A Battle of the Electronic Wind

Picture yourself finally getting the set of keys to your very first home. It is a new home so no doubt there wouldn't be any furnitures for you to move in to. No fans, refrigerator, lights, bed, air-conditioning or even a chair. Then is when you know that you have a budget, just one sum of money to turn your "box" into your home. Boy, is that going to be difficult. 

This is when you have to draw a line between the essential from the unnecessary. For example, it goes without saying that a bed is essential, no home is complete till there is at least a mattress for its weary homeowner to rest on. Fan is another such essentiality, or shall we say... Artificial wind? Since the introduction of air-conditioning into Singapore, almost no Singaporeans can live without it in this tropical country. However, an air-con is an expensive purchase and an even more expensive appliance to maintain. Not to mention the electric bill in your mailbox at the end of every month. 

So, a lot of homeowners opt for electric fans to take its place. Electric fans are less energy and cost consuming and cost a portion lesser than aircons. And it seems to have become a local norm to alternate between the using of air-conditioning and electric fans. 

Typical Singaporean thinking:

Friends coming over for dinner tonight? On air-con! Cannot let them think I cheapskate! 

Home alone tonight? Aiya, hot a bit never mind one la. I am born and bred a citizen of this Sunny island, I am accustom to this heat! *Perspiration drips* 

However, we, being consumers, like to know what we are getting ourselves into before actually getting into it. So, we would spend hours researching for worthy deals. To ensure that what we buy is truly worth its price. 

Air-con is undoubtedly a wise choice to escape from this heatwave, but your budget might not allow it. Which leaves you with electric fans then. Sure, but which kind? A standing fan is light-weight and portable, but a wall fan or ceiling fan do not take up as much floor space. A wall fan costs lesser than a ceiling fan but its wind coverage area is more restricted than the latter. Argh headache ah! You must be feeling like Sheldon Cooper right now, (The Big Bang Theory, US Sitcom) as he decides between getting a XBOX One or a PS4.  

So here's a chart for you to weigh the pros and cons. 

Click image to enlarge

Would you also like to know how much your monthly electric bills would vary with the different types of electric fans and aircons? Just calculate with this formula! 

So now, you know! 

Conclusion

There are so many contributing factors, but ultimately the decision lies with the individual preferences. Some individuals would rather chip a little more out of their reno budget because they cannot stand their nightly sleeps without air-conditioning. While some homeowners find that ceiling fans are more of a necessity than aircon and standing or wall fans for its Fan + Light function and not being a space hogging electrical appliance like the standing fans is a huge plus for many housewives during vacuuming days. 

Overall, this blog entry aims to provide constructive suggestions to aid with an easier making of decision for you. So... we hope this helps! :)

PS. A reliable post requires reliable sources. Here's ours! Please click here and here.

"We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us." - Ken Levine

Troubleshooting your ceiling fan

Note: Advices in this post are merely given as possibilities and are not the definite solution to your problem. However, we hope that they could help to answer some of your questions. :)

Pinpointing what exactly is wrong with your ceiling fan is tricky. After all, the fan mechanism is protected by an exterior metal casing which isn't as easy to reach as Superman with his X-ray vision. Plus dismantling the casing and run into the risk of turning a minor fan issue into a big problem seems like a bad idea too. 

Well, let's see if we can help. 

Question 1: My ceiling fan has three speeds (high, medium, low) function which were working fine until yesterday when the High speed started to rotate at the same speed as the Medium. What could be the problem?

Ans: First of all, check to see if your ceiling fan is powered by a remote control or wall regulator. If you do not use a remote control, the issue is most likely caused by a faulty capacitor. You may buy and do the replacement yourself. Just make sure that you have gotten the spare part compatible with your ceiling fan.

If you use a remote control and this issue occurs, it is best to call your service center to arrange for a house visit to determine the actual cause.

A capacitor would look like...

          this!

Question 2: My ceiling fan is shaking. Is that dangerous? 

Ans: It depends on how bad is the shaking. If it is just a slight, hardly noticeable wobbling, that shouldn't pose any problem. It most probably could be due to the fan blades' weight difference or if your ceiling fan is attached to the ceiling with a long rod.

If you noticed that your ceiling fan is shaking really badly, it is best that you stop using it completely till the problem is fixed. A wobbling ceiling fan has the danger of loosening the parts within it.


Question 3: Why does my ceiling fan wobble?

Ans: The wobbling is usually due to unbalanced fan blades (weight of the individual blades) of the ceiling fan. Set your fan speed to Low and try to observe which fan blade is moving differently from the rest. Take note of any damaged or dented fan blade.

If all fan blades are in perfect condition, try checking your fan bracket to make sure that the ceiling fan is firmly installed onto your ceiling. Keep an eye out for any loosen screws or bots that might be present.

If your ceiling fan has only started to wobble after a few years, try checking for crack lines on your ceiling. It could also be your home ceiling wearing out over time.

Question 4: My ceiling fan is noisy! What could be the cause(s)?

Ans: Diagnosing a noisy fan is a bit more tricky because there are a lot of factors that could contribute to the noise of your ceiling fan.

First answer these few questions:

a. Where is the sound coming from? 
Is it coming from the bracket, the motor, the ceiling or somewhere else?

b. When (usually) will the sound be audible? 
Will you only hear it at a certain time of the day? Or only when the ceiling fan is switched on or set to a certain speed?

c. How loud is the noise/sound? 

d. Observe and try to describe it. 
Does it sounds like a small piece of metal knocking against another hard surface? Or goes by a steady but persistent humming? Or something else?

e. How long have you had this ceiling fan? And also, how often do you use it?


Some possible causes are:
1. Unbalanced ceiling fan
2. Unbalanced fan blades
3. Running low or out of lubricant
4. Loose screws, nuts or bolts


Question 5: I just had my ceiling fan installed yesterday. It was working fine but when I tried to switch it on today, it doesn't work! What happened? Why is your brand of ceiling fan's quality so bad!

Ans: When situations like these arise, keep calm and trace back your footsteps. Try to recall what have been done to your house from the time your ceiling fan worked till it didn't.

Try answering these few questions:

a. Was your house still under construction or recently just completed renovation when the ceiling fan was installed?
If your house was, it could be possible that wiring is the issue. Sometimes, when electricians were trying to connect wiring (for lights or other electrical appliances) around the house, they might have accidentally disconnect or fuse the wire connection leading to the ceiling fan.

Contact back the same electrician to have him check on your house's wiring.


b. Have your house experienced a power trip or power failure during this time?  
If so, the wiring connected to the ceiling fan might have been tripped or fused. If you are not experienced in the field of electrical wiring, please contact your electrician to have him resolve the issue.

On rare cases that the power trip has fused certain wires or parts within the ceiling fan itself, new spare parts would be required for replacement.


3. Is your ceiling fan powered by a remote control? 
If that is a yes, try changing the batteries. It is not uncommon that the first set of batteries in the remote control depleted within a few days of the initial use.

Question 6: I bought my ceiling fan with Light Kit, but the lights (from the light kit) wouldn't on together with my ceiling fan. It would either be my ceiling fan that is working or my lights that work but I cannot get them to be switched on at the same time!  

Ans: It most probably should be due to the remote control or IC part within the ceiling fan.

Try answering these few questions in sequence:

a. Is your ceiling fan powered by a remote control? 
If yes, please move on to Question b. If no, please move on to Question C.

b. When did you installed your ceiling fan? Was it recently (yesterday or two days ago) or two year ago? 
If it was installed recently, there is a very likely chance that the problem lies in the frequency of the remote control to its receiver. Sometimes contractors will preset the settings of the remote control and thus rendering it undetectable by the receiver installed within the fan.

Just like the new TV set you've just bought. There will always be some presets required, be it for the cable channel or for the remote control. Ceiling fan and its remote control function similarly to TV sets.

Click here for the step-by-step instructions to changing of remote control frequency in a ceiling fan. Please note that this video is merely a guide and may differ between different brands of ceiling fans and remote controls. We do not hold responsibility for any possible implications that may occur during your attempted repairs without the help of our maintenance professionals.

c. Is your ceiling fan controlled by a wall regulator?
If so, the problem would most likely be due to the IC. IC is a small mechanism within ceiling fans that operates upon your command and switches between the Fan function, Light function or both functions.

In such cases, please take note of your ceiling fan's brand and contact the respective service center to have them arrange a quick maintenance.

_ _ _ _ _ _

Many apologies for the delayed posting, fellow homeowners/readers! These are a few of the more commonly encountered issues by ceiling fan owners, so we have just compiled a set of answers to make understanding of your own ceiling fans easier.

Like we've mentioned above, hope they're useful! :)

"He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Showing off our new baby

It has been a while since our last post since things have gotten really hectic down in S&B's headquarters with all of our relocating office and showrooms and stuffs. It was a tiring month and our showroom aka our new baby is finally open for business! Well, perhaps calling it our baby is a little bit of an exaggeration but we worked hard to make it beautiful and now, we are showing it off to the world!

Come come take a quick lookie!

Granted it looks a tinyyy bit messy but Sense N Bedeck aims to turn this showroom into a one-stop hub for all of your home shopping needs so there you go! With our lightings, ceiling fans, bathroom and kitchen accessories all in one room, our shoppers no longer have to drive, walk, search or shop very far for anything. 

Beware. It will be overwhelming on the eyes of the first time shoppers here, there is simply just too many products around! But take your time in shopping (we've prepared loads of comfy couches for you. Lol) and you might just find a hidden gem or love-at-first-sight display that you absolutely must have in your home <3

Ta-daaah. Have you fallen in love with our new showroom yet?

Our new address is City Warehouse, 5 Kaki Bukit Rd 2 #01-19 & #02-19, Singapore 417839 (the pinkish red building directly opposite of Eunos Link Comfort Driving Center). Yep, we have literally just moved next door from our previous location so feel free to park your car for free in Eunos Warehouse Complex, 3 Kaki Bukit Rd 2, and just take the short 2min walk over to our new showroom! 

We do have a (somewhat hidden) staircase at our Level 1 which you can use to get to our showroom located on the 2nd level, Unit No #02-19. Alternatively, you can ride the warehouse's cargo lift up. 

Either way, we look forward to seeing you here real soon! Share our excitement and pride in our new baby with us! Haha. 

PS. Our office number stays the same. Give us at call at 6741 1889 for any inquiry that you may be having. 

Stay tune to our upcoming post that helps you to know what is going/went wrong with your ceiling fan.

"The fruit of your own handwork is the sweetest."  - Deepika Padukon

Sales Sales Sales!

Yep, you've read it. Sense N Bedeck is having our Moving Out Sale! That means up to 70% off all of our display items. WOOHOO! 

In addition, we are also having our Clearance Sale starting from today! With in-stock products going at as low as $1, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Don't believe us? Check out some of photos and see it for yourself! 

Pardon the messiness. We are moving out!

From now till 15 May 2014, bring along your family and drop by our warehouse for a shop-till-your-home-looks-gorgeous-again experience. Extreme makeover SG home edition is now on! Haha. 

PS. In light of our Moving Out Sale, many of our customers seem to be sharing the worry that Sense N Bedeck will be gone forever and so there will be no servicing for any of the products that they have just purchased.

Well, that's not true! We ain't going anywhere, just relocating our warehouse. Our contact details (email address, office telephone and fax numbers) will stay the same, as well as our retail outlet located at IMM Shopping Mall #03-16. 

Our new address will be 5 Kaki Bukit Rd 2, #01-19 & #02/19. We are located inside City Warehouse (Yep, it is the red building directly opposite of Eunos Link Comfort Driving Center).

We are just moving next door, literally. Lol.

So frat not! Your warranty cards are still safe with us. Hope to see you real soon! 

PPS. Do stay tune for the official opening date of our brand new place! Exciting, we know!

"Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping." - Bo Derek

Steps to cleaning your ceiling fan blades

Chinese New Year is around the corner and you realised you have neglected your ceiling fan long enough. Dust bunnies and spiderwebs are starting to gather on, in and around your ceiling fan blades and you would really hate your relatives to judge your level of laziness basing on that. So you strap on your cleaning gear, dig out that ladder from the storeroom (which also needs some dusting) and pause... because you don't know the first thing about cleaning ceiling fans.

Well, read on. Because we are here to your rescue!

You will need:
1. 1 x dry cloth
2. 1 x pillowcase
3. 1 x spray bottle
4. Ladder or chair
5. Assistance on standby

Step 1: Switch off your ceiling fan and make sure it has reached a complete stop
Do not attempt to clean your fan blades while they are still in motion, even if they are set to low speed. Moving fan blades can cause serious injury, don't play play.

For better security, please:
1. Switch off the main circuit
2. Keep remote controls out of reach of small children
3. Tape off regulator and wall switch
4. Inform all family members of the fan cleaning


Step 2: Determine the material of your fan blades
Cleaning methods for fan blades vary with the material of the fan blades so pause your mop bucket for a second and find out what type of fan blades is your ceiling fan made of? Is it made of metal, wood or plastic?


Step 3: Cover up your furnitures
Yes, it is gonna get pretty dusty. Make sure all of your furnitures are covered up with cloths or plastic bags before commencing the blade cleaning.


Step 4: Step up!
On a ladder or a chair because your ceiling fan is mounted on well, the ceiling so it should be out of your reach. Do not attempt to clean your fan blades on tiptoes, you wouldn't want to accidentally tug them downwards, that could spoilt the inner mechanism of your fan!


Step 5: Pillowcase goes first
Now that you are firmly planted atop a ladder or a chair (how's the air up there? lol), open up your pillowcase and slip one of the fan blade into it...

Then use one hand to gently support the bottom side of the blade (do not push it upwards) and use your other hand to hold the top side of the blade (do not push it downwards) and slowly pull your pillowcase out.. and ta-daaaah! You now have one dust-free fan blade! 

Repeat this for the rest of your fan blades and you are good for CNY.


Step 6 (Optional): Spray bottle for the stubborn ones
If you have accumulated a family of dust bunnies on your fan blades and they simply refuse to move (even after deploying Step 5), bring on the spray gun! We meant bottle, the spray bottle. Which is that thingy our mothers used to mildly wet our uniforms during ironing session.

If your fan blades are made of plastic (aka ABS material), mix two teaspoons of white vinegar with water into your spray bottle and spray it evenly across your fan blade. A few pumps would do, tryyyy not to spray them till they are dripping wet, your fan blades cannot take that kind of wetness (not dirty-talking here).

If your fan blades are made of metal or wood, a spray bottle of tap water works fine. Spray evenly onto the fan blade and once again, mildly wet would suffice.


Step 7 (Optional): Finish them off (with your dry cloth)
Since the pillowcase holds the dust bunnies from the previous clean, you might want to make use of another piece of dry cloth to wipe the water off the fan blades. Use one hand to support the bottom side of the fan blade to ensure that you will not push it down and damage the fan while wiping.


Step 8: Treat yourself to an ice-cream
You have done it! Your ceiling fan is now squeaky clean and hazard free for yourself and your loved ones. Your big aunt ain't judging you this year!


As for those home owners troubled by your high ceiling, don't frat just yet! Just get yourself a Ceiling Fan Duster (Yes, click on that hyperlink!). It should look something like...

this! This is from Amazon.com. 

If you don't mind the tormenting wait of international shipping, you could buy yours there too! Haha. 

TIP 1: Be gentle 

Fan blades may not look like it, but they are actually really delicate. Try your best to be gentle with them during handling and cleaning to prevent the risk of damaging the blades, the fan's motor or even your ceiling. 

TIP 2: Be diligent

Maintaining a home is tough work, it takes a lot of effort and determination (affirmed by all mothers worldwide) to make your house presentable to guests. After all, you wouldn't know when someone would just pop by for an impromptu visit right? 

So yes, be diligent and clean your ceiling fans at least once a month! (Yea, you heard us)

Haha. This is one long-winded post. Let's end it here then. SEE YA REAL SOOOON! 

"Housework, if you do it right, will kill you." - Erma Bombeck

How to care for your ceiling fans (Part 2)

For those who have missed out on How to Care for your Ceiling Fans (Part 1), please click here. 

Alrighty, picking up from where we last left off, here are a few more tips on keeping your ceiling fans at its best. 

TIP 4: Keep all documents related to your fans

Actually, this applies to all home furnitures. Be it credit card receipts, invoice slips or instruction manuals, (be kiasu a bit and) KEEP THEM ALL. Different companies file and keep track of their business transactions differently, so a warranty card would rarely suffice in tracing purchase details. Retaining all of your documents would help to speed up the servicing process for both you and the service center. 

TIP 5: Read your instruction manual

You might be thinking "Pfft, what do I need my instruction manual for? My contractor installed my fan for me anyway." Well, that is when you are wrong. 

Ceiling fans may all look the same (with their UFO-shaped motor rotating four or five long thin fan blades). But as the different designs for the fans vary, the caring tip for them differ as well. And all of these caring tips will be included in your fan's instruction manual. 

Let's use Rega brand's ceiling fans (Yes, we are promoting our in-house brand a little. Teehee) as a quick example. Rega's 788 series fans are manufactured differently. 788 48" uses laminated wooden fan blades while 28" and 38" ceiling fans are made of ABS (Or more commonly known as acrylic/plastic). This would mean the methods for cleaning the fans are different.  After all, you would not use the same soap to shampoo your hair and wash your face, right? 

And so, that's all for some suggestions to care well for your ceiling fans. If you would like to know the best ways to clean them, click here.

See you real soon!

"Housework is what a woman does that nobody notices unless she hasn't done it." - Evan Esar

How to care for your ceiling fans (Part 1)

S&B Mercury 48" in Black

It is safe to say that Singaporeans do not know how to take care of their ceiling fans. They bought fans with knowledge they have researched online or from word-of-mouth, which usually concluded in them getting popular brands such as KDK, Fanco and Alpha. If all products now are made in China, why do the quality differs between brands? 

Actually, there isn't much difference between brands product quality BUT, we as the consumers (or rather, the owners of our fans) can make a huge difference... Simply by knowing how to take care of our fans. 

TIP 1: Clean your ceiling fans from time to time

No, you can't just do it once every year during spring cleaning session. Choking on dust bunnies aren't really suitable for a joyous festival such as Chinese New Year, ya? 

Without routine cleaning of the fans, dust settles and collects onto the top side of the fan blades and this would wear the fan down over a period of time. The weight of the dust also increases the usage of electricity as fan motor requires more energy to ensure the fan blades are up to its usual speed. Bad news for your electric bills!

Take a bicycle date as an example. A boyfriend decided to fetch his girlfriend with his bicycle out on a romantic date. The ride from his house to hers is a breeze, after all he is only carrying his own weight. Then his girlfriend hops on and suddenly he is thinking it's time to going back to the gym because the additional burden is causing him to exert more energy to pedal his bicycle forward. Well, needless to say what happens next. He signs up for a one-year gym membership... for his girlfriend.  

For step by step instructions to cleaning ceiling fans, click hereeee!


TIP 2: Check for loose screws, nuts and bolts
Many a times, a ceiling fan that was working fine the night before suddenly greets you with a noise that won't go away and although you can't describe the noise exactly, you think it sounds pretty dangerous. Now, before you enter panic mode and arrange for a paid fan-maintenance visit down to your house, check for any loose screws.

Ceiling fans that have been in motion frequently will result in loose screws eventually. It is no surprising matter since the fan blades are constantly in motion. Manufacturers do not screw bolts and nuts overly tight because of the possibility that the warm climate in Singapore might expand the parts in the fans and cause damages/cracks to the fan.


TIP 3: Lubricate the nuts (Not dirty-talking here...), screws and bolts
After checking and you have found no loose screws, don't start to panic just yet. It could be the machine's lubricant running low. At times like this, switch off your ceiling fan and make sure that all blades have reached a complete stop before apply some lubricant (seek assistance from your nearby hardware store). Switch the fan back on and let it run for awhile to ensure that the lubricant has been evenly spread around.

If the noise still persist on, keep calm and give your service center a call. Do not procrastinate! Loose screws, nuts or bolts in the fan should be attended to ASAP.

PS. As advised by HowStuffWorks, if your ceiling fan is newly purchased and installed and is making noise, allow it 24 hours to run for the lubricant applied during the manufacturing to be evenly distributed throughout the fan.


OKIE DOK. Guess we shall end this here today.

Stay tune for Part 2!


"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence." - Abigail Adams

Hello!

Sense N Bedeck has been studying. Well, it isn't one of those back-to-school studies but we have been reading up on a lot of reviews on SG's forums (No, we are not stalking you... too much), and we have found out that Singaporeans have little or close to no knowledge on how to take care of their home furnitures. They would have their ceiling fan installed, check to make sure all of the 3-speeds are working fine on the remote control and viola! There is their perfect ceiling fan for the next couple of years until it breaks down and they would start calling in to respective service centres to question the quality of that fan.

No! Dear home owners, that shouldn't be how things work. Our home furnitures are just like our branded purchases (Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hermes etc), we buy them at a cost that burns holes right through our wallets, we might even weep secretly for a few days and come to loathe that regretful purchase while at the same time question about the fairness of life but once the realization sets in and we have come to accept them as our properties... We give them all of our attention to ensure their utmost quality. That goes the same for all of your home furnitures.

So, Sense N Bedeck has decided to set up a blog. This blog will routinely be updated on posts that provide advices, tips and instructions to taking care of your house. Try your best to visit regularly. We would suggest your visits to be on weekends when your battery is fully charged because well, some posts might get rather technical (or in ruder terms, boring). BUT we will try to make them short, sweet and easily comprehendible. Enquiries are welcome!

Let's end it here. See you real soon!


"The best advice I ever got was that knowledge is power and to keep reading." - David Bailey