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ASAP

Ceiling Fans and Ceiling Fan Light Kits

Last Updated: October 2007
See the federal standards main page to view current status

Building upon standards enacted by Maryland and considered by states, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires that as of January 2007, ceiling fan light kits must contain compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in the package to fill all medium-base screw-in sockets (medium bases are those used on the most common light bulbs).  The provision also requires that ceiling fans be controlled separately from lights, have more than one speed, and have a switch to reverse action of the fan blades (to match differing air circulation requirements for the heating and cooling seasons).  For ceiling fan light kits with bases besides medium-bases, the provision limits lighting power use to 190 Watts, effective January 2009.  Specifically, the requirement is that light kits not be capable of using more than 190 W, meaning that some type of shutoff must be employed to turn the lights off if more than 190 W are used.

As of 2007, most ceiling fan manufacturers chose to avoid the CFL requirement by using intermediate-base sockets, a little-used socket type that is about ½ inch in diameter.  These fans will need to meet the 190 W cap as of 2009 (e.g. no more than three 60 W lamps or four 40 W lamps).  CFLs for intermediate-base sockets are presently not available in most stores.

There is no recent ASAP activity regarding ceiling fans.