It is warming up across the country, yes summer is approaching fast. With the summer heat, comes the summer utility bills skyrocketing right along side the temperature. If you don’t already have ceiling fans installed, you certainly will want to consider getting some. If you already have ceiling fans, it is time to do a ‘check up’ to make sure that
they are :
-Working properly
-Clean (get the dust bunnies off those blades!)
-The right size and hung at the proper height to effectively cool the room
If the ceiling fan is installed and working correctly, yet another question for you to ask yourself;
“How do my ceiling fans complement my decor?”
Interior designers have generally felt that ceiling fans are functional and should visually blend into the ceiling as much as possible versus being a eye-catching design element in a room. With the ever growing number of high-ceiling, open floor plan concept rooms, is this thinking on target? Like most things in interior design, it is not black and white. Bottom line in this designer’s opinion, the homeowner needs to weigh in with their opinion…after all, it is their house.
Here are some things to consider if you are replacing or installing a new ceiling fan.
Credit to Bellacor.com and Josie Lowry who authored this post for Bellacor.
Ceiling fans are extremely energy efficient, using less energy than a 100 watt light bulb, and they can reduce the demands on both our air conditioners and furnaces.
In the summer the air movement created by a fan can make a 79 degree room feel like it’s 72 degrees, and by raising the thermostat you could save up to 30% on your air conditioning bills. According to one energy company the average fan costs 1 cent an hour to operate in comparison to 16 cents for a room air conditioner. Since heat rises in the winter reverse the blades direction to push warm air down which can also help you save on your heating bill. In addition to their economic benefits ceiling fans can add style and design to any room. The design and finish’s they are currently available in are endless and can fit any décor.
Here is a list of tips to keep in mind when selecting a ceiling fan.The pitch of the blade determines the amount of air that is moved, the greater the pitch the greater amount of air movement. Typically you want the blade pitch to fall between 12-15 degrees. A 14 degree blade pitch will move between 8,000 to 9,000 cubic feet of air per minute. The higher the blade pitch the higher the quality of the motor needs to be. If the motor is not sturdy enough to accommodate the blade pitch the life of the fan will be greatly reduced.
The blades of the fan should be anywhere between 7 to 10 feet above the floor. For projects with high ceilings purchase an additional down rod to accommodate the additional length needed. The chart below gives down rod length suggestions.
Ceiling Height 8′ 9′ 10′ 11′ 12′ 13′ 14′ 15′ 16’+
Rod Length 3″ 6″ 12″ 18″ 24″ 36″ 48″ 60″ 72″
DON’T BE WARM THIS SUMMER, GET A CEILING FAN!!