Beware the lure of cheap fans this summer

Beware the lure of cheap fans this summer

Posted on Thursday, December 20 2012 at 9:55 AM

As temperatures soar across the nation, beware bargain-priced ceiling fans because chances are the savings made could end up costing more in the installation and life of the product, according to Master Electricians Australia.

It’s that time of year when tenants plead for ceiling
fans and investors take advantage of post-Christmas sales to grab a ceiling fan
for one or more rental properties.

But beware of just selecting the lowest-priced fan, warns
Master Electricians Australia chief executive officer Malcolm Richards.

“We’ve seen a number of issues with certain products
coming to the market that have not been following the safety standard process,”
Richards says.

“Unfortunately even many of the reputable dealers
such as Woolworths, Big W and Masters are recalling electrical products as a
result. The website www.recalls.gov.au is where consumers can go to and see if the fan
they’re looking at has been recalled.”

The other issue is buying a cheaper fan, then having
to pay more when the electrician installs it, he adds.

“This is because some fans come pre-wired and others
don’t,” he says.

“Quite often it’s the cheaper ones that don’t come
pre-wired.”

He explains that what this means is the electrical
contractor needs more time to wire up the fan, which means more time charged to
the property owner.

“Often it might be only an extra 10 minutes of time,
but the extra cost charged could eliminate the saving made in the first place.
It might also mean that if this was known at time of purchase then perhaps a
better quality fan may have been selected,” Richards notes.

“That’s the other issue: how long will the fan last?”
he adds.

“A fan should last 25 years but unfortunately some
are only lasting six months.”

For this reason, Richards adds that consumers should
also be checking the warranty period.

The safest way to be guaranteed of buying a
long-lasting fan is to purchase it from an electrical contractor, Richards
says. “That way if the fan breaks down in the warranty period the manufacturer
is required to pay for an electrician to reinstall a new one.”

“Sorting out the quality from the rubbish is often
the job of the electrical contractor… other retailers will try to exhaust the
product,” he adds.  “And while the electrician
is there, get the safety switch upgraded.” 

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