Why, oh why, everytime I post something does someone have to jump in and disagree with me? Are you just trying to insure Clarks maximum enjoyment? (he mentioned likeing pissing matches)
Stephen Quote,
You could put the ‘open’ at either end (or both) of the rheostat.
But wouldn’t this defeat your argument in a rotary switch design?
Nanobyte Quote,
I don’t think many fans have rheostats. No one needs a continuous range of speeds and a rheostat costs more than a switch with 3 or 4 positions.
I had an old fan lying around so I smashed open the little plastic box that housed the switch. What do you think I found under those little buttons? It was a cheapo that cost less than 15 bucks.
Incedentaly the thing was never, ever turned on to it’s low position but it burnt out in under 3 months.
Ok on to the general rebuttals. My A/C (a rather pricey appliance) has 3 fan positions. They are arranged in the typical 3 button array. Nowhere in the instruction manual does it say to start it on high.
Yes, an electric motor needs to draw more current to start. Note the lights dimming when the compressor motor on the refrigerator kicks in.
My conclusion? Some devices have a low setting that is inadequate to start the motor so the manufacturer puts in a little warranty clause. The celing fan in my bedroom is wired to a reostat (or is it called a potentiometer with A/C power?) But the new one in the living room has a solid state switch of some kind (also a remote control, way cool) The new one always starts out on high no matter what speed you choose then settles down once it’s spinning. The old one in my bedroom? Well I start it on low every night have been for over 10 years now. Aside from swinging around like pendulum, it stills runs as well as the day I bought it. I bet it outlasts the high tech one out front as well. (It’s still way cool though)
