every electric (non-ceiling) fan I have ever used is operated with a dial with settings off, high, mid, and low in that order. Why does it go from off straight to high? Why not do the more intuitive “get higher the more you turn away from off”?
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I have a fan that does just want you want, only it will spin up at full speed then back off.
Ever been in a server room when a beefy server is powered on? It sounds like a jet taking off.
When you switch on the fan, it needs a kick of power to start spinning. The ‘high’ setting provides that kick. If it started on ‘low’, it might not get going.
Bad old motors would not spin and catch on fire. Especially if power went out and came on part way. So they come on the highest to make them make sure they start spinning
Technology Connections covers exactly that question:
Not only that, but how come in so many homes the actual fan speeds don’t correspond to the settings on the dial e.g. “1” might be the fastest speed while “3” is the slowest and “2” is OFF.
It takes a lot of energy to overcome being still. Once the fan is in motion it’s easier to slow it down.
Because unless the motor is off from magnetic alignment it takes a high starting current to get it moving. If your forced to move it past the high position it’s not likely to stall the motor. Because that’s a real problem.
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