Chris Lacy

How long have you worked at Fanimation? 3 years, 2 months

What is your spirit animal? Buffalo

Do you have any nicknames? Brother

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Pilot or Astronaut

What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten? Florida Lobster in Panama City, Florida

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Poi

What is your dream vacation? Go to Australia to see marsupials and mine black opals

What song is stuck in your head right now? Cheerleader by Omi

What is your most irrational fear? E.T.

What is your favorite quality about yourself? Honesty

If your house was on fire, what three things would you save? Family, pets, and guns

Nicholas Wagner

How long have you worked at Fanimation? 1.25 years

What do you like to do on your days off? Snowboard and bike ride

What is your spirit animal? Cheetah

What is your guilty pleasure? Naps in the afternoon

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Fireman

What TV show do you never miss? Under the Dome

Leonardo Gonzalez

How long have you worked at Fanimation? Almost 2 years

Favorite or proudest Fanimation moment: Traveling to Indiana for the party and being able to meet everyone

What do you like to do on your days off? Travel, hang out with friends and family

What is your spirit animal? Lion

What would be the title of your autobiography? Most Interesting Man

What is the best advice you have ever been given? “Life is too short, so enjoy it”

Do you have any nicknames? Popeye

What is the best meal you’ve ever eaten? Steak from Fleming’s

What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? Sea Urchin

What is your dream vacation? Barcelona

Do you have a lucky number? 28

What TV show do you never miss? Law & Order SVU

What is your favorite quality about yourself? Huge heart

What is your sense of humor like? A clown fish

Even as the summer comes to a close, temperatures around the country won’t be cooling off too much too soon. More importantly, as the summer comes to a close the 3rd Annual National Ceiling Fan Day (NCFD) is fast approaching.  This day was conceived and put in place in order to educate people about the energy and money saving qualities of fans.

Participating in National Ceiling Fan Day is easy enough, all you have to do is turn off the AC for a day and rely on solely fans to cool your home. This may not be realistic for everybody, as temperatures vary from region to region. However, by relying on fans as much as possible and turning off or just turning down the AC, significant savings can be made in terms of energy and money. Making a small change can have a big impact, both on the environment and your wallet.

Here are some facts about ceiling fans to get you in the mood to celebrate National Ceiling Fan Day:

1. Ceiling fans use significantly less power than air conditioners.

Even the most average ceiling fan uses much less power to cool a room than a central or room air conditioner. On average a room air conditioner uses 1000 watts to run while a ceiling fan on high uses 50 watts. That’s a big difference not only in energy, but on your electric bill later.

2. Advances in technology have made fans more energy efficient than ever.

Recent technological advances have allowed for fans to save even more energy and money. For example, DC motors, which have been implemented in many new products, use up to 70% less energy than AC motors. It is also more common recently that light kits feature LED lights, which are more energy efficient as well.

3. fanSync makes it easier to conserve energy. 

Many features of fanSync, a mobile application used to control ceiling fans, make it almost impossible to waste energy. For example, the Safe Exit feature shuts off fans a minute after you leave the room, if enabled, so fans won’t run unnecessarily. And if you’re the forgetful type, fanSync allows you to set a timer, making your fan turn off at a predetermined time so you’ll never leave it running while you’re at work again.

4. The ENERGY STAR label is a great indication.

If you’re in the market for a new, energy efficient fan, look no further than to those that have received the coveted ENERGY STAR recognition by providing the newest energy saving technologies. To read more about how fans receive that label, click here.

Will you be participating in National Ceiling Fan Day this year? Let us know what you will be doing to save energy and money this September 18!

fanSync is the premiere technology of its kind. fanSync is a mobile application that communicates with proprietary fanSync hardware to give the user control over various features of his or her ceiling fan using an Apple or Android device. Thanks to Bluetooth technology, different components of the fan can be controlled by a mobile device, including the speed and direction of the fan and the uplight and downlight if applicable. Users may set their fans on a timer or enable the home away feature which sets lights to turn on at a certain interval to simulate someone being at home.

fanSync is easily navigated by any user and anyone with a smart device and a compatible fan can use it. Home office, living room, bedroom, dining room, it doesn’t matter. Each of your fans can be controlled on one or more devices, making it easy for everyone in the family to reach their maximum comfort level at home. fanSync allows multiple fans to be saved on multiple devices and allows the user to program favorite settings for each fan.

fanSync is hardware currently compatible with the majority of AC fans. Moving forward, Fanimation aims to integrate fanSync technology into new products, with both AC and DC motors. fanSync is not brand specific, meaning it can be used to control fans that are not Fanimation made. With the new release of fanSync and its expanded compatibility, it is easier than ever to bring smart technology into the home.

This type of technology and innovation is nothing new to Fanimation. Since its founding in 1984, Fanimation has been known for staying on the cutting edge of technology and design. By combining beautiful artistry and innovative technology, Fanimation continues to create art that is also functional. It is no surprise that Fanimation is yet again acting as a pioneer, this time at the forefront of integrating smart technology into everyday life.

fanSync is available on the App Store and Google Play. To learn more about this application and what it can do for you, visit www.fanimation.com/fansync/.

In order for a ceiling fan to earn the ENERGY STAR label, it must meet the minimum airflow and efficiency requirements as set out by the EPA. This means that on different speeds, the fan must generate a certain amount of airflow, expressed in cubic feet per minute. It also has to achieve certain efficiencies, meaning that it must generate a certain amount of airflow per watt expended by the fan.

Another requirement for qualification is related to the way the fan is controlled. The fan must allow convenient control by the user by means of a wall switch, remote control, or pull chain. The user must be able to easily control the speed of the fan, the direction of the fan and airflow, as well as any lights the fan may accommodate.

Speaking of lights, if the fan comes with a light kit, the lights must abide by the ENERGY STAR specification for luminaires in order for the whole piece to receive the ENERGY STAR label.

Lastly, the product must come with certain warranties. The motor must come with at least a 30 year warranty and all other components must come with a warranty of one year or more. Light kit warranties are discussed in the ENERGY STAR Luminaires specification.

It is estimated by the EPA that up to 50 percent of the energy used in homes goes to heating and cooling systems. Because of that, it’s important to cut down on energy use for those systems every chance we get. If you won’t do it for the environment, at least do it for your wallet. After all “over their lifetime, products in your home that have earned the ENERGY STAR label can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 13,000 pounds and save you $11,000 on energy bills,” (EPA.gov).

To learn more about the ENERGY STAR label and its product requirements, go to www.energystar.gov. Looking for an ENERGY STAR labeled fan? Look no further https://fanimation.com/products/energy_star. New ENERGY STAR certified fans will be available in 2015 including the Ascension, the Xeno, the Levon DC, the Spitfire, and the Odyn.

Ceiling fans and standing fans are a great resource when it comes to staying cool in this weather, but how exactly can you use them in order to take advantage of all they have to offer?

First, make sure your ceiling fans are turning in the right direction. It may not seem like a big deal, but unless that fan is turning counter clockwise, it’s going to have the opposite effect and your house will actually feel warmer. Trust me, you won’t need any extra help heating your house this summer.

By using ceiling fans throughout the home, you can set your air conditioning to stay a few degrees warmer without actually feeling a change in temperature. This should leave you a little extra money in your pocket or maybe you can put it towards that family vacation you’ve always wanted to take.

Depending on just how extravagant that vacation you’re planning is, you may need to save even more money on your energy bill. Well it’s as simple as this. Turn off your fan when you leave the room. There’s no point in creating a breeze when there’s no one there to feel it. Would you play music in an empty room? No, you’d turn it off. Do the same with your fans.

Lastly, it’s important to keep heat out in the first place. That means, if your air conditioning is on, close your doors and windows. If your air conditioning isn’t on, feel free to keep those windows open, the breeze from outside will have a similar effect as the ceiling fan and will make your house feel cooler than it is. If it’s a sunny summer day, like many are, keep any curtains or blinds you have shut to keep the sun out. The more sunlight you let in, the faster your house will heat up and the harder your fans and air conditioning will have to work to keep you and the kids cool.

Remember, summer should be fun and relaxing. Don’t spend your summer stressing about your energy bill or standing by an open freezer just to keep cool. Let us know how you and your family plan to stay cool this summer, or try these out and tell us how they work for you.

You may think turning on your fan in the winter is ridiculous. And you might be right. Turning your fan on the same as you would in the summer would be ridiculous. However, many fans have reverse functions, meaning they can turn both clockwise and counterclockwise. When you’re looking for a cooling effect, your fan should be set to turn in the counterclockwise direction. In the winter, setting your fan to turn clockwise will allow for more air circulation and will keep heat from rising completely, making your rooms feel warmer and allowing you to turn down that thermostat.

2. Ceiling fans are used to cool rooms
This is a very common myth when it comes to ceiling fans. Unlike air conditioners, fans are not used to cool rooms, but rather to cool people. Ceiling fans produce an effect similar to that of wind chill. For those who are unfamiliar with the concept, wind chill is the perceived decrease in air temperature due to wind or air flow. We all know that if it’s 65 degrees and breezy outside, it’s going to feel a little cooler. Similarly, feeling a breeze makes a room seem cooler, when actually the temperature sees no change.

3. Ceiling fans can cut off an appendage
Tall people everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief after reading this one. The blades of a ceiling fan, in fact, will not sever any of your precious appendages. Whether it’s your son’s arm because he just won’t quit jumping on the bed or your own arm when you stretch just a little too high after getting off the recliner, don’t worry. But don’t take my word for it, watch this video from the MythBusters themselves.

4. Ceiling fans are a modern invention
It’s true, some of the fans made today have a very modern design and some look like they’re straight out of the future, the Zonix and the Embrace are perfect examples of that. However, the ceiling fan itself is not a modern invention by any means. The electric ceiling fan came into existence in the late 1800s in the United States and quickly gained popularity worldwide. Since then, we haven’t been able to get rid of them, and it seems they’re here to stay.

5. Ceiling fans have to be ugly
Maybe I’m biased, but it’s clear that nowadays ceiling fans are more than just functional, they’re also stylish. Don’t you just cringe when you go to your mother-in-law’s and you see that old ceiling fan with the brass accents? Very ‘90s. Well good news, your fan doesn’t have to be ugly anymore. Fanimation has a fan for every aesthetic. Maybe you want a tropical vibe in your house, or maybe you just want something simple. Whatever you choose, it’s sure to look great for years to come.

I started surfing when I was 5 and I’ve been riding waves ever since. My old man, the Islander, won his first surf competition when he was 9 years old. It’s been hard to get out from his shadow, but I finally made the pro tour about two years ago. The tour is sick because I get paid to travel the world chasing breaks. The best waves are in Australia and South Africa, but I’m always down for a trip to Indo. I’m super amped for the U.S. Open next summer and I’m hoping to get my highest score yet.

The ladies love the surfer thing, but if I’m really trying to impress a girl I show her my:

• DC Motor which consumes up to 70% less electricity than an AC motor
• 6 forward and reverse speeds operated by a TR39 hand held remote control
• Sweet antique brass, brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze finishes
• Blade options, sold separately, that give me a 60″ to 80” blade sweep
• Air flow of 10082 cubic feet per minute when operated on high speed

10.) Your light kit is the only thing that’s spinning.

9.) Your fan hasn’t been dusted in twenty years and the blades can barely hold up all the dirt.

http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/?p=9306

8.) Not all brass is making a comeback. If it was around during the Truman Administration, it’s time for an update.

http://www.smarteralec.net/2013/11/when-sht-hits-fan.html 7.)

7.) It’s your cat’s favorite toy.

http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Cat-jumps-onto-ceiling-fan.gif

6.) It’s your dog’s favorite toy.

http://popgoestheweek.com/2012/05/funny-video-dog-jumps-to-ceiling-to-retrieve-toy/

5.) If the blades droop any further, they’ll be touching the floor.

http://www.momendeavors.com/2013/04/patio-lighting-ceiling-fan-makeover-lowescreator.html

4.) It’s starting to look like the stuff nightmares are made of and you’re afraid to go to sleep at night.

http://www.duallservices.com/Recurring-Services/Mold-Removal

3.) You painted your walls neon orange and green so that no one would notice your ceiling fan.

http://uglyhousephotos.com/wordpress/?cat=87&paged=2

2.) Your fan stopped working five years ago and now it functions as your clothes hanger.

http://whitetrashrepairs.com/white-trash/tag/ceiling-fan/

1.) And, the Number 1 reason you need a new ceiling fan? Because it’s a crime scene. 

http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2012/12/the-elf-on-the-shelf-day-16/elf-on-the-ceiling-fan-17/

1.)    My name was originally The Lloyd, but my parents decided that Beckwith sounded a little more sophisticated. I would prefer to be called The Dude, but that’s a different story…

2.)    I am a master of deception with many hidden talents including the ability to create a cooling breeze while masquerading as a super fashionable drum light shade.

3.)    I prefer to hang out in kitchens and dining rooms and the most entertaining game I’ve ever witnessed is Cards Against Humanity.

4.)    My best party trick is the ability to change lengths in the blink of an eye. I include a 4.5” downrod, but can be installed with a 6”, 12”, 18”, 24”, 36”, 48”, 60” or 72” downrod, impressive, I know.

5.)    I’ve been on a diet for three years, but the scale won’t budge from 27.15 pounds. I’m beginning to think I’m made out of metal or something.

6.)    I’ve been told I’m not the brightest bulb in the box, but I take offense to that on the grounds that I have four 43-watt E12 halogen base bulbs. According to my calculations, this exceeds genius IQ by about 12 points.

7.)    There are only 2 colors in my closet, brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze.  What? They look good on me!

8.)    My last relationship was with a smart device, but I had to break it off because she was super controlling.  Although I will admit that I like a lady that can take a charge.[i]

9.)    Some people say they only have one speed, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I have three; high, medium and low.

10.) I’m afraid of thunder and absolutely hate the rain. I’ve been told it’s because I’m only suitable for dry locations, whatever that means?

I learned everything I know about cooking from my dad, he’s the real master chef in our family. I just happened to have the cooking shows and restaurants.  Will I share one of my cooking secrets with the readers? I suppose that’s why I’m being interviewed, right?  Always have great music playing in the background, clean as you go and remember that pasta should always be served al dente!

• I’m available in Oil-rubbed bronze with walnut blades and brushed nickel with nickel blades

• I have a 54″ blade sweep with a 14 degree blade pitch

• I operate on 3 forward and 3 reverse speed with a reversing switch located on switch cup housing

• I include one 14-watt LED and a TR24WH non-reversing remote

• I’m dry and damp location rated