One of the greatest gifts of functional interior design you can give yourself is the addition of a ceiling fan to one of your rooms. A ceiling fan isn’t merely a good-looking accessory to a room. It’s a capable, wonderful appliance that can add some lighting, improve air circulation, save energy, and even help you cut back on your utility bills.
They come in numerous styles and designs, with or without lights, for indoor or outdoor use, and much, much more. Some folks might say ceiling fans are going out of style, but nothing could be further from the truth. So if you’re thinking about getting a ceiling fan for your home,
Room Size
So, how does one select the best room for their ceiling fan? It comes down to a few criteria. First, consider the room’s size. Smaller rooms, such as a bedroom or bathroom, may benefit from smaller fans. There are even 24” diameter fans that can be ideal for those smaller spaces. Typically, fans range from 42” to 72” though.
Most rooms in your home will likely fall within this range. For even larger spaces (or some outdoor applications), large fans, up to approximately 96” are available. To measure your room for a ceiling fan, start by measuring the room. The typical rule of thumb for ceiling fan size is if a room is 75 square feet, you’ll want to go with a fan measuring 29 – 36.” For 144 square feet, 36” – 42” should be your size range and for a large room, go with 50” or above relative to its size. In cases where extensive air circulation is needed in vast spaces like commercial settings or large open areas, Large High Volume Low Speed Fans become the ideal choice, offering unparalleled air movement capabilities while maintaining efficiency and aesthetic appeal.
Location
Knowing where you’re going to put your ceiling fan is almost as important as sizing up the room properly. Knowing where to install your fan is crucial. What are you planning to use it for? If it’s for basic air circulation, the living room or bedroom might be a great location.
If you want to add some lighting and circulation to your patio, you can get a damp or wet-rated fan to use outdoors. If you’re looking to add some light and decoration to a room, rustic or modern fans serve that function aptly in any room. Remember that warm air tends to rise, so if you’re looking to circulate warmer air during cold times of the year (especially if the room isn’t as ventilated as you’d prefer), then think about that as you’re figuring out where to install your fan.
Luckily, there’s a ceiling fan option to suit any need, so regardless of your choice, you’ll be able to enjoy the air circulation and other benefits of the fan anytime.
Blades
Ceiling fans usually come anywhere from three to five blades. So why does the number of blades on your fan matter at all? When you’re at home, energy efficiency is a pretty big deal. Having the right number of blades on your ceiling fan help with both energy efficiency, the amount of air it moves, and how loud a fan is during operations.
Three-bladed fans are more common than any other type, but it’s possible to acquire ceiling fans that have four or five blades. But the reason three-bladed fans are so prominent is simply that they spin faster and create as much airflow as fans with more blades. There’s only one caveat, though: they can be a bit noisy.
Going with more blades means the fan can move more air with better efficiency, ergo it won’t be as loud. A fan’s CFM (cubic feet per minute) rating tells us how many revolutions a fan spins to move a single cubic foot of air. To get a quieter ceiling fan, you simply need to select one with a small RPM per CFM value. Whether it’s two blades or six, each type is unique and can definitely impact your home differently. More blades don’t always equate to more efficiency, so be sure to do your research and select the one that’s best for your home.
Lighting
A key benefit to installing any ceiling fan is the addition of lighting. Lighting adds some versatility to various rooms. Whether it’s being used in place of a lamp for a primary light source, augmenting the room’s current light, or adding some ambiance, you can’t go wrong with some additional lighting vis a vis your ceiling fan!
On the aesthetic side of the equation, an attractive fan with lighting can act as the focal point of the room, providing a strong place to draw the eye when guests enter it. Moreover, lighting offers better energy efficiency and cuts back on the clutter of other lights sources. Lights can be a central feature of the fan, so be sure to explore the different styles to find one that meshes well with your design sensibilities and needs.
Mount
Ceiling fans, by their very definition, mount to a ceiling. So the type of mount you have really does matter. Mounting a ceiling fan is shockingly simple. First, you need to mount the brackets in which the down rods are placed. Then, you need to select the correct down rod for your room’s height. Down rod lengths vary and should be selected based on the diameter of the fan’s blades (aka the blade sweep). There are down rods for almost any angle of the ceiling.
These are what you might refer to as an extension to the fan. Many fans have their own mounts that go onto a non-angled or sloped ceiling that aren’t down rods. Most of the time, a ceiling fan is mounted with or without a down rod, but it doesn’t always hug the ceiling. Angled ceilings require unique mounts.
An angled ceiling mount can be used, along with an extension down rod, to mount to a sloped ceiling. For very low ceilings (less than eight feet high), it’s safer and better to use your flush mount ceiling fans in these rooms. These types of fans are known as low profile, hugger, or flush mount ceiling fans because they hug the ceiling. They’re efficient, easy to keep clean, and really tie a room together. Consider getting one the next time you buy a ceiling fan. You’ll be glad you did!