Pretty feature packed fan on sale today - DC motor (much more efficient than AC), LED light, plywood blades, 52" (large) diameter, remote control with 5 speeds/timer/reverse.. etc.
I have been looking for months and this price is unbeatable, let's hope the quality is okay. You can easily pay double that for the same specs. I just picked up a few and opened the box so you can AMA.
DC motor (much more efficient than AC)
So what? Ceiling fans use almost zero power anyway, so the saving would be fairly irrelevant.
This is 35W vs 60W for a typical AC motor on a 52" = only 25W saving
You can easily pay double that for the same specs
Yes, but you can easily pay less for the same specs as well.
Not even trying, here's a random result off google:
https://www.lightingillusions.com.au/shop/mercator-ceiling-f…
FAR superior 2 Year In home Warranty & 5 Year Motor Warranty
$149 = $20 cheaper.
If you pay 30c per kWh for power and use this 10 hours a day for 100 days (over 3mths) per year…
1000hrs x 0.025kW x $0.30 = $7.50 more expensive to run per year than the Aldi.
However the warranty is a far more important consideration than energy savings, since this is not a DIY product. You need to pay an electrician to install it, and you need to pay an electrician to replace it if it fails.
Keep in mind, I didn't actually search for the best alternative price, I just picked that example at random.
The link you provided is for an AC motor White Grange 52" 1300mm Ceiling Fan with 2 x BC Light. DC units are twice this price.
I don't understand your rude reply. He is correct, the link you provided is for a fan with an AC motor.
He's saying that why pay double for a DC fan when an AC fan costs about $7 a year more to run. You'd have to run it for 20 years to make your money back.
I don't understand your rude reply. He is correct, the link you provided is for a fan with an AC motor
Gee, it's hard work here sometimes. I must remember to triple-check every single post, and consider all the various ways that people can misinterpret each comment. Make sure to supply additional disclaimers, and clarify when alternative ideas or products are used for any comparison.
I'm noticing that many Ozbargain readers cannot grasp the concept of comparing 2 slightly different items, in order to assess relative merit and value. Sometimes an alternative and somewhat different product will provide a superior overall outcome, or a so-called benefit in a posted deal will not translate into a real-world benefit that is being advertised.
So, I am NOT (and was never) saying that my linked fan is an exact copy, replica, specification, appearance or anything else to the Aldi fan! I was simply posting an example of an ALTERNATIVE fan that I deliberately selected because it was not the same as the Aldi fan. It was just a randomly selected 52" white ceiling fan from a Google search, specifically chosen because it has an AC MOTOR.
My apologies if my response above was rude, but I found it frustrating that some people have completely missed the point of my post. If I knew of a better deal on an equal product, then I would have posted it and I would have negged the OP. However I didn't do that, did I?
My post was supposed to be informative and to assist other members here in making an informed decision. After seeing the reply comments and now that I re-read how I worded my post, I can see my error - I omitted a sentence. Whilst I can now appreciate how some people might misunderstand, I cannot now edit a post that's been replied to.
So, I will try and state it here as clear as I possibly can… the link that I posted is NOT the same specs as the Aldi. I know that, and it was never intended to be so - I specifically selected it as an example of a typical AC-motor fan, for use as a comparison of power usage and warranty only.
Some good points, DC always much more expensive though so usually I wouldn't buy but in this case I thought it was worth it.
I guess same could be said with CFL vs LED but people love LED.
Need to find a better example as that one doesn't come with LED lights or remote (which makes it easier for electrician to install). Also the DC motor allows more speeds as mentioned below so you are more likely to put it on a lower setting.
Need to find a better example as that one doesn't come with LED lights or remote
As I said, the link I posted was RANDOMLY SELECTED
I'm not saying what I posted is the same in any way.
However what I am trying to point out is:
a) that the power saving "DC motor (much more efficient than AC)" comment is hardly a reason to buy such a thing. There are other advantages of DC that the OP didn't mention that are probably more important.
b) that a poxy one year warranty is terrible for such a product that you must pay to have permanently installed.
c) Yes a DC motor is potentially quieter than a AC (perhaps, but not as likely at this price point), and yes a remote is good for electricians, and perhaps yes the LED is an advantage (although it might also be awful)… however there are other brands out there with those features.
So I guess I am warning to at least shop around and make sure what else is out there. Perhaps it's worth paying a few more $$ to get something with a 3 year or 5 year warranty (especially if that is in-house service).
Good luck with Aldi & Tempo for getting spare parts if the remote or electronics fail in 18 months time, or a blade warps or the paint peels (very common).
Cheers!
Surely there is a loss incurred in a AC/DC conversion too?
No loss here when I became and ACDC fan
Speaking of that, I just remembered…
I found ACDC BEER at Aldi a few weeks back!
http://acdc-beverage.com/en/Produkt
Made in Germany, huge aluminium cans, and tastes pretty good.
DC motor fans are great for bedrooms. Yes its a premium price for DC and the Aldi unit is a cheap price for DC.
I cant comment on the Aldi unit myself. My Ceiling fan is a DC Mercator.
I didn't buy based on any power savings, I purchased as I find the AC motor noise really anoying. The extra speed control on the DC ones (5 or 6 settings on mine) was a bonus.
Super quiet.
The drawback for me was it could only be controlled via the remote. The old fan control had to be removed and the light switch only serves to power on/off the whole unit. (not the light).
This Aldi unit may be different in the setup. Mine is a Mercator Brand.
A few mates and I rent a house in Brisbane with no ceiling fans. We were only there for the tail-end of last summer but it was hot as buggery. Might forward this to the real estate agent as a bit of a nudgenudge winkwink
Yes, do it! Either that or just get them to install AC… but that all depends on if you want to pay the extra on the power bill etc. Fans will help but AC will definitely add value to the property however agents & landlords will want to then jack up the rent too don't forget!
True, only thing is the house is massive. Can't imagine how much airconning it would cost. We just have a load of pedestal fans
These look to be unbeatable value as DC, LED and remote.
The benefit of DC isn't really the $10 of electricity you'd save, it's the extra speed settings. This has 5, others have 6 but still better over the 3 you get with AC
it's the extra speed settings. This has 5, others have 6 but still better over the 3 you get with AC
Not something I really thought was very important at all.
I used to work in lighting retail and have sold thousands (but many years ago) and they all had 5 speeds on the wall controller. You can buy infinite (wall mount) controllers that work like a light dimmer, which looks much nicer.
So the comment about 3 speeds only seems common for remotes… probably just cost saving I guess. Then again, it's not like it really matters anyway, since they only ever get used on one speed most of the time. It's not really an application where a difference of 5m/sec of wind speed is critical (don't most people run them on flat out anyway, like me?).
So does this mean it can be installed where the light fitting was without having to run a seperate controller wire somewhere? So basically leave it switched on at the light switch, and just use the remote control to turn on/off light and control the fan?
Correct.
Depending on your desires, the design of the unit and your homes wiring there is a chance you could keep the light in the fan wired to the wall switch so it continues to function normally (manually) and then connect the fan side of things to constant power to be controlled by the remote control but I assume most people would want the fan and light to be remote controlled rendering the wall switch close to useless as it would simply stay switched on at all times.
Thank you :)
No probs! Just a shame we can't legally DIY install these as per many other countries. Couple of screws, few coloured wires, 5-10 minutes, done.
@SteveAndBelle: I saw some DIY videos from the States showing mums installing fans - wouldn't see that here!
@leTintin: Nope. Interestingly our neighbours across the ditch in NZ get to do everything themselves except connections to live switchboards :( Past studies prove allowing home-owner DIY doesn't add to electrocution fatality stats but hey maybe it's all just a Government conspiracy to generate jobs in the AUS Electrical trade. Who knows?! All I know is the Electrician who wired our new build a few years ago did such shoddy work that very nearly started a fire within the walls. Trust no-one!
maybe it's all just a Government conspiracy to generate jobs in the AUS Electrical trade. Who knows?!
It was an agreement between state governments and the ETO many decades ago that saw Government introduce legitimisation to make DIY illegal. This was as far as I can recall, to forestall strikes at various Government projects. I think it started with he Griener Government in NSW but my memory is a little vague on this. We are pretty much unique in the world in not allowing DIY.
AMA.
Does the light come on when the power is first applied?
Haven't plugged in yet but I believe it does based on the manual and comments on similar models. That way you use the wall switch as the light switch.
Does anyone know if this can be used with the extension rods available from Bunnings? Looking for a couple of fans to be mounted on a sloping ceiling
Tried, got put through to tech support and he new nothing. Is the manual available online?
Not sure. Just flicked through manual and couldn't find anything about extending.
Can you hook this up directly to some solar panels or a 12v car battery? What DC voltage does it use?
Interesting question but I fear the answer is 'no'. I'd say the motor itself is DC but the rest of the fan (Remote receiver, speed controller etc.) will still require AC. They've just used a DC motor and thrown $2 worth of rectifier in. A rectifier is a very basic device that uses diodes to convert AC to DC. They're very common and very inexpensive. I highly doubt these fans would really be that much more energy efficient than a traditional AC fan however they should definitely be quieter and that alone is a major benefit and a big reason to go for a DC version. There's nothing worse than trying to sleep to the whirl & signal chirps of a regular AC fan. Not all fans are affected and not all power feeds have the chirping problems but be unlucky enough to combine the two and you'll know what I'm talking about!
I just Googled and the top four results say DC up to 70% less energy then AC… Choice magazine is pretty keen on them too. Do you have a source to say they aren't much different?
No but decades of stuffing around with electronics has given me some practical insight. Even just the conversion from AC to DC will consume some energy which was already mentioned above. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for even the smallest energy saving but I think the key marketing term here is 'up to' :) Anyway, I'm off to see if my local ALDI has a couple as I was planning on buying some ceiling fans anyway. May as well get these as they tick the boxes and should be super quiet to boot.
EDIT: Yay, got the last two from out the back :) Cheers OP!
It converts the power to DC internally. You still need to connect this up to 240V AC.
Hey whoever is interested these should go nicely with 433mhz home automation systems, I just tested the remote and every button puts out simple 2262(?) signal.
Thanks OP, grabbed the last 4 from my local Aldi :)
Does anyone know how much it would cost to get it installed.
Thanks
The only people who can answer that are the electricians who come to your house to check what is involved, and then give you a quote.
The price per hour, call out fee, etc will be different for different electrical companies, and will also vary for different regions. It will also depend how busy they are… you will often get a discount if you tell them you are flexible and they can "fit the job in when they are quiet.
In Sydney, I'd reckon $200 or more for the first one, maybe $60 for each after that. But that is a absolutely wild guess.
I bought two yesterday. My local electrician quoted $90 for each. I live in Brisbane (South side).
My Aldi had these reduced to $115 yesterday. I almost bought a couple but I came home and read a couple of reviews.
Promptly changed my mind and will go to Bunnings.
I would be careful about those reviews, take it from an Ozbargainer who has installed and has been using four of them - they are great and that is an awesome price.
As per leTintin above, take it from another OzBargainer… these fans are excellent! My 2nd one is now up ready for the reported week-long heat wave. They work really well, produce no mechanical or electrical noise as per AC fans and the LED light is stupidly bright… some say 'too bright' but that's subjective. They were a bargain at $169 so $115 is a steal!
Any one know which stores around Sydney have any left?
I find it strange that there are some still left a month later, at my store and two others mentioned above they sold out straight away.
The thing is, we read bad reviews in Aldis electrical but bought a microwave anyway.
It went back quick smart because it took 5 times longer to cook anything than our old LG.
13 minutes to cook 200 grams of frozen peas rather than 3.
So I'm not sure about installing fans.
Purchased 4 of these 2 years ago. Appear to be exactly the same, stil going strong and the remote is very handy.
Electrician found it very easy to install as i only wanted to control it via remote he installed it into previous light switch