Purchase price is typically 5–15 % of what a fan costs over its life; electricity is 70–90 %. This calculator puts two quotes side by side — a cheaper AC/standard fan vs a more efficient EC/premium one — and adds energy, replacements, maintenance and downtime over the period you choose, so the buying decision is made on the full number.
TCO = (price + install) × replacements + energy + maintenance + downtime, over the analysis period. Energy uses the cube law for the speed setting.
Engineering estimate for preliminary sizing. Verify against the fan curve, local codes and your system measurements before purchase. Ask a Longwell engineer to check your duty point free of charge.
Two inputs decide most comparisons: operating hours (a fan at 2,000 h/yr rarely justifies a premium; at 8,760 h it almost always does) and L10 at the real temperature (which drives replacements and downtime — usually the forgotten line in a quote comparison).
| Application | Hours/yr | Purchase share | Energy share | Replacement + maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential exhaust fan | 1,000–2,000 | 40–60 % | 30–50 % | 5–10 % |
| Condenser / refrigeration fan | 4,000–8,000 | 8–15 % | 75–85 % | 5–10 % |
| AHU / plug fan | 5,000–8,760 | 5–10 % | 85–92 % | 3–5 % |
| Data-center / telecom fan | 8,760 | 3–8 % | 80–90 % | 5–15 % (downtime) |
| Cabinet cooling DC fan | 8,760 | 10–25 % | 40–60 % | 20–40 % (call-outs) |
For sourcing teams: ask suppliers for input watts at the duty point (not motor rating), L10 at 40 °C and at your ambient, and the price of the replacement unit in 5 years. Those three numbers plus this calculator settle most "cheaper quote" discussions.
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<a href="https://www.longwellfans.com/resources/fan-tco-calculator/">Fan Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator</a> by LONGWELL FansAPA: LONGWELL Fans. (2026). Fan Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Calculator. https://www.longwellfans.com/resources/fan-tco-calculator/
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