About Emerson

The Emerson story began over 100 years ago in a small rented office one hot St. Louis summer, as a manufacturer of railroad switching equipment.

But it took only a few short years for the young company to startle the electrical world by creating the very first brush-type fan motor, an innovation that was to find a welcome home in the world's first desk fan. Of course this breakthrough fan was an instant success with the public.

Never on to sit on success, and in a spirit of innovation that still exists today, Emerson continued to develop new ideas and new products.

By 1895, it had introduced a two-bladed ceiling fan that could run on alternating current. Four years later the company adapted a scalloped trailing-edge fan blade that would dramatically improve air flow, yet reduce noise. At the turn of the century, the ten year-old company could claim more innovations than any of its competitors in the industry. And competition is still playing catch-up today.

Innovation has been Emerson's lifeblood and quality its backbone for over 100 years. Today we Emerson still holds patents on the two primary methods of controlling fan speeds. This means that other fan manufacturers that use these common controls must pay Emerson a royalty for using these systems.

Emerson motors have set the industry standard through the years, while their fan styling continues on the leading edge of design.

Today Emerson Electric is the world's largest manufacturer of fractional horsepower motors and, unlike the majority of ceiling fan makers who buy their motors, Emerson controls the entire manufacturing process, so customers obtain long warranties and maintenance-free operation. 

It's also nice to know that Emerson's K55 motor costs less to operate than a 100 watt light bulb and will run constantly without overheating.

Emerson blades are custom made by hand from up to six layers of wood. Every blade is precisely matched in size and weight and micro-balanced to within one gram for virtually wobble free operation and maximum air flow. 

The finish on every Emerson fan features meticulous workmanship and the finest quality materials. Brass plated finishes are triple electroplated, then hand-polished and lacquered to resist corrosion and tarnishing. Superior, more costly, electrostatically applied powder coating for painted finishes, gives a richer look with added luster.

For maximum comfort and air flow a quality fan should be selected with the proper combination of blade RPM, diameter and pitch. For very long or large rooms, consider more than one fan to handle cooling requirements. And remember, for maximum comfort, position their fan as close to the center of the room as possible. Be sure the blade tips are at least eighteen inches from any wall.

Emerson fans are designed to fit a standard eight-foot ceiling, which positions the blades seven feet from the floor for optimum air movement and clearance. For ceilings above eight feet, the fan should be hung so that the blades are eight to nine feet from the floor. The higher the fan is hung, the less air circulation near the floor. 

Choose one of the accessory downrods available in lengths of one foot to six feet to achieve your desired height. The Emerson ceiling mounting kit and the appropriately sized downrod will accommodate cathedral ceilings and sloped ceilings up to 40 degrees. Ceilings lower than eight feet require the Emerson ceiling mounting kit or a Northwind Snugger fan to achieve the desired seven foot blade clearance. The dual purpose kit (low and sloped ceilings) allows one to mount the fan as close as eight inches from the ceiling. 

Summer and Winter Comfort
Every Emerson fan is reversible to not only cool rooms, but also circulate warm air in the 
winter. In warmer weather, fans need to direct the air down to create a cooling effect. With the breeze a fan creates one will feel about seven degrees cooler. Use the fan with air conditioners to save on electric bills (as much as eight percent for each degree you raise the thermostat). For example, if you set the thermostat at 79 degrees, the breeze from your fan can make the room feel more like a comfortable 72 degrees. If there is already an overhead fixture where you plan to hang the fan, you can use existing wiring. Just make sure the electrical box is U.L. approved. It's also important that the box be anchored securely to a ceiling joist that can support the weight of the fan. A weak supporting structure can cause the fan to wobble. Where there is no existing fixture, you can tap into any other electrical source because all Emerson fans require only a two wire installation. Just make sure an existing wall switch won't interrupt electricity to the fan.

If you need to remove a light source to install your fan or just want extra light in the room, remember that there is a wide selection of Emerson light fixtures and glass shades that can easily be fitted to your fan.

All the components of an Emerson fan are designed and developed by in-house engineering teams. Unlike many manufacturers who simply stamp their name on a generic "off-the-shelf" fan, all Emerson components are designed, engineered, and manufactured with the highest commitment to quality.

High purity zinc is used for Emerson's die cast housings, the best material for creating the intricate design details. In addition, die cast zinc's excellent polishing and plating characteristics allow for superior finishes.

The high luster finishes of both the Emerson housings and blade holders are hand polished, triple-electroplated, then lacquered and oven cured. The finishes are truly beautiful and durable. All Emerson fans pass a 72-hour salt spray test to assure corrosion resistance. Many manufacturers take short cuts which result in very thin layers of plating that tarnish quickly. Others do not use real brass; they spray on yellow lacquer which results in an inferior finish.

Emerson Hanging Systems
All Emerson ceiling fans feature a die-cast zinc hanging ball and bracket. These critical components are designed and manufactured to Emerson specifications and textured to minimize wobble.

Some manufacturers utilize a plastic ball and/or a stamped steel hanging bracket which can't guarantee the degree of stability found in Emerson. Emerson warranties are the best in the business; many models carry a true lifetime warranty. And remember, a warranty is only as good as the company who backs it. It has been a common practice for some irresponsible fan companies to put long warranties on their fans, instead of building the product itself better. Some manufacturers who promise lifetime warranties, or even 10 year warranties, are gone before the warranty expires. Dozens of fan companies have gone out of business in the last 10 years alone.

Cost Savings
A ceiling fan is, simply, one of the surest ways to cut your cooling bills in summer. In fact, recently, when Home Products magazine (issued by Better Homes and Gardens) published an article entitled "75 Steps to a More Efficient Home," the number one step was to install a ceiling fan. 

On the other hand, the Emerson is simply, the industry standard. Emerson's K55 motor set this standard by applying expert engineering and state-of-the-art manufacturing to top-quality components. The result is a motor which features precision, sealed bearings, aluminum die-cast end shields and enough copper wire to stretch the length of 7 1/2 football fields. When combined with the industry's largest lamination stack height, the K55 generates both low and high speed torque and requires no more energy than a 100-watt light bulb. On Emerson's line, we build our wood blades by hand, by. using many layers of wood, for warp-resistance. Your customers can select furniture quality rich hard wood contemporary hi-gloss or textured finishes. For each fan, we carefully match the blades weight, microbalancing them to within one gram so that our fans operate without wobble and create maximum air movement level.

Emerson's Silent Hub Flywheel

Another advantage of the Emerson fan is the "Silent Hub," a computer-designed flexible flywheel. The Silent Hub works as a shock absorber to isolate the blades and eliminate noise transmission. On fans without a silent hub, vibrations from the motor can be transmitted through the blades and cause the fan to hum. The Silent Hub is made of a rubber-like material known as EPDM, which resists deterioration and lasts longer, natural rubber. The flexible hub also protects the fan's blades from being damaged or broken from incidental contact.

In addition to its performance characteristics, the Silent Hub allows customers the option of installing 4 or 5 blades, depending on their preference. Four blade installations will move as much air as a 5-blade fan because of increased RPM, and are popular with customers attempting to match a traditional decor. The 5 blade installations provide a softer airflow and create a popular, stylish contemporary motif.