Isaiah Sampson Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 Hello to all, I was excited to pick up this all metal window fan at my local chain thrift store, seeing as the manufacturer label stated 3 Amps draw and it had oil ports rather than dried up "permanently lubricated" bearings, though I was surprised by the absence of stamped plates or text and the use of stickers instead. Upon disassembly, however, it turned it to be a General Electric shaded pole motor without capacitor. The motor itself has stamped text identifying it. The fan actually seems to produce less airflow at full speed then my 1950's Robbins & Myers window fan at low. No big deal as it was only $5 (everyone now and then whoever prices at that store makes some very odd choices to price full functional hardware dirt cheap), but I am now very curious what decade it comes from. It's still all metal, but again stickers and low efficiency motor. Do you guys think 70's or 80's? Also, is the name's similarity to Frigidaire a coincidence or did the company have a fan product line at one point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juan Varleta Posted April 7 Share Posted April 7 My best guess would be early 80's. North Jersey member Tom Zapf would know for sure. Pretty sure they was no connection to Frigidaire appliances. That also appears to be the notorious GE "fireball" motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Zapf Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 ISAIAH THE IVORY BEIGE COLOR WITH EXTERIOR GRILLE IS GOING TO DATE TO 1984 ISH . THESE FANS ARE THE LAST OF THE ALL METAL WINDOW FANS AS MANY MANUFACTURERS HAD GONE TO PLASTIC BLADES A DECADE BEFORE , MADE PLASTIC FRAMES TOO OR DISCONTINUED WINDOW FANS COMPLETELY . YOUR FAN IS A PRETTY DECENT PERFORMER ACCORDING TO CONSUMER REPORTS, BUT COMPARED TO A 1950 S VERSION YOU WILL NOT SEE THE SAME RESULT. THE RM WINDOW FANS WITH THE RIBBON-AIRE GRILLE (18 AND 22" ) HAD VERY DEEP PITCH BLADES . SO IF YOU ARE COMPARING TO THOSE ON INTAKE, THAT REAR GOLD GRILLE ON THE RM REALLY CONCENTRATED THE AIRFLOW WHILE A STANDARD WIRE GRILLE LETS IT SPREAD. FOR $5 OR EVEN $50 YOU HIT A MAJOR SCORE WITH ONE CAVEAT** **AS JUAN SAID THE GE MOTOR DOES NOT HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION LATER IN LIFE. GOOD TORQUE PLENTY OF POWER, BUT A MIX OF ALUMINUM AND COPPER WIRES AND THEY CAN GO UP IN SMOKE . I WOULD NOT TAKE IT APART OR PLAY WITH IT (TOO LATE I SEE) AS THE WIRING HARNESS FROM SWITCH TO THE WINDINGS HAD VERY DELICATE CONNECTORS INSIDE THE MOTOR THAT CAN BREAK WITH VIBRATION OR MOVING FAN AROUND IN THE ATTIC ETC . IF IT WORKS DONT MESS WITH IT . THOSE MOTORS WERE IN EVERYTHING FROM LAKEWOODS, PENNEYS, SEARS VERNCO FRIGID VORNADO KORVETTES MONTGOMERY WARDS BERNS AIR KING AND SO MANY OTHER BRAND FANS THEY ARE EVERYWHERE BY 1980S STICKERS AND LABELS HAD LONG REPLACED JUST ABOUT ANYTHING METAL WITH A STAMPING ON IT, MANY FANS BEING REDUCED TO KNOBS WITH MARKINGS ON THEM OR SIMPLE IMPRINTS ON THE FAN BODY OR JUST A THIN ALUMINUM STICKER. THE FAN YOU HAVE HAD METALIZED STICKER LABELS ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE 1960S I HAVE TWO OF THE FOUR BLADE VERSIONS OF YOU IVORY FAN WITH MCMILLAN MOTORS . ONE IS A FRIGID IN THE BOX I BOUGHT NEW. THE OTHER IS A ROBESON BRANDED VERSION THAT I GOT FROM ROB DUFFY . BOTH HAVE ROTARY CONTROLS I HAVE TWO OF THE BRONZE 5 BLADE PUSHBUTTON THERMO VERSIONS LIKE YOURS BUT LATE 1970S WITH FASCO MOTORS. I LIKE THE QUALITY AND AM HAPPY TO HAVE THEM (I ALSO HAVE TWO OF THE 18 RM/HUNTER RIBBONAIRE WINDOW FANS) FRANKLY I AM HAPPY YOU SAVED IT, USE IT AND ENJOY! GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FAN! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kovar Posted April 8 Share Posted April 8 (edited) A reversible shaded pole motor... https://new.afcaforum.com/index.php?/topic/6935-reversible-shaded-pole-motor/ Edited April 8 by Jim Kovar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaiah Sampson Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 Thank you all, and particularly Tom for the history lesson. I wasn't the first to take the fan apart anyway, since the motor housing is a darker brown than the framing, and the spray paint clearly got onto the windings, bolts/nuts, and wiring between housing and switch, but the frame/grills are spotless of the darker color. So, seems the interior connections appear to be better than the usual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Zapf Posted April 10 Share Posted April 10 GOOD DEAL, GLAD TO HEAR IT ..YOU LUCKED OUT FOR $5!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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