© 2006
GE ECM
by Regal-Beloit
- 11 -
Indoor Blower Motors
v0.2
Efficiency
Efficiency in simple terms of dollars and cents is big concern to consumers these
days. Products that save money on utility bills are in high demand.
The ECM motor simply costs less to operate than the PSC motor. However, the
amount of savings will vary depending on its use. The more the motor is used, the
more it saves. So depending on the market it is used in the savings will vary.
Obviously the motor is in use anytime the heating or cooling system is operating.
With two stage systems becoming the norm for comfort and efficiency, the savings
really grow. Two-stage equipment is going to run longer than single stage
equipment, and first stage runs at a lower airflow. That means the motor is going to
run more as well.
The big savings comes at the continuous (constant fan) setting. With constant fan
being utilized more and more for comfort and indoor air quality, this savings is the
big winner. The PSC motor can only run at its lowest speed tap/winding. The ECM
motor can be programmed to run much lower. And the power consumption drops off
dramatically, as shown here.
Depending on the programming, the continuous fan operation of the ECM motor
could actually cost less than a typical household light bulb to operate.
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Motor Speed (RPM)
In
p
u
t
P
o
w
e
r
(Wa
tt
s
)
Low Winding
High Winding
35 Watts
280 Watts
Induction
motor needs
over 130 Watts
more power
than GE ECM
Induction
ECM