5 step fan regulator: finer speeds for bedrooms, and our codes

What is a 5 step fan regulator?

A 5 step fan regulator has an off position and five fan speeds, where a 4 step has four. Both take the fan from slow to full speed; the 5 step simply divides that range into one more step, so you can set the fan between two speeds that a 4 step would jump across.

4 step and 5 step knobs side by side

Drawn by us. Step sizes are illustrative, not measured; the catalogue does not print fan speeds.

A 5 step regulator does not make a fan run faster. Step 5 on a 5 step is the same full speed as step 4 on a 4 step; the gain is all in the finer control below it.

Our VIYONA 138 is printed as an electronic regulator: each click lets a set share of the supply through to the fan motor, and it does not turn the rest into heat. The VIZA and KEMPS 5 step codes are printed as EME regulators and the 145 as a plate type; ask us about the EME and plate types. Each code also comes in full boxes of 10, sold through our dealers or by the box through our office.

5 step fan regulator price

We make a 5 step regulator in every range, plus a plate type for a single point. Printed MRPs, all 10 to a box:

• VIYONA 138 medium 5 step regulator: ₹225 (conventional boards)
• VIYONA 145 ABS plate type 5 step regulator: ₹230
• VIZA V276 Tiny EME 5 step regulator: ₹395
• VIZA V279 2M Royal EME 5 step regulator: ₹425
• VIZA black V1277 Tiny EME 5 step regulator: ₹433
• KEMPS K214/K614 Duro EME 5 step fan regulator: ₹450 white, ₹495 G.Grey

Against the 4 step in the same range, the fifth step adds ₹10 in VIYONA and up to ₹65 in VIZA Royal; our fan regulator price list sets the two side by side.

Where the fifth step is worth having

The fifth step earns its place in rooms where the fan runs slowly for hours:

• Bedroom A fan through the night at a low speed that is cool without being cold.
• Room with an AC A fan at low speed under an AC helps spread the cool air; a finer low step makes that easier to set.
• Baby’s room A gentle draught that will not chill a sleeping child.
• Elderly parents A setting between too warm and too cold, without getting up to change it.
• Study Enough air to stay alert, not so much that papers move.

In a living room, hall or kitchen, where the fan runs fast for most of the day, a 4 step is usually enough; our 4 step fan regulator guide covers those rooms. Our bedroom electrical points guide shows where the fan board sits in a bedroom.

The 2 module V279 and your plate

The V279 is printed as a 2M module, two module spaces wide. Plan the plate around it:

• 4M plate: two 1M switches and the V279.
• 6M plate: four 1M switches and the V279, or two switches, a 2M socket and the V279.
• 8M plate: two 1M switches, the V279, a 2M socket and a 2M night lamp.

If the board must stay small, the VIZA Tiny V276 (V1277 in the black series) is the other VIZA 5 step; its module size is not printed, so check it with your dealer before you buy the plate. Our plate size calculator adds up the modules for you.

Plate type 5 step for a single fan point

The VIYONA 145 is a 5 step regulator on its own ABS plate, at ₹230. It does not need a modular plate or a space on an existing board, so it suits a fan added later to a room whose board is full, or a room wired on the surface.

Fit it beside the fan switch on the same circuit, with the same connection as any regulator. The VIYONA 138 medium 5 step, at ₹225, is the version for a conventional sheet board. See the VIYONA plate type regulators for photos.

Which 5 step for which board

Each 5 step code belongs to a switch range, so choose by the board it goes on:

• VIYONA 138 Medium 5 step for a conventional sheet board, the lowest-priced option at ₹225. Its sister, the 137 mini, is the 4 step.
• VIZA V276 The Tiny 5 step for VIZA boards, ₹395, the lower-priced VIZA choice.
• VIZA V279 The Royal 5 step, 2M wide, ₹425, matching the VIZA Royal switches under a Royal plate.
• VIZA V1277 The black-series Tiny 5 step, ₹433, one price for matt black and S.Grey, for a dark board.
• KEMPS K214/K614 The Duro 5 step, ₹450 in white and ₹495 in G.Grey, to match KEMPS switches on a KEMPS plate.

Mixing ranges on one plate rarely works: modules from different series differ in shape and finish. Keep the regulator in the same range as the switches beside it.

Swapping a 4 step for a 5 step

Upgrading a bedroom from a 4 step to a 5 step is a straight swap in the wiring, because both connect the same way. Three things to check first:

• Width If the old regulator was 1M and the new one is the 2M V279, the plate will not take it. Pick a 5 step of the same width, or change the plate.
• Range Stay in the same series as the switches, so the module clips into the same frame.
• The fan An old fan that hums or runs slow will do the same on a new regulator. Check its capacitor first.

With the MCB off and the board proved dead, move the two wires from the old regulator to the new one in the same order, clip it in, refit the plate and test all five steps. Our switch replacement guide covers safe working on a board.

Does a 5 step save electricity?

An electronic regulator does not burn the power the fan does not use, so a fan on a lower step draws less. The fifth step helps only in that it lets you settle on a lower speed you are comfortable with, rather than jumping up to the next one.

How much a fan draws at each step depends on the fan, and our catalogue does not print a figure. Our ceiling fan power consumption guide gives typical watts, and how to calculate your electricity bill turns watts and hours into units.

5 step fan regulator connection

A 5 step regulator is wired exactly like a 4 step: in series with the fan, in the phase, after the fan switch. The extra step is inside the regulator; it adds no wire.

• Phase from the MCB goes to the fan switch.
• The switched phase goes into the regulator.
• The regulator’s output goes to the fan.
• The neutral runs straight to the fan.

Our 4 step guide draws the connection step by step, and the fan regulator types guide covers the general case.

A bedroom board with a 5 step, priced

A typical bedroom door board switches a main light, a second light and the fan, with the regulator beside them. Here are its switches and regulator at MRP in each range, before the plate and box:

The regulator is more than half the bill on every modular board. For the plate and box, see our switch board price guide.

Common questions and mistakes

A few questions come up with 5 step regulators:

• Step 1 too fast? Every fan has a lowest speed it can hold. If step 1 is still too fast, the fan, not the regulator, sets the limit.
• Slow at every step Usually a weak fan capacitor; see our fan capacitor guide.
• Hum at low steps Check the capacitor and the fan; our fan humming guide goes through the causes.
• BLDC fan Many BLDC fans control their own speed and are meant for a plain switch; see our BLDC fan regulator guide.
• Dimmer instead A light dimmer is not a fan regulator, even at a similar price.

For billing, the HSN code printed for all our fan regulators is 84149030.

Where we supply

Our 5 step regulators come from Marol, Andheri East and are sold by dealers and distributors across Maharashtra and in many states. In other states, see where we supply in Maharashtra and how we supply the rest of India. We deliver office orders anywhere in India, by the box of 10. Full boxes only.

From our catalogue: VIYONA medium 5 step regulator and the KEMPS switches and regulators.