Test method

How we test ceiling fans

The uses we score and the tests we run on every ceiling fan: watts, air speed, noise, inverter backup hours and running on a 180 V supply.

Ceiling Fans reviews

Every ceiling fan we review is hung in a real bedroom or living room and run for four to six weeks, often for 10 to 12 hours a day. The uses and tests below are the same for every fan, induction or BLDC, so a wattage, air-speed or noise figure means the same thing on every fan page.

Each test result in a review links back to the matching test on this page.

What we score

Bedroom nights
How quiet the fan is on low and top speeds in a closed bedroom, and whether the motor, bearings or remote receiver hum, tick or click overnight.
Living room and hall
How much air reaches people sitting below in a 12 by 12 ft or 14 by 12 ft room on hot afternoons, and whether a boost mode helps.
Power cuts and inverters
How many hours a home inverter can run the fan during load shedding, and whether it restarts cleanly after the changeover.
All-day running cost
What the fan costs to run 12 hours a day through summer compared with a 75 W induction fan, and how much lower speeds save.

The tests

  1. Power at top speed

    Measured in W Lower is better

    We run the fan through a plug-in power meter and log watts at each speed setting. This result is the top-speed figure, which we compare with the listed rating. Induction fans are measured through their wall regulator.

  2. Power at lowest speed

    Measured in W Lower is better

    From the same plug-in meter log, the draw on the lowest speed setting. Induction fans are measured through their wall regulator, which can waste some power as heat on low speeds.

  3. Air speed 1.5 m below the blades

    Measured in m/s Higher is better

    We measure air speed with an anemometer 1.5 m below the blades at top speed in a closed room. Boost or Hyper modes are measured separately and noted with the result.

  4. Noise at top speed

    Measured in dB Lower is better

    We measure sound level with a noise meter one metre from the fan at top speed, then listen on the lower speeds for motor hum, blade flutter and clicks from the remote receiver.

  5. Inverter backup at top speed

    Measured in h Higher is better

    We run the fan at top speed on a 900 VA home inverter with a 150 Ah battery, alongside two LED bulbs, and time it until the inverter cuts off. We also check that the fan restarts on its own after the grid changeover.

  6. Runs at 180 V

    We step the supply with a variac from 250 V down to 180 V and watch the speed and sound. Pass means the fan kept running at 180 V without stalling; any slowdown, and how the motor behaved at 250 V, is noted.

  7. Yearly saving over a 75 W fan

    Measured in ₹/yr Higher is better

    Calculated, not measured: the difference between our top-speed reading and a 75 W induction fan, at 12 hours a day and ₹8 per unit. A fan run fewer hours or on lower speeds saves a different amount, so work it out for your own use.