Commercial- vs. Industrial-Grade Fans

There are many items to consider before purchasing a fan and the selection should be driven by an understanding of the environment in which the fan will operate, CFM and static pressure requirements, electrical needs, noise levels, just to name a few. Once the fan requirements are determined, the next decision could be whether or not to purchase “industrial” grade or “commercial” grade fans. To justify the purchase of an industrial or commercial grade fan, it’s beneficial to understand the construction differences and how they are designed to perform depending upon the application.
Below is a table illustrating some of the differences between an industrial and commercial grade fan as well as two photos that will help visualize the differences. Consider the factors that are influencing your purchase decision. Whether or not it’s driven by quality, lead time, emergency quick fix or price, the information below will help you understand some of the key differences between the two construction types so that you can make a confident, fact-based decision on which fan is better suited for your environment.
To sum it up, the big differentiator between the two grades is durability. The industrial grade fans are built to last with little or no maintenance required. Therefore, saving money over the long term that would have been spent on the replacement cost of the commercial duty fans.