A new ceiling fan is always a nice upgrade to a home. And these days, you have more options for ceiling fans than ever. Today’s fans come in designs to match just about any decorating style, and they have more features than ever before. You can choose a fan that will serve as a focal point to the room, a conversation piece, a keystone element that holds it all together.
When you’re shopping for a new ceiling fan, you need to consider the height and pitch of your ceiling, the size of your room, the features you want, and the design of the fan. If you’re buying a fan to install outdoors, you need to make sure it’s rated for wet conditions. For a fan that will last, make sure you get a high-quality one with a good motor.
1. Consider the Height and Pitch of Your Ceiling
When you buy a ceiling fan, you need to consider the height and pitch of your ceiling. A ceiling fan should hang at about seven to eight feet from the floor – and that means closer to eight feet if you’ve got the space. There need to be eight inches of space between the fan blades and the ceiling, and 18 inches of space between the blades and the wall.
So if you have a high ceiling, you’re going to need a longer downrod to bring the fan down to an effective height. If the ceiling is steeply pitched, use a longer downrod to hang the fan so that it clears the pitched ceiling.
Fan designs that have downrods come with a downrod about 12 inches long, but you can buy downrod extension kits to help you perform the ceiling fan installation properly. If you have low ceilings, get a flush-mount ceiling fan.
2. Size the Fan Properly for the Room
A tiny fan will look out of place in a huge room, and won’t create enough air flow to make a difference to occupants – at least not the kind of difference you’re looking for. A huge fan in a tiny room will create problems of its own – there will be too much air flow and the fan may be visually overwhelming, too.
Buy the appropriate ceiling fan size for your room. Measure your room’s square footage by measuring the length and the width and multiplying those two numbers together. Size fans accordingly:
- 36- to 42-inch fans in rooms 76 to 144 square feet;
- 44- to 50-inch fans in rooms 145 to 224 square feet;
- 52- to 60-inch fans in rooms 225 to 400 square feet;
- Fans more than 60 inches wide in rooms bigger than 400 square feet, but consider using multiple fans in this case.
Fans are measured across the diameter of the circle created by the movement of the blades, or sweep. A fan with a 60-inch sweep is five feet in diameter across the blades, for example.
3. Choose a Quality Item
If you want your fan to last for years and give you good service the entire time, you need to make sure you buy a quality fan. A lot of what makes a fan good is in the motor.
A quality fan motor will operate quietly, without wobbling or making noise, throughout the life of the fan. Top-of-the-line motors include the Casablanca XLP-2000/XLP Plus, the Fanimation FK2100, and the Emerson K55XL.
4. Get the Features and Controls You Want
You’ll probably want basic features on your ceiling fan, like a light kit and a reversible motor so you can change the direction of the fan blades in the winter and push the warm air down from the ceiling. If some of the standard fan features, like pull chains, don’t work for you, there are plenty of fans with all the features and controls you want, including wall control panels, remotes, and smart device connectivity.
If you want to install a ceiling fan outdoors, there are wet-rated fans that can withstand the elements. You can get exactly what you need out of a ceiling fan.
5. Match Your Decor
No matter what your decorating sense, you can find a fan that will blend in with your decor, or serve as the one piece that brings it all together. Fans come in hundreds of designs in all kinds of decorating styles, like farmhouse, coastal, industrial, steampunk, and modern. If you haven’t found a fan you find aesthetically pleasing, you need to look at more fans.
Choosing a new ceiling fan for your home isn’t always easy. Consider what you need from a fan in terms of features, size, design, and performance. When you make the right choice, you’ll have a new home fixture that will make you more comfortable for a long time to come.
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