UK-Specific EC Duct Fan for an HVAC OEM: 385 m3/h Case Study

What the UK OEM needed

A UK OEM making residential and light commercial ventilation needed a variant of our standard 100mm EC duct fan. Their requirement was short, and absolute.

The fan had to arrive with a BS 1363 three-pin plug already fitted at the factory. Namely fitted, rather than supplied loose or dropped in the box.

Here the message that came in translated as: issue the specification sheet today, we need to place an order.

• Performance unchanged, since 385 m3/h, 269 Pa and 58 dB(A) all had to hold.
• Operation on UK 230V, 50Hz, which the fan 110 to 240V range already covers.
• Then a new variant, a new SKU, and a formal spec sheet.
• Lastly, all of it within 24 hours.

Evidently the application is a high-end grow tent, or a single-room heat recovery unit. In both, the end customer expects to plug the thing in. Consequently the fitted plug is a product feature rather than a packing detail.

Making a UK-ready EC duct fan

The project was fast-tracked. Even so, three options were weighed before one was chosen.

Two options we rejected

Meanwhile the simplest route ships the standard fan and lets the customer fit plugs they buy. However, we rejected that at once.

It pushes labor cost onto the customer. More importantly, it pushes compliance liability across too. Frankly, a supplier who does that is not an OEM partner.

The second option supplies a separate cord with a molded UK plug. Better, though still not finished. It leaves the customer doing final assembly, and it leaves room for a wiring error inside the terminal box.

What we actually did

Consequently the right answer was a new bill of materials for a dedicated production variant.

Firstly, that meant sourcing a certified BS 1363 plug with a 3A fuse, matched to a fan drawing 35W or less. Afterwards the standard 1.5m cord is terminated with that plug in our own facility. Consequently the connection from wall socket to motor is compliant by construction.

Nothing about the fan itself changed. The SmartEC controller still gives variable speed through the supplied knob, which feeds the motor PWM input.

In short, the finished model matches the base fan on performance and size, while arriving electrically ready for the UK.

The documentation

A new model number, a revised drawing showing the UK plug, and an updated spec sheet went back inside a day. Consequently they confirmed the purchase order the same week.

Technical Specifications

Everything below matches the base EC duct fan exactly. The only difference is what sits on the end of the cable.

Technical Documentation

Here the image from our catalog provides a high-level overview of the EC circular duct fan series for initial evaluation.

The complete technical specification sheet for the LWDE3G100-IS-05-17 variant contains all performance data, certifications, and approvals needed by procurement and engineering teams.
Open LWDE3G100-IS-05-17 Spec Sheet (PDF)

Here the dimensional drawing provides exact measurements for system integrators to use in CAD models and installation planning.

Meanwhile the project centered on fitting a specific, market-required component: the BS 1363 UK plug.

This exploded diagram shows the internal components, including the EC motor, mixed-flow impeller, and double-insulated casing, for maintenance and service reference.

Why a small variant was worth formalising

In the end, four things made a small market variant worth doing properly.

• Request to specification sheet in one day. The whole project ran inside a single business day. That is our NPI discipline applied at micro-scale, where imported European brands often take months for the same kind of change.
• We took the whole sub-assembly. This was not simply selling a fan. Sourcing and verifying the BS 1363 plug, then integrating it into production, removes a procurement and quality burden from the OEM entirely.
• A certified platform underneath. The base EC duct fan already holds CE and ETL. Consequently adding a certified plug is a minor modification rather than a re-engineering and re-testing exercise, which is exactly why the timeline was achievable.
• Finished goods at a workable price. Supplying a factory-finished EC duct fan materially below comparable European units lets the OEM build efficiency in without inflating its price.

Browse our EC duct fan range, or the inline duct fan section for other sizes. Plug and socket standards for the UK are set by BSI in BS 1363.

Questions about the UK variant

What is the lead time for a variant like this?

The spec sheet took under 24 hours, though production is separate. A make-to-order EC duct fan batch runs 15 to 25 days, which is standard for us and far shorter than other suppliers quote for comparable customization. We hold stock of core components, which is what makes assembling a specific variant quick.

Can a BMS control it with 0-10V instead of the knob?

Yes. The knob is simply a potentiometer wired to the control input. The SmartEC motor accepts a standard 0-10VDC analogue signal or PWM directly. An integrator disconnects the knob and wires their own signal in its place. The control input wires are identified in the full technical documentation.

Is it UKCA compliant for sale in Great Britain?

It is designed for it. The fan carries CE marking, which forms the technical basis for the UKCA conformity assessment on this product type, and the BS 1363 plug comes from a certified supplier. We provide the technical files and declarations of conformity your own UKCA marking needs.

Why does the fuse rating matter in a fitted plug?

Because a BS 1363 plug carries its own fuse, and that fuse protects the flexible cord rather than the appliance. Fitting a 13A fuse to a 35W fan leaves the cord unprotected against any fault drawing less than 13A. Consequently a 3A fuse matched to the load is what makes a factory-fitted plug genuinely safer than one added later.