If your air conditioning is running flat out but your house still feels hot and stuffy perhaps you need to improve the air flow. A great way to move air around is by installing a ceiling fan so what should you consider before making your purchase.
Room size dictates the fan best suited but as a basic rule of thumb most rooms can accommodate a 50" or 52" size fan, consequently all manufacturers make their most popular styles in this size. Smaller and over sized fans can be found for special requirements.
The look of a fan is important but the most important factor when purchasing a ceiling fan is the size, power, and durability of the motor. A better quality motor costs more but will move more air without wobbling or noise and can safely be left running for days, weeks or even years without burning out.
5 factors that work together and determine how much air a ceiling fan will move
Blade Pitch
The pitch of the blade and the power of the motor must be well engineered so they can work together and create air movement without going beyond the motors capability, when a fan operates efficiently it will last a lifetime.
Blade Shape and Size
Even the most powerful ceiling fan motor cannot move the blades fast enough if the blades are too long or wide, larger is not always better but too small or narrow is also not good.
RPM
The best fans provide 6 speeds, low to high and many are reversible so that in the summer a ceiling fan can draw warm air up and away and in winter by reversing the fan blade direction can pull warm air from the ceiling down to the floor.
Height from Ceiling
Seven to eight feet from the floor gives the best ceiling fan airflow so you can appreciate the air movement and the ceiling fan can operate most efficiently. Ceiling hugger fans operate in rooms with less head height and would normally operate at slower speeds so as not to cause turbulence and fan wobble.
Motor The most important factor is the motor, a strong precision made motor will move the most air without noise or wobble if the other 4 factors are present.
For top performance and durability it pays to buy the best you can afford, whilst cheaper ceiling fans may appear better value for money initially they often have to work harder to achieve the same affect and subsequently often don't last as long.
Installing a ceiling fan can be normally be accomplished relatively easily following the provided instructions but if you don't fancy the job a good handyman could install the fan for you in a couple of hours or less.
John Buckle has a keen interest in interior decoration and has developed a number of properties and offers ceiling fan design tips and advice at http://www.enmo.org/ceiling-fan/