How To Choose The Perfect Ceiling Fan

Many consumers are turning to ceiling fans for added comfort, enhanced aesthetics and as a means to save money through energy conservation. Since ceiling fans can be purchased from specialty stores and on the Internet alike, it is a good idea to review all the available options before settling on a particular style. In this guide, we outline the reasons why ceiling fans are gaining popularity, we explain the factors that make a ceiling fan high quality and help you choose the right one for your needs.  

Why Choose a Ceiling Fan?

This luxurious room is perfect accented with a combination chandelier/ceiling fan, designed by Casablanca Fans. Priced at about $6000, it marks the ultimate in ceiling fan interior design.

Ceiling fans offer an economical way to keep rooms cool in the summer and warm during winters. Highly energy efficient and cost effective, ceiling fans allow significant savings each year. A study published by Florida Power & Light Company indicates that since overhead fans create a cooling wind chill effect, thermostats can be set at higher temps in the summer. Similarly in the winter, the reverse is true – when fan blades are run clockwise, they push warmer air down into the room.

What To Look For In a Ceiling Fan

Initially it can be difficult to discern the quality of a fan. Whether the fan costs $50 or $500, if it has the key elements of a quality fan it can last as many as 18 years. Consumers can expect a life span of about 13 years on average, according to an analysis of ceiling fan standards conducted for Pacific Gas & Electric Company. When considering which one to purchase, investigate the motor used in the fan. It should be heavy-duty, energy efficient, maintenance-free and carry a lifetime warranty. Fans manufactured by Casablanca Fan Company boast high-quality motors that last long. While they can be more expensive ($500-$1000 for standard and as much as $6000 for others, investing in a fan with a good motor translates to years of savings. 

Other things to look for are multiple capacitors for good starting and running control, self-oiling heavy-duty bearings, die-cast aluminum rotors and die-cast zinc housing.

Defining Quality in a Ceiling Fan

The surest sign of quality in ceiling fans is solid construction, smooth and quiet operation and non-wobbling function. According to Craftmade Fans, fans wobble when they are made using cheap blade materials, rotors or improper sealing processes. They also require careful balancing with precise measurements between blades. Less expensive fans do not perform as well as those manufactured under the rigorous standards of leading companies that have long been in business.

Another attribute that defines high quality is the degree to which the motor size and blade pitch has been matched. Some manufacturers perform inadequate testing on their products, leading to incorrect sizing, faulty wiring and poor installations of accessories – all promoting accelerated wear and tear.

Choosing the Right Fan

Practical, stylish and affordable – flush-mount fans provide gentle cooling for low-ceiling interiors.

Given the plethora of choices available, consumers have far more flexibility to customize per their needs. For common areas of the home or large rooms, choose fans with large-sized motors and longer blades. For all-season homes, select a 3-speed, reversible switching fan so the space can be kept cool in the summers and warm it the winters, adding up to considerable energy savings. Outdoor ceiling fans provide seamless function with cast-iron housings and twice the power. Typically available in two speeds, they work well for enclosed porches, covered patios and other semi-open spaces.

According to Mark Johnston, Marketing and Products Manager of Craftmade International Inc., the ceiling fan industry has grown tremendously over the past few decades. “Where once there was only a demand for standard ceiling fans with the tri-bulb light fixture, now there are hundreds of designs from dozens of style categories available,” he says. “We’ve seen significantly increasing popularity in children’s fans and we are giving consumers what they are asking for.”

Varieties available include high-performance, energy saving fans or those designed for large rooms and they come in themes such as tropical, nautical, modern or classic.

Installation

Installing a ceiling fan requires some knowledge of electric systems but can be moderately easy to manage. The process begins by removing an existing light fixture, disconnecting the fixture and wiring then cutting a new, larger hole in the ceiling. The next step is to replace the electric box with one designed for ceiling fans, pass the wires through a new ceiling medallion that will need to be glued on and finally mounting a ceiling plate. 

Following specific manufacturer instructions, assemble the fan on a large, flat surface. This step involves threading the wires from the motor through the canopy and hollow down-rod pipe. After each is set onto the motor in succession, locking screws on the side of the pipe need tightening with a wrench. The canopy assembly is then attached to the ceiling one side at a time, connecting the wires according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the ceiling’s existing wiring. Finally, position the fan against the medallion and secure it with the two canopy screws. 

The final step in installing a ceiling fan is to attach the blades and lights. Each blade is attached to a blade iron first then using screws provided attach the blade irons to the motor. Connect the wiring from the light fixture portion of the fan to the wires hanging under the motor and attach shades and light bulbs.