Ceiling Fans

Replacing that old ceiling fan can be one of the best decisions you will ever make. This is because the new models are more silent, have more features and have a beautiful appearance. With this you’ll be a bit more at ease as well as a little more relaxed. This can also be a great addition to your home spa concept.

Why should you get a new model ceiling fan? One of the most reasons is because ceiling fans help you feel cooler in summer, this is caused by the wind effect they have and in winter, they push warm air around so that you can feel it. Having a ceiling fan will help you save a lot of money on heating and air conditioning. If you consider yourself to be an environmentalist, note that an air conditioning unit uses 3,500 watts of electricity while a ceiling fan uses only 60 watts.

Having said that, a lot of people don’t know how to choose a good fan or how they can get the most out of their unit. Below is a complete guide that will help you know what to look for as well as how you can get the most out of your ceiling fan.

Choosing Your Fan

Ceiling fans are one of the best-selling pieces of furniture around and they can be found almost everywhere, be it at the local hardware store or even at you favorite online retailer that offers low prices and good customer service (Amazon.com won’t let you down). However, there are many different types of ceiling fans available and trying to get the best unit can be overwhelming. The following are some tips to help you decide on the type of unit that will suit you best.

First Look at the Angle of the Blades

This is actually basic physics. The recommended angle should be 12 degrees or more, otherwise you unit will just be wasting energy. This is because it won’t be moving air as much as it’s required to. Since the main purpose of a ceiling fan is to move air up or down, this means that the blades need to be properly angled.

12 degrees is the minimum angle required to provide you with the effect you want, on the other hand if the blades are at 16 degrees the effect might be too much. The blades will push air around with a lot of pressure and this is not such a good option for rooms like the study or an office because there are a lot of papers and you don’t want them flying around everywhere. A good balance for both power and comfort is at 14 degrees.

Next, Get the Right Size for Your Room

The size of the fan correlates to the amount of space your room has especially if there needs to be a desired effect. The table below will help you have a good balance between energy consumption and airflow:

Features to Consider

• Lighting – If your room doesn’t have enough lighting, go for a unit that comes with a light assembly.
• Remotes – This isn’t very necessary although it is one of life’s few luxuries that will enable you to control you unit without having to leave the comfort of your massage chair.
• Pull Chains – Surprisingly, pull chains are not included in all ceiling fun models which can become a nuisance when the remote control isn’t working.
• Reverse mode – It enables the fan’s blades to revolve in the opposite direction which can be very useful during winter season.
• Thermostat Links – It enables your thermostat to control the ceiling fan which is good for maximum efficiency.

Installation

The most common and easiest way of installing anything is simply by paying someone to do it although tit may cost you between 100 to 300 dollars. However, if you are comfortable and know your way around a drill and screwdriver, you can also opt to do it by yourself.

Paying for Installation (or/and an Electrician)

There are several ceiling fan companies that offer their customers a white glove service which means that they take care of everything. Since the employees know the products very well, it’s not such a bad idea. If you purchase your unit from Home Depot or Lowe’s, they also provide their customers with installation services. You may want to bargain a bit for a good deal.

You may also want to employ the services of the local handy man, especially if you’re having a hard time trying to figure out the wiring system. Note that if the wiring is in a mess or it’s not where it’s supposed to be, you may have to spend a lot more money to have the installation process redone.

The DIY Option

You can opt to do the installation work by yourself. There are numerous guides and manuals and even YouTube videos which you can use to point you towards the right direction. Each fan model is a little different so make sure you have a sneak peek of it before you begin. Here is one of the best YouTube installation videos:

Before You Get Started

Try holding up your fan to the place you want to have it installed. Make sure that the blade’s ends are at least 2.5 feet away from other things that may get into contact with it (cabinets, wall or pipes) and the blades ought to be at least 7 feet away from the floor.

Cleaning Your Fan

A light dusting every now and then should take care of the dust, but you may want to clean your unit properly at least once a year. This means that you’ll have to remove the blades while standing on a step ladder (don’t use two chairs that are balanced on each other!), make sure you turn the fun off or even turn off the main power switch. Safety is a very important aspect. You can then proceed to unscrew the blades and clean them using soapy water.

Ceiling Fan Tips and Tricks

#1: Counterclockwise in summer

Remember when we mentioned above the importance of purchasing a ceiling fan which can revolve in two different directions? Here’s the reason why. Stand under your unit and switch it on. If you can feel the breeze then that’s the summer setting. During summer, you’d like the air to be moving down into the room where it can be felt on the skin offering that pleasing and cooling effect. If you can’t feel the breeze then you have to switch the fan on so that it can change the rotation.

#2: Clockwise for winter

Do the exact opposite during winter. This is because you want the air to be blown upwards. Since your heater will be producing warm air, your ceiling fan job will be to capture it and move it upwards towards the center of the room as well as down the walls. Having done this, you would have been creating the optimal blend of cool and warm air and as a result, the temperature will become more stable. This will help ease the pressure on the heating system and also save you some money.

#3: Set Your Thermostat Higher During Summer

In reality, your ceiling fan doesn’t cool air and it only feels that way when you are standing under it. What it actually does is it circulates cool air better. So if you’re planning on staying at home, you may want to raise the thermostat a little so that you can save some money. Since the room will be feeling cool, you don’t have to push your AC very hard.

#4: Turn Fans off When You’re Not Around

You may want to purchase a fancy unit that has sleep modes or timers, but in reality fans don’t cool rooms, they cool people, so you don’t have to leave it on when you’re not at home. The room won’t be a lot cooler by the time you come back but your electricity bill would have just piled up.