps on the truck. Pain again, because people are used to buying medium based lamps, if they do remember to buy them for their new paddle fan. Blessing, because people very often over-lamp paddle fans. They are almost always limited (by the UL max lamp sticker) to 60 watts per lampholder. Burned up paddle fan lampholders due to over-lamping are a somewhat steady source of service work.

When I first saw these paddle fans starting to come through with candelabra based lampholders, my first thought was that it was to enhance safety. I figured that the UL or a manufacturer's association learned that paddle fan light sockets are typically over-lamped, and they're burning up. About the biggest candelabra based lamp you can buy is 60 watts, so they are automatically limited by this fact. No over-lamping possible now. Nice.

I had to go to my lighting supplier today to get replacement light kits for 2 old paddle fans today. Since I didn't know the brand of the old fans, but I knew (visually) what would work, they just let me root through their bins of light kits. I noticed something else interesting. In one bin of light kits, there was the same light kit in both medium base and in candelabra base. Both kits had the exact same part number. It seems that the medium based paddle fan light kits are being completely phased out.

I questioned the lighting guy about what I found, and his comment was, "Yeah, something about energy efficiency". Energy efficiency? This made me wonder, since I thought it was about safety all these months now. After all, a 60 watt medium based lamp is just as efficient as a 60 watt candelabra based lamp.

I got on the Energy Star site, and sure enough, this is a new change. If the paddle fan doesn't have fluorescent lampholders, it must be equipped with some means to limit the max wattage of the fan's light kit to 190 watts total.

Read all about it:
http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/ceiling_fans.html

(moral of the story, stock your truck with more 60 watt candelabra based lamps)

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Chenley

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Western KY
Interesting post.

Last house we did there were two fans that were the exact same model for a dining area. Installed one no problem, then halfway through installing the other fan, I pulled out the light kit. Yep, the first one that I had installed was made for medium base bulbs and the other was made for candlebra bulbs. Ended up giving the owners a choice on which one they wanted.
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
Chenley said:
Last house we did there were two fans that were the exact same model for a dining area. Installed one no problem, then halfway through installing the other fan, I pulled out the light kit. Yep, the first one that I had installed was made for medium base bulbs and the other was made for candlebra bulbs.
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That happened to me last Tuesday with 4 customer provided Hunter fans. All four were identical, but 3 were set up for medium base and one was set up for candelabra. I guess they're still getting the medium base stock worked out of the system. It seems like Jan 1, 2009 is the cutoff date, as best as I can decode from the reading on the Department of Energy site. If you ever thought the NEC was tough, read the exact text of the law regarding these paddle fan light kits. 10 CFR, Part 430: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/pdfs/72_fr_1270_4.pdf
 
kbsparky

kbsparky

Senior Member
Location
Delmarva, USA
What a croc.
Ceiling Fans and Ceiling Fan Light Kits

Consumers will save energy as a result of EPACT 2005's ceiling fan and ceiling fan light kit conservation standards. Standards will improve the efficiency of products in the market and make it easier for consumers to purchase energy-efficient ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. Since EPACT 2005 requires ceiling fan light kits to be packaged with lamps specified under the energy conservation standards, (42 U.S.C. 6295(ff)), consumers will not have to search separately for lamps that are compatible with their ceiling fan light kits..
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I have found that most customers purchase fans with light kits that do not have lamps included. Save a buck and all that. They have failed to either buy the correct lamps, or gotten none at all. They figure they have extra light bulbs at home. :rolleyes:

I now keep a box on the truck of 60 watt candelabra bulbs just for such occasions.
 
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
I love this lightning forum. It's very informative. :grin:

I don't keep many lamps on my truck. When the HO forgets the lamps, and I always tell them ahead of time to not forget the lamps, they get a light with no lamps.

Some are surprised that I don't have them in my truck. I usually tell them that bouncing around in a truck all day is not good for the lamps, and also take a look at the lamp area at the store. Too many options to carry.

I keep some 60's, 100's, and some 18 watt Xenons for my uc lights. Thats it.

Since the ceiling fans are required to come with lamps anyway this won't be an issue.
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
electricmanscott said:
Since the ceiling fans are required to come with lamps anyway this won't be an issue.
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That requirement that they come with lamps has an effective date that varies depending on the lamp type and lampholder type. It could be as late as 2009. It will be very nice when they all come with the lamps they need. Regular fixtures are bound to be next.

I don't keep a lot of lamps on the truck. 100's, 60's, couple 75's and 40's, nite light bulbs, couple 40 and 60 candelabra lamps, 175 MV, 400W HPS, 400W MH,couple 90W PAR,couple 75W par,couple 65W BR, and most of a box of F23T8 and F40T12's.
 
iwire

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
mdshunk said:
I don't keep a lot of lamps on the truck. 100's, 60's, couple 75's and 40's, nite light bulbs, couple 40 and 60 candelabra lamps, 175 MV, 400W HPS, 400W MH,couple 90W PAR,couple 75W par,couple 65W BR, and most of a box of F23T8 and F40T12's.
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What?

No LEDs, no neon tube? :grin:
 
mdshunk

mdshunk

Senior Member
Location
Right here.
iwire said:
I do not think I presently have any lamps in my truck.
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That must make driving at night a real chore.

Different horses for different courses. I suppose it all depends on what you do in a normal day's time.
 
electricmanscott

electricmanscott

Senior Member
Location
Boston, MA
mdshunk said:
Different horses for different courses. I suppose it all depends on what you do in a normal day's time.
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You Had to bring the poor horsey into this didn't you.

You are right though. If I found the need to have certain lamps kept coming up I would certainly have them. But It doesn't so I don't.
 
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