Motor Speeds for Belt Drive Fans

We often get questions from our customers about how to determine the best synchronous speeds for belt-driven industrial fans. The answer depends on the fan’s operating speed and motor horsepower.

Horsepower and Synchronous Motor Speed

Most belt-driven fans we build will use either an 1800 RPM motor or a 3600 RPM motor when the power frequency is 60Hz. We use simple guidelines to pick the best motor synchronous speed for a fan’s given operating speed.

Lower Horsepower Motors

For motors with 20 horsepower and lower, we typically use 1800 RPM motors for fans with operating speeds at or below 2899 RPM. Above 2899, we jump to 3600 RPM motors.

Higher Horsepower Motors

When you’re using motors with 25 horsepower and higher, the typical fan speed threshold is 3199 RPM. For fan operating speeds below that, we go with an 1800 RPM motor. Once we hit 3200 RPM and above, you’re going to need a 3600 RPM motor.

Hear it from the Application Engineer

Senior Application Engineer Kenny White takes less than a minute to explain what we need to know about how to determine the correct speed for your belt drive fan application in this 45-second video.

When you’re ready to start your project, reach out and connect with one of our application engineers to discuss the details of your specification.

Related Content on Industrial Fan Applications

There are many factors in addition to synchronous speed to consider in every industrial fan application. We’ve seen it all. Here are two more articles that might be of interest as you think about your application:

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