Choosing a Ceiling Fan for Your Home

A ceiling fan makes a wonderful addition to any home. They are a cost effective way to make your home more comfortable. Ceiling fans both make your rooms cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. They can also be used as a decorative element, providing a focal point in the rooms of your home and complementing your lighting.

Ceiling fans work in two ways. When they spin anti-clockwise, they push cool air downwards and around the room. This makes you feel cooler. On most models, you can also reverse the motor, making the fan spin clockwise. This forces the warm air that becomes trapped at the top of your room downwards, making you feel warmer.

When selecting ceiling fans for your home, there are a number of things to consider:

Ceiling Fan Placement

Where you intend to place your ceiling fan will have an effect on the model that you ultimately choose. In most cases, ceiling fans are installed in the centre of the room, allowing for smooth air distribution throughout it. However, larger rooms may need two or more fans. For safety reasons, you should never install a ceiling fan directly over a bed.

If you're planning on having multiple ceiling fans throughout your home, make sure that you don't place them too close together. This can cause the fans to work against each other. One ceiling fan may circulate enough air for a number of rooms.

Size

Ceiling fans are available in a variety of different styles and sizes. The fan that you choose should be proportionate to the size of your room. If your fan is too small for your room, it will not be able to circulate enough air and won't have much effect on the temperature. If the fan is too large, it will make the temperature of your room uncomfortable.

You also need to take the distance between the fan and the floor into account. Ideally, there should be a space of 7 to 9 feet. This allows for optimum air circulation. If your ceiling is higher than this, you may have to use drop rods to get your fan to the ideal height.

For smaller rooms, ceiling fans with lights are a practical choice. They eliminate the need for additional ceiling or wall lights in the space.

Blades

Ceiling fans generally have between two and six blades and can be made from wood, metal or plastic. There are also dozens of finishes available, from copper to brass and bronze to nickel. You should match your ceiling fan blades to your existing décor and light fittings.

The number of blades can affect the efficiency of the ceiling fan. Theoretically, the more blades a fan has, the more air can be circulated. However, having an increased number of blades also increases the drag of the motor. This can make fans more expensive. When selecting a ceiling fan, look for one with a high quality, efficient motor, rather than the one with the most blades.