Choosing the Right Ceiling Fan

Posted: July 14, 2015

Whether you’re remodeling an entire house or just want to breathe new life into a single room, choosing the proper ceiling fan can feel like a daunting task at first.

“What looks good?” “Can I just buy anything?” “Will this fit?”

It’s okay, however, to ask these questions and even feel a little overwhelmed. Plenty of people have felt like this before when choosing their own ceiling fans. Thankfully they found it’s a much simpler process than it seems. Ultimately it’s just a matter of taking a few measurements, picking a fan of your liking and of course, having it installed. Let’s look at some basic rules to follow for choosing a fan:

First you will need to determine how big or small your room is. Get a tape measure and measure the length and width of your room, and how high your ceiling is from the ground. Then, multiply the length and width measurements together to determine the square footage of the room. For example, an 8-ft. long and an 8-ft. wide room will be 64 square ft. A 20-ft. x 20-ft. room would equal 400 square ft. and so forth.

Next, you have to choose the size of fan that is appropriate for the room. Fans typically start at a 29-inch length and go as high as 70-inches. It depends on both fan size and room size, and how much air you’d like to move around. There is a formula for determining this as follows:

8’ x 8’ or 64 square ft. room = 29” fan
10’ x 10’ or 100 square ft. room = 42/44” fan
15’ x 15’ or 225 square ft. room = 52/54” fan
20’ x 20’ or 400 square ft. room = 56”, 60”, 70”, or two 52” fans
 
Again, this is all dependent on how much air you want to move around and how it will fit. Obviously you don’t want a 70” fan inside a relatively small 64 sq. ft. room. Now, pick and choose your fan which is entirely dependent on personal taste and style. Do you want dark oak fan blades over a shiny chrome motor for a modern look? Or how about cherry wood blades over a brass motor for an antique look? Make it fun! Decide if a light kit is necessary as fans can double as light fixtures.
 

Finally, choose how low you want your fan to hang by using a piece known as a downrod. A downrod is a part functioning not unlike a lamp post; it suspends the fan at a height you choose for it.

If you have, for example, a 10-ft. wide room but the ceiling is 9-ft. high a 6-12” downrod would be appropriate. This chart ought to simplify things:

This has been a fair amount of information to cover. As one can see, there’s plenty of things to consider when choosing a fan. And remember, if there’s still any confusion or uncertainty when it comes to choosing the right fan it’s okay. Talk to a specialist like our ALA-certified consultants in-store, or just give Light Bulbs Etc. a call at 888.545.4837. We’ll be happy to help!  When you are ready to browse our selections of fans, take a look here.