Have you ever been warm at night when you are trying to sleep, but cannot turn on the air conditioner because of family or roommate disagreements with temperature? Have you avoided your back porch on warm summer nights because it is simply too hot to enjoy the beauty of your garden? Thanks to ceiling fans, you can cool down a single room without needing to adjust—or even use—the air conditioner. Many homes and apartments come with ceiling fans, but they are often a forgotten decoration on the ceiling and are not taken advantage of.
How a Ceiling Fan Works
Ceiling fans are used to provide cool air to your home on warm days, without having to turn on your expensive air conditioner. Instead of lowering the temperature of your home, a ceiling fan takes the air in your home and circulates it so you have a constant flow of cool air providing you with a gentle breeze. With a flick of a switch, the temperature in your home and your electric bill are lowered.
When you turn on the ceiling fan in your home, the motor is activated, starting the circulation of the fan blades. The blades cut through the air, similar to an airplane’s propellers. The air in the room gathers at the top of the blade (closest to the motor) and is forced to move down the blade. This process results in a cool breeze coming from the fan’s movements.
Tips on Buying a Ceiling Fan
When you go to a home improvement store to purchase your ceiling fan, it is vital to know the size of your room in both area and height. The area of the selected room determines the size of the fan, and the height of the room determines the size of the down rod you need to purchase.
- Rooms up to 64 square feet: 29 inch fan
- Rooms up to 100 square feet: 42 inch fan
- Rooms up to 225 square feet: 52 inch fan
- Rooms up to 400 square feet: 56 inch fan
If you have a large room, such as a room between 225 and 400 square feet, you may want to purchase two 52 inch fans to ensure the cool air reaches all corners of the room, not just the center of the room.
The down rod determines the length of the rod that connects the fan to the ceiling. Your fan should not be extremely close to the ceiling, but it should also be no closer than seven feet from the floor. The length of the down rod needs to be balanced with the ceiling height. This can be calculated using a simple formula.
Consider that a 10 foot ceiling uses a 12 inch down rod. For every two feet, higher than 10 feet, add 12 inches to the down rod. A 12 foot ceiling uses a 24 inch down rod; a 14 foot ceiling uses a 36 inch down rod, and so on.
Investing in an Outdoor Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans do not have to be restricted for indoor use only. Many companies understand that warm temperatures outdoors keep many people from enjoying time on their porches and patios. The production and installation of outdoor ceiling fans end this problem.
When purchasing an outdoor ceiling fan, you need to make sure the location will not be exposed to extreme elements, such as rain. If the rainwater enters the outdoor ceiling fan’s motor, it can ruin it. Your fan should also be covered in a rust-proof finish to keep from rusting.
You should never use an indoor ceiling fan outdoors. Even if you are replacing the ceiling fan in your bedroom and feel that the fan you are replacing would look great on your porch, forget about it. Outdoor ceiling fans are made of special materials allowing them to withstand mild exposure to natural elements, including extreme heat and cold. Placing an ordinary indoor ceiling fan outdoors can risk ruining the fan, leaving you with a costly replacement.
Turning on a ceiling fan will produce a cool breeze, keeping you cool without having to run up a high electric bill by using your air conditioner. Be sure to buy the ceiling fan and down rod appropriate to your room’s size and make sure the motor is properly lubricated to avoid a noisy fan. Instead of admiring or ignoring the decorative ceiling fan above you, you should reach up, pull the cord, and turn it on!