How to Choose a Ceiling Fan For Your Home
A ceiling fan is a must-have home appliance for summer. Whether you’re buying an indoor or outdoor ceiling fan for the first time, or you’re looking to replace an existing one, the choices can be overwhelming. Here are seven tips to help you avoid buyer’s remorse and buy the right ceiling fan for your home.
CEILING FAN PRICES ON A BUDGET
Whether you have $50, $500 or $1,500 to spend on a new ceiling fan, there’s one that fits your budget and your style. If you’re in the market to buy a ceiling fan
$100 Ceiling Fan Budget
Expect the basics – a traditional ceiling fan with or without lighting and pull chain control. What shouldn’t you expect when shopping for a fan on a budget? A lot of style options. These simple, inexpensive ceiling fans for under $100 are ideal for starter homes and apartments
$200 Ceiling Fan Budget
If you have a bigger budget, you can expect more style, finish and lighting options. These fans generally feature a transitional design, somewhere on the style spectrum between traditional and contemporary, with curvilinear blades and integrated lighting. These mid-priced ceiling fans for under $200 are ideal for most apartments, homes, and small offices.
$300 Ceiling Fan Budget
If you have a little extra to spend on a new ceiling fan, expect improved functionality and motor performance, as well as a greater variety of styles, accessories, and fan controls. Ceiling fans in this mid-to-high price range offer reverse function and full-range light dimming. Many of these fans are equipped with DC motors, which consume 70% less energy than standard fan motors, and integrated fluorescent lighting for energy savings. These fans are ideal for condos, homes, and business offices.
What to Look For When Buying a Ceiling Fan
You’ve probably read many times that using a ceiling fan in a room saves energy and money. The wind chill effect fans create mean most people can raise the temperature on their air conditioner by 4 degrees without noticing any difference in their comfort level. This saves almost 10 percent on summer electricity bills, according to PPL Electric Utilities. There are several features to look for when buying ceiling fans. Read on to learn how to find your perfect cooling device.
Fan
One of the first things you notice when shopping for ceiling fans is that they’re sorted by . This refers to the diameter of the circle the rotating blades make. The bigger the room, the bigger the fan you want. But how do you determine the best for your room? Many manufacturing sites offer charts to help you match the square footage of a room to the right diameter. In general
CFM
The number next to this acronym, which represents cubic feet of airflow per minute, is important. CFM represents the wind chill effect that makes people feel cooler. You generally want the highest CFM you can find for your appropriate fan so you can turn down the thermostat and save energy. A higher CFM may be the result of a bigger motor that requires more energy to run, but this is a very small expense compared to the cost of running your air conditioner. Look for at least 6,000-7,000 CFM for best results
Motor
While fans are not as big an investment as a new air conditioner, you don’t want to waste money. However, it’s worth the expense to spend more money on a fan with higher CFM and a better motor. A bigger, better performing motor can help boost the CFM but also reduce noise and wobbling. Since this is a device that may be running for several hours a day, you want something pretty quiet. DC motors are considered the latest and most efficient in ceiling fan motor technology – and also the most expensive. Motors larger than 200 mm are more affordable but still considered good quality
Blades
Blades are generally the first thing consumers look at on a fan. Whether you want sleek and rectangular mahogany blades or more traditionally shaped oak-colored blades, the number and angle of the blades is much more important to the fan’s functionality than their shape
How to find the best ceiling fan for your space and budget
Nothing says summer like a ceiling fan lazily (or furiously) circling above your head, but you can get your money’s worth from one in the cooler months too, by using it to move warm air from the ceiling area down to the living area of the room.
Which is the best type of ceiling fan – AC or DC?
Ceiling fans using an alternating current (AC) motor are the most likely type you’ll find in an existing installation. And they tend to be cheaper – under $200
How much should I pay for a ceiling fan?
In our latest review of ceiling fans, models ranged from $69 to $1200. But price is not always an indicator of quality
What to look for in a ceiling fan
A good retailer should be able to answer your questions about any of the following features and considerations
Design
Ceiling fans can dominate your space, so depending on your decor and priorities, design might be a big factor in your decision. There are plenty of well-designed ceiling fans that can enhance the look of a room – a retro-style ceiling fan might suit your home much better than a bulky, wall-mounted air conditioner unit.
How to Choose a Ceiling Fan for Comfort and Style
Ceiling fans make great additions to the home year-round. They cool us down in summer and warm us up in winter. New features and technologies mean they’re more energy-efficient than ever, and design updates have led to some pretty stylish models
Personal preference plays a big role when buying a ceiling fan, and it’s always helpful to discuss your needs with a professional. To help you get started, check out the following tips from experts on how to choose a ceiling fan, including determining the right ceiling fan size and the optimal hanging distance from the ceiling
Pick the right ceiling fan size for your room. Size is important. If your ceiling fan is too small for your room, it won’t move air efficiently or effectively. If it’s too big, it could create the feeling of being in a wind tunnel.
How to measure a ceiling fan: Ceiling fan measurements come from their blade span, which is the diameter of the circle their spinning blades create, also called their “sweep.” For a ceiling fan with an even number of blades, measure the fan’s diameter to determine its span. For a ceiling fan with an odd number of blades, measure from the center of the fan to the end of a blade, and multiply by two
Consider the number and angle of the blades. With today’s models, there isn’t necessarily a right number of blades for a ceiling fan. It’s more of an aesthetic preference than a practical one.
expert tips to help choose the perfect ceiling fan
The right ceiling fan choice could make or break a room. To help you make the best decision when buying a ceiling fan we’ve put together a list of tips from the experts for you to consider.
Fan blade choice
A fan with nine long blades doesn’t necessarily cool better than a fan with four standard blades. Several factors affect the performance of a fan including the motor power, shape, blade material, pitch of the blades, the shape and size of the room, distance from the ceiling, etc. Speak to the ceiling fan retailer or your electrician for advice on the best style for the area you’re wanting to cool
Noise levels
Metal blades can be slightly noisier than timber ones but metal blades tend to move more air so you’ll need to weigh up your priorities depending on where the fan will be located. Look for models labeled with ‘Ultra quiet operation’ for use in bedrooms
Ceiling fan and light combinations
The integrated ceiling fan / light style is a great option for small rooms where the fan is to be installed in the center of the room where the existing light fitting is
