Electric Fan Comparison - SPAL vs Fex-A-Lite!

In this video we are comparing and testing two 16" puller fans:
Flex-a-lite A118 www.amazon.com/dp/B000FKBR6G
12 Volt
2500 CFM
18.5 Amps current draw (20 Amp fuse)
3.1875" height
16" diameter (approximate)
Puller
SPAL 30102049
www.amazon.com/dp/B07SPY8M4C
12 Volt
2024 CFM
40 Amp fuse
3.5" Height
16" diameter (approximate)
Puller

[@chriss3269]

It's all about CFM's, period. Everything else is a waste of time. You turned the SPAL on and you had to pick up your clipboard and it started blowing sh** all over you work bench and the Flex A Lite didn't even ruffle the papers on the clip board and the Flex A Lite wins? I am in the market for a fan and I am buying the SPAL but I do appreciate the time you took with your test.

[@bigb1209]

Honestly as far as the RPM goes if you're making more CFM with less RPM I think that would be better because lower RPM equals more longevity.

[@PrefiroMato]

Also it tends to make less noise for the same blade design.

[@SGaryNinja]

This is the kind of video I was looking for comparing fans. Nice work!

[@ronaldobrien211]

Hi Rob just saw your video and have to say this was one of the most practical yet ingenious methods I have ever seen. You liberality covered every possible parameter. Truly fantastic! Nice to know people like you are around the world. Cheers!

[@payloadperformance9706]

Thank you for the break down this was an awesome test that checked off all my questions!

[@athan7199]

Hey Rob, a very good experiment... my opinion... the fans are for cooling the water... should have run some hoses connected to a car, fill up with sufficient water, bleed the system and then measure the water temperature when the fans cut in and cut off.

[@juancamaney3562]

Thank you for this great video. I personally got me a SPAL type fan and I took the curve blade out of the housing and flip it over and install it back in and I notice more cfm

[@morrisman7563]

louder?

[@brittanywright9646]

You can't flip the spal blade around. They are built like a brake disc rotor and fit over the motor. You would be better off just buying an actual Spal fan......or throw on a Mercedes 850-Watt fan that probably pulls something like 5,000+ cfm

[@juancamaney3562]

@@brittanywright9646 I was able to do it on my SPAL type fan

[@AlienMonkeyDXB]

Regardless of the data collected, What I see is the SPAL makes a lot more of the items on the bench flap around. It is clearly moving way more air than the Flex fan.

[@elguero89]

Good comparison. I just purchased a flex a lite straight blade fan. I like how you broke down the specs. I’ll be using as a pusher for my A/C. You just reassured my purchase. Thanks for your video!

[@boss94ways51]

@elguero i was thinking of doing the same.with my a/c running a pusher .i have the flex lite cyclone as a puller now on a temp switch..???are you going to have the a/c pusher set up to come on the same time as your puller fan

[@PierreDandurand]

The most important when comparing fan performance is to plot the fan curves (pressure drop versus air flow).

[@PrimeG2]

That SPAL fan was ridiculous! I guess I’ll swap out my flex a lite for a SPAL LOL

[@magster65]

Nice video, thanks for sharing! Not what I expected after the intro...

[@awsom0]

great video man. just helped me make the decision i needed. if it can cool in AZ, it should be able to cool just about anywhere lol

[@adrigquesada]

Thank you for you very good review!

[@oswaldoaguilar9933]

This was very helpful 🙂

[@MrMedicAdnan]

"Cool little test" No pun intended :) Great video by the way.

[@humming_garage]

Thanks!

[@MrMedicAdnan]

@@humming_garage what do you think of Spal brushless motors that are PWM controlled? I know they're very expensive but also very quiet when not running at 100%.

[@humming_garage]

@@MrMedicAdnan those would definitely be the way to go. I'd love to get one, put a temp sensor in the coolant, and program a controller to vary fan speed based on coolant temp. You could potentially get very slick, ditch the thermostat, and have the fan run backwards to stagnate air when it's cold to warm the motor up faster.

[@davidkeeton6716]

@@humming_garage that's a great idea to run the fan in reverse. Sort of an electric winter front. That's what they call a radiator cover in the truck industry.

[@dr.tzweed.1850]

great test thumps up

[@ronny028]

Lmao! I thought the initial plug in with the Spal was with the plexiglass installed ; I jumped straight on Amazon! 🤣

[@danssv8]

Great video mate

[@hermanwheeler3130]

Great test. 👍

[@prestonedmonds4128]

Have you considered redoing this test with even more "popular" fan swaps? The Taurus fan and the Volvo fan comes to mind. Ls1 fans and contour fans, also.

[@beasyphone]

Dodge intrepid fan swaps have been the " GO-TO" Swap for S-Series trucks/blazers/bravadas/nomas/Jimmy's for 25+years.. I'd say by now they're "proven" in real world performance; especially with how RIDICULOUS HOT the 4.3 workhorse gets

[@tj-hero]

You should have cfm tester cuz i found fan says its 3300 cfm but spal is 2024 when i try both spal pulls much air and the 3300 its looks like fake i dont think its even 1500 cfm

[@abudujanah5634]

Amazing i like it

[@dezertdestroyer7782]

Tight ! Loved it

[@mymadeupdreams]

This is all very good information, especially about the types of blades and clearance and how that could affect efficiency! I came here because I saw these fans and was looking for an alternative to an RV roof vent. The SPAL was definitely quieter but still very loud! Would you have any thoughts on those comparisons? With all the equipment and knowledge you have I feel like the Van Dwelling community could definitely benefit!

[@humming_garage]

I would very you do not need to flow NEARLY as much air as these do. These are probably 10* or more what you need, and would be too noisy and Kill your batteries.

[@justin-sane713]

Sorry for the late game start on my part, but I noticed two factors that might make a difference in your choice. 1. The straight blades tend to move more air. 2. I see in the test you went with box CFM rating, sometimes you get a lower or higher rating than what the produce in real world settings. So a air speed meter might show one or the other better or worse then it’s rating. Either way I liked you testing and approach to a real world test. 😎👍

[@beasyphone]

And "non objective" tests with air flow meters show time after time that spal not only meet but sometimes EXCEED cfm ratings where the less expensive brands are rated similar to impact wrenches. "M18 2864-20 gen 2 rated 1500," runs avg 711ftlbs lol). Marketing is a bit^*😅

[@shawncammon5534]

Thanks 👍🏼

[@Joesmusclecargarage]

What is the amp draw of the Spal fan on startup?

[@sonnyinaz]

Good piece, but two things I can point out. 1. Both fans must be equal in all things. You have a s-curve fan and a strait blade. Very different in performance. 2. When you list the CFM, Spal is the only fan company that rates it's fans "under load". a lot of variance in the results because of these items. But very glad you did this will all the meters.

[@carstenreinbold5523]

Thank you for making this kind of video. I have a Spal fan and it’s so damn loud, switching to a flexalite. Something that would help this review is doing a decibel test with each fan, although the Flexalite is clearly quieter.

[@humming_garage]

I should have thought of that! Though I will say, to my ear they are the same "loudness", but the spal fan has a higher pitch.

[@payloadperformance9706]

I just bought and installed the Flex a lite 238 16” it was advertised as 3000CFM AT 18.5amps but doesn’t do neither numbers unfortunately, with my anemometer it only pulled 1500 CFM at 17amps (used my Klein clamp meter for readings) my old generic eBay fan pulls 1650CFM at 15amps on the same exact shroud I’m actually uploading a follow up video on my channel soon, I’d appreciate any input you might have that will be helpful. I’m not sure where flex a lite got the 3000CFM number from, it’s quite disappointing%

[@humming_garage]

@@payloadperformance9706 was the 1500 CFM free or through the radiator? I would expect it to pull much less through a radiator, and to truly get the rated number you'd need to measure in a duct so that all the air was moving in a column.

[@payloadperformance9706]

Rob F that was on the radiator using a perfectly fitted shroud, all gaps sealed and everything. Free air it was around 1680CFM pulling through same amount of amps. I also have a 300 amps H/O alternator so I know that power was not an issue, if anything the alternator gives the fans an extra amp or two of power. All things considered with the extra power, the shroud everything it still under performed unfortunately. Since then I make the love the the Lincoln Mark viii and those are a HOSS! They feel like a Boeing 747 turbine when it’s at take off 😂 a serious monster, but also have a 80amp spike with a 45ish consistent amp draw.

[@humming_garage]

@@payloadperformance9706 just a note, the alternator only makes as many Amps as are being drawn. It can't makes Amps that don't have somewhere to go, and since the fans are basically fixed impedance at a given steady state condition, a bigger alternator doesn't have anything to do with how much power goes to your fans. It can't "force" it through them so to speak.

[@timstevenson953]

I believe the data was made meaningless by restricting the air flow, Its kind of like checking amp draw with the fan submerged in water, an anemometer testing air speed could give you a measurement of CFM when calculated with the surface area of the radiator air output. Im getting the SPAL fans because it blew all the junk of the work bench. the moving box does not lie

[@TurboRanger351]

Good review, but looks like tip design didn't really factor into the equation since the spal lost in that category.

[@johnday5014]

I wanna know which one flows more cfm…

[@I3ordo]

these fans... can they run silently ? suppose i dont use them for cooling radiators but for ventilation, they seem to capable of creating static pressure and S blades for quieter operation compared to straight blade fans... I am thinking of buying a 12v version, powering it with an 4amp DC adapter and expect 28watts of "not so loud operation" that can be used as a push fan . you think that might work? the cheapest i can find is 35$+shipping so help me out if that s a good idea.

[@JoelMannerino1]

Brooo you're the level I've been looking for as for testing such equipment. Trying to find that golden trifecta ratio (flow, pressure, current)

[@genllamera5763]

The straight blade flex a lite is more versatile because it ca be a pusher or a puller fan by changing the polarities of the wire so it can be placed at front or back of the radiator depending on the space while the curve blade spal is only a pusher fan.

[@Chevyshow]

🔥🔥🔥

[@anthonymarkgriesehop2198]

No fans made will move more air than a Spal! Tried cooling with others! Never did the job!

[@gregorykusiak5424]

I’m with you on calling BS on this “testing”

[@itsruffoutchea6636]

I agree too. He's missing 2-3 elements to his testing.

[@JoelMannerino1]

Also anemometer and a dba meter would have been nice, still, good work and thank you

[@craigd1275]

The ring connecting all the blades on the SPAL fan prevent the thin blades from flexing/twisting and changing the angle of attack. .

[@mihu202]

You should have measured the CFM on the spot,that’s what everyone wants we’re looking for.I live in AZ too and looking for an electric fan and still in doubts.Nice work but not complete.

[@garyatsma89]

USUALLY, the straight blades will move more air but make more noise, and curved blades are designed to be quieter at the expense of airflow.

[@backyardbuilttrucks1]

Spal is hands down best fan made , if it says 2000 cfm it is more like 3000cfm.

[@tasosadi535]

how many amber need ??

[@stefke1150]

How about posting all the result? From the 0% - 50% and 100% test?

[@daveschultz1807]

Have you ever considered running a puller on the rear and the Spal used on the front as a pusher!

[@humming_garage]

This spal was not reversible, but I actually did add a pusher in the front to help the AC run cooler.

[@daveschultz1807]

What percentage help do you feel the pusher added to your AC effectiveness I’m considering doing this on a 68 mustang myself did it help the polar as well or just the AC to

[@humming_garage]

@@daveschultz1807 hard to say because with the big griffin radiator and the flex a lite I never overheated. But it makes a huge difference for the AC. Like I wouldn't dream of not having it.

[@daveschultz1807]

Cool! Literally thx!

[@Sethjxl]

Thank you. Only difference between science and stuffing around is writing it down.

[@goaguilera86]

Wouldnt the spal technically be quieter since its spinning 700 rpm faster than the flex lite?

[@marcstlaurent3719]

Noise is noise , not arguing with your buddies that point while driving around in your car .

[@gregorykusiak5424]

The Spal fan has a ducted blade design; like you said, they’re generally more efficient. current draw? Pressure drop? Fan RPM? Those are mostly Irrelevant! It’s too bad your setup couldn’t test for temp drop over time - coolant temp at inlet minus temp at outlet over time - delta T per sec, watts of heat dissipated per joule of fan energy...these are the real measurements.

[@humming_garage]

Pressure drop absolutely isn't irrelevant. It's a better indicator of cooling ability than factory CFM rating. 100% agree about temp drop over time. Once upon a time I actually designed a heat exchanger test stand using an in-line water heater. Disagree on watts of heat dissipated per joule of fan energy. As long as I have the amps available I don't really care how much it takes, I just want the most cooling. Yes, it will make a difference in fuel mileage, but I'm in arizona and just want maximum cooling capacity. Ideally I'd measure flow rate, and temperature in and out, for both air and water. That would let me calculate the effectiveness of the heat exchanger & fan. keep the heat exchanger the same, but swap fans, and now you have the actual fan performance compared. But shy of the thousands of dollars needed to set all that up, this was my compromise.

[@makeitbuddy2089]

These fans used in? As car condensor fan?

[@humming_garage]

the cooling fan on the radiator of my isuzu.

[@davidkeeton6716]

Could be. Can be wired to do both, as in come on when the trinary switch on the a/c drier provides the ground for the relay instead of the water temperature sensor. So your fan will run any time the a/c compressor is engaged.

[@makeitbuddy2089]

@@davidkeeton6716 do your car ac gets enough cooling at 40°c?

[@peterdrury5627]

Hi Rob, congrats on undertaking an objective rad fan comparison; however, I think you left some important variables unresolved. I was disappointed to see that you relied on the advertised CFM ratings for these two fans. This is the most critical performance parameter and you haven't actually measured it. Your 'guesstimate' of torque was meaningless. Perhaps you could have explained what you expected to learn from your pressure measurements. Were you measuring a pressure drop between the inlet and outlet sides of the radiator? Were these pressure readings both taken with the plexiglass barrier in place or removed? Further, fan performance could vary with the temperature of the air you are moving. Applying a purely practical observation from the papers flying on your bench, it appeared that the Spal was moving a lot more air.

[@pizzamagee6220]

Im having a hard time with you giving the win on CFM to the flex. Rated and actuality are two different things and are the most important and that spal moved way more air then the flex-a-lite.

[@stephanparis6085]

Manufacturer’s CFM ratings are as trustworthy as your college dates virginity claims, trust them as far as you can throw them or until the STD test comes back.

[@rayvela7632]

Nothing will happen if it gets wet while driving ?

[@brianstechtips5721]

Nope

[@davidkeeton6716]

Uhh, electric fans have been used on cars for years. Where ya been?

[@awesomearizona-dino]

Very nice scientific test. Hard facts, not just opinion.

[@pizzamagee6220]

Except he used claimed cfm ratings instead of actual ratings which from the eyeball test the win went to spal.

[@ABs70nova]

The ring on the outside of the curved fan is for stability due to the curve shape

[@komoru]

Great tests! But it would have been nice to compare the data in push mode rather than just pulll mode. The one thing you did not compare (which is very important) is whether the Spal or Flexalite fan is rated for continuous or intermittent use, and also durablity under actual road use. Going through dusty terrain, bugs, etc. How will the open flex-a-lite fan perform after, say 10-20 hours of continuous use, and/or being exposed to dusty conditions. Yes, on a "bench test" the flexalite may do well, but build quality and durability is a big factor

[@davidkeeton6716]

Do you really think that both companies DIDN'T think about that, or DIDN'T design them to be used in every imaginable condition that a motor vehicle might encounter, including being submerged for a short time like on an off road vehicle?

[@kingscorpio5489]

U forgot one crucial measurment between the 2 the contributes to cooling. U did not conduct a CFM test. In my opinion cfm plays a big roll in cooling

[@isaiahephraim9858]

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[@howardfinn9890]

@Isaiah Ephraim Instablaster :)

[@isaiahephraim9858]

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[@isaiahephraim9858]

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[@howardfinn9890]

@Isaiah Ephraim Glad I could help :)

[@deanbittar3036]

Didnt show us the results you could of made it up or supporting flex lite

[@tonyosaurusrex]

Spal seems a lot louder.

[@FPE93]

I wouldn't trust the rated CFM at all....

[@4speed3pedals]

A straight blade fan pulls more air than a curved blade fan.

[@ronpilchowski9898]

You left out decibels

[@user-pd1jn1cz2g]

Italian Spall fans

[@nova467spanker]

so you posted what these fans were rated but not what the actual cfm they pulled. A Spal is far superior in quality and performance than a Flex-a-Lite.

[@travisnishimoto7439]

Spal is better

[@dodgeman338]

Most alternators can't handle the significant amp draw of electric fans

[@humming_garage]

hasn't been a problem for me. I added 2 electric fans on a factory sized alternator and have no issues.

[@junbing626]

Boring

[@american-volt]

We have higher wattage electric fans than those in this video at www.americanvolt.com/collections/electric-fans which includes radiator mounting kits. Various fan thermostat switch turn-on temps and thread-in probe sizes as well.