DOE Publishes Final Rule for Ceiling Fan Test Procedures
August 30, 2022
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published a Federal Register notice amending the test procedures for ceiling fans. Highlighted changes include:
- a definition for “circulating air” for the purpose of the ceiling fan definition;
- ceiling fans greater than 24 feet within the scope of the test procedure;
- certain belt-driven ceiling fans within the scope of the test procedure;
- specify that certain very small-diameter ceiling fans are not required to be tested;
- maintain applicability of the standby power test procedure to large-diameter ceiling fans;
- specify instructions for testing ceiling fans with certain accessories or features;
- clarify test voltage for large-diameter ceiling fans;
- amend the low-speed definition and increase low-speed tolerance for stability criteria;
- permit an alternate set-up to collect air velocity test data and provide greater specificity regarding sensor orientation;
- amend the blade thickness measurement requirement; update instrument measurement resolution, represented values, rounding instructions, and enforcement provisions;
- and codify current guidance on calculating several values reported on the EnergyGuide label.
DOE is also updating references to an industry test standard to reference the latest version.
Effective Dates
The effective date of this rule is September 15, 2022. The final rule changes will be mandatory for product testing starting February 13, 2023.
The docket, which includes Federal Register notices, webinar attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting documents/materials, is available for review here. All documents in the docket are listed here. However, some documents listed in the index, such as those containing information that is exempt from public disclosure, may not be publicly available.
A link to the docket web page can be found here. The docket web page contains instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket.
