The Ultimate Buyer's Guide for Purchasing Fans

Many homeowners find themselves asking the same question: how do I choose a ceiling fan that fits my home? At Right Electrical Services, we know that choosing a ceiling fan can be enough to cause any homeowner a headache. After all, there are so many different factors to consider and countless options to choose from.

Today, we’ll be giving you a few suggestions of the most important things to consider when choosing a ceiling fan for your home. Think of this as the ultimate buyer’s guide to inform your decisions as you shop for your next ceiling fan. As always, once you pick out the perfect ceiling fan for your home, call our Raleigh electricians for ceiling fan installation. We’ll be happy to help!

Make Sure You Get the Ceiling Height Right

One of the first and most important things that you should be considering when shopping for a new ceiling fan is your ceiling height.  This is important because the height of your ceiling will inform the best ceiling fan model for the room.  Let’s say, for example, that you are installing a ceiling fan in a room with a low ceiling. In this case, it is a good idea to get a flush-mount model, also known as a “ceiling hugger” to ensure that there is plenty of headspace.

If you are shopping for a ceiling fan for an average-height ceiling, it is likely that you can simply use the manufacturer-supplied hanging rod for installation. When it comes to higher ceilings, however, you’ll want to use an extension rod to lower your ceiling fan to the best position in the room. This is typically somewhere between eight and nine feet from the floor.

Don’t have an extension rod? Never fear! You can find extension rods ranging from 12 to 72 inches either at a home center or online. Just be sure that the finishes match that of the ceiling fan that you have selected and source the rod from the same company that you purchase the ceiling fan itself from.

Size Your Ceiling Fan According to the Room

Another valuable tip that you should keep in mind when shopping for a new ceiling fan for your home is to size your ceiling fan according to the room. This is important because there is a pretty large range in blade spans when it comes to ceiling fans- usually between 24 and 80 inches.

In order to properly size your ceiling fan according to the room where it will be hanging, it’s best to follow the recommendations given by the American Lighting Association:

Room Size                                              Fan Size

Up to 75 sq. ft.                                      36 inches or smaller

75 to 144 sq. ft.                                     36 to 42 inches

144 to 225 sq. ft.                                   44 to 50 inches

225 to 400 sq. ft.                                  50 to 54 inches

If you’re looking for a ceiling fan for a very large room, you may want to go with a fan with a blade span between 60 to 80 inches. This is because a ceiling fan will need to have a blade span suited to fit the requirements of such a large space in terms of function.

It is important to note that when sizing a ceiling fan to the size of the room where it will be hanging, you should always follow an important rule of thumb that states that you should always keep a minimum of 18 to 24 inches of clearance on all sides of the fan after installation.

Make Sure Your Fan is Placed Properly

Contrary to popular belief, ceiling fans don’t actually lower room temperature. Rather, they cool the room by creating a nice breeze. For this reason, it is very important to consider where you’ll be placing your fan when buying a new one. If you want to be happy with your purchase, you’ll want to make sure your ceiling fan is placed in exactly the right room of your home.

For example, you’ll get the most out of a new ceiling fan when it is installed in a high-traffic area where you and your family tend to spend a lot of time. Particularly good places for installing a ceiling fan include in bedrooms, family rooms, and kitchens. Consider the spot where you will be installing your new ceiling fan carefully as you shop for the perfect fan.

Be Sure to Choose the Right Ceiling Fan Blade

Although this may not be something you immediately think about when thinking about buying a new ceiling fan, the number of ceiling fan blades is an important consideration to make. This, however, has less to do with function and more to do with personal preference.

At one time, five or six-blade ceiling fans used to mean more efficiency as opposed to those with three or four blades. In recent times, however, this is no longer the case. Since the CFM is the measure of a fan’s airflow efficiency, the number of blades that your ceiling fan has is now more related to the style you want the space it hangs in to embody.

A four or five-blade ceiling fan, for example, offers a more conventional look while a ceiling fan with only two or three blades is considered more sleek and modern in terms of style. Ask yourself what type of look you are going for and be sure to keep this in mind when shopping for your new ceiling fan. You can buy ceiling fans with any number of blades, ranging from two blades to a total of 9 blades.

Think About Different Control Options

When choosing a new ceiling fan, you’ll want to think about how you’d prefer to control it. There are various different control options for ceiling fans today, including a wall switch, remote, or good ol’ fashioned pull chain. It should be noted that once you pick out a ceiling fan, you may no longer have much of a choice in terms of how you want to control it. This is because the mode of operation typically depends on the type of fan that you choose. That being said, while personal tastes can vary from one person to the next, there is much to be said for the convenience of controlling a ceiling fan via a remote.

**As an important note, it’s a good idea to keep a ceiling fan on a separate circuit from the lighting. When both the ceiling fan and the lighting are on the same circuit, you won’t be able to run your fan when the lights are off. This is especially important if you will be installing your new ceiling fan in the bedroom, for example.

Don’t Be Afraid to Shop Online

Finally, when shopping for the perfect ceiling fan for your home, it’s important to remember that you have various places to choose from! While many people assume that the only way to choose the right ceiling fan is by shopping in a home store, there are endless options of ceiling fans if you look online.

If you settle for the limited selection of ceiling fans to be found in a brick-and-mortar store, you may miss out on your dream ceiling fan! This is especially true if you need a ceiling fan with particularly small blades or a model suited for a specific type of ceiling, such as a cathedral or vaulted ceiling. Don’t limit yourself by being afraid to shop online!

Ceiling Fan Installation From Raleigh Electricians

Now that you know our tips and suggestions on how to choose a ceiling fan, it’s time to find the perfect fan for your home! Once you’ve found the right ceiling fan, you’ll need the help of our expert electricians to get it installed. We offer Raleigh ceiling fan installation, serving customers in the Triangle and surrounding regions.

Looking for an electrician that’ll get the job done right the first time? Look no further than Right Electrical Services, LLC. Contact us today by calling us at (919) 359-1017 or submitting a Request Service form on our website. We’ll be happy to help!

Renee Rose

Renee is a freelance copywriter and blogger known for her expertise surrounding topics like marketing, freelancing, mental health, and more. She has written for hundreds of small business websites and is the Marketing Director here at Right Electrical Services, LLC. Renee believes that when a business prioritizes entertaining, engaging, and informational content for their readers, they can expect a loyal following that trusts their company.

Understand the type of airflow each fan provides.

The best way to know what type of airflow a ceiling fan will provide is to stand under it, of course. However, this is not always possible so we have created our Fan Performance Indicator (FPI) rating system to help understand the type of Breeze you can expect under the fan, along with the total volume of air the fan will move at high speed.

The Fan Performance Indicator (FPI) is split into two bars – the blue bar indicates the ceiling fan’s airflow breeze (wind chill) performance on high speed, while the purple bar indicates the ceiling fan’s airflow volume (CM/H) on high speed.

Airflow – Breeze (wind chill)

The Airflow Breeze rating goes from Gentle to Fast. A ceiling fan that is more towards the Gentle end will provide gentle, relaxing, and extremely quiet airflow directly below the fan. Conversely, a ceiling fan that is towards the Fast end will provide high-velocity airflow directly below the fan, ideal for very hot and humid climates or if you prefer strong airflow.

Airflow – Volume (CM/H)

The Airflow Volume rating takes the ceiling fan’s Cubic Metre per Hour (CM/H) measurement and normalises the results across our entire range of ceiling fans and based on our industry experience on how much air ceiling fans typically move. A ceiling fan towards the Low end will move less air overall, and would therefore not be recommended for larger spaces but may be perfectly suitable for smaller areas. Conversely, a ceiling fan towards the High end moves a lot of air and will disperse the air over a larger area.

Using Breeze and Volume together to make an informed decision

Separately, neither indicator paints the whole picture of your ceiling fan’s performance. Together, though, they can be used to make a much more informed decision without being able to see the fan in operation. Below, we have covered a few different examples to help show different cooling solutions and when they might be recommended.

The above FPI results from our massive 100″ Kirra ceiling fan show a more gentle airflow breeze solution with very high airflow volume. This particular model falls into the High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) genre of ceiling fans. It is designed to move huge volumes of air but at a low velocity. The breeze you would experience directly under the fan would be gentle, however, due to the size of the fan (100 inches), you would enjoy a breeze in a much larger area. This fan would be ideal for very large spaces that could benefit from air circulation – e.g. moving warm air around a space in winter to improve heating, moving air-conditioned air around a large space to improve cooling performance, or keeping the air in a large space fresh. Some applications might be large foyers, restaurants, large high-ceilinged dining areas, large living areas, and so forth.

The above FPI results from our 52″ Modn-3 ceiling fan show a midrange model in terms of breeze and airflow volume. This type of model would suit smaller enclosed spaces (e.g. bedrooms) if you like a gentle breeze while you sleep, or any space where you want a breeze but don’t enjoy extremely strong airflow. It may suit dining areas and lounge areas where a gentle breeze is desired, without disturbing the conversation or table settings.

The above FPI results from our 60″ Spitfire ceiling fan show a ceiling fan that will provide moderate airflow directly below and spreading out from the fan. This is because at 60 inches it is an above-average size ceiling fan that will therefore disperse air over a larger area. Great for master bedrooms, larger living and dining areas where solid airflow is desired while being whisper-quiet.

Finally, the above FPI results for the 56″ Delta DC ceiling fan show a high-performance solution that will provide a strong breeze directly below the fan while also providing good overall airflow volume for your space.