Ceiling Fans

There several factors that you must consider when buying a ceiling fan. The first is their size, this is described by their blade span – typically in inches, and is important when considering the room the fan will be placed in. Check out the table below for more guidance on this. Next, you should consider the number of blades, this varies in modern ceiling fans, with 3 being the most efficient. More blades create drag, resulting in a quieter fan that can also be more aesthetically pleasing. The angle of the blade is also very important for efficiency – look for blade angles between 12-14 degrees. There are also a number of quality of life additions to look out for such as a ceiling fan with lights or a ceiling fan with a remote control.

The best number of blades really depends on the user. Ceiling fans can come with any number of blades with 3 being the most efficient in terms of moving air around a room. Fans with more blades tend to move slower as the extra blades create more drag. However, fans with more blades tend to be quieter and can create a gentler breeze. Modern ceiling fans with 4 or 5 blades may also be more visually appealing. A ceiling fan with remote control tends to have controllable speed settings so that you can change how much air the fan is moving. Finally, in a room with air-conditioning, a 4 or 5 blade fan is ideal to circulate the cool air being provided by the air-conditioning unit.

While ceiling fans do not technically lower the temperature of a room, they do create a cooling effect by disrupting the air within a room. This works by displacing the warmer layer of air that is close to our skin that prevents heat loss and replaces it with relatively cooler air from the rest of the room. Modern ceiling fans and remote control fans tend to come with variable speed settings allowing you to increase this cooling effect as you increase the speed of the fan. Ceiling fans are also a cost effective solution to cooling a room when compared to air-conditioning.

Ceilings fan are typically rated with a CFM, which represents the cubic feet of airflow per minute, and therefore the cooling effect that you feel when a fan is turned on. Modern ceiling fans with efficient and powerful motors will be rated with a higher CFM, but will result in an increased electricity bill. Ceiling fans with a CFM of 6000-7000 are an effective choice. Be on the lookout for ceiling fans with a remote control, as these allow you to alter the cooling effect of your fan and save on energy bills.