PROPERTYSPARK ARTICLE

How to Choose the Right Ceiling Fan for a Room

Choosing the right ceiling fan for a room isn’t a matter of style alone. Sure, style is important, but it’s just not the only consideration.
The overall square footage of the room can also make a huge difference in what size fan you need, because if the fan isn’t the right size for your room, it’ll either be dwarfed, or overwhelming. You also have to consider the height and pitch of the ceiling, and how far the walls are going to be from your fan blades. A ceiling fan can save you a lot of money on heating and cooling costs and keep you comfortable in every season, but it’s going to be a permanent fixture in your home and you need to choose it carefully.

Measure Your Space

Get out a tape measure and measure the length and width of your room. Multiply those two numbers together to find the square footage of the space. If the space is oddly shaped, you can find the square footage by dividing it into smaller squares or into triangles or circles and then adding those smaller measurements together. To find the square footage of a triangle, multiply the length of the base by the height of the triangle and divide the result by two. To find the square footage of a circle, multiply the square of the radius by 3.14 or pi.
Once you know your room’s total square footage, you’ll have a better idea of what size fan to buy. In general, the larger the room, the larger the fan you will need. Fans are measured in inches and the measurements are taken across the width of the blade sweep. You can buy fans smaller than 36 inches or larger than 80. You should size your fan accordingly:

• For rooms smaller than 75 square feet, fans 29-36 inches.
• For rooms 75 to 150 square feet, fans 36 to 42 inches.
• For rooms 150 to 225 square feet, fans 44 to 50 inches.
• For rooms 225 to 400 square feet, fans 44 to 50 inches.
• For rooms above 400 square feet, fans 54 to 60 inches or larger.

Sizing a ceiling fan is a matter of scale as well as functionality. It should be the right size to create appropriate, comfortable air flow in the room, without looking out of place. You should buy large room ceiling fans that sit well in the space, and don’t be afraid to hang up multiple large fans instead of trying to cool a large room with a single large fan.

Know Your Ceiling Pitch and Height

Ceiling fans will either hang down from the ceiling on a downrod, or sit flush against the ceiling. Which one you want depends on how high your ceiling is, and the length of your downrod does, too. If your ceiling is less than nine feet high, you probably want one of the flush-mount ceiling fans that sits close to the ceiling. If your ceiling is nine feet high, a ceiling fan with a standard 12-inch downrod should do nicely. But if your ceiling is higher, you’re going to need to get a downrod extension kit. You want the fan about seven or eight feet off the floor – low enough that you can feel the breeze, but high enough to miss the heads of occupants.
You also need to be able to hang a fan with 18 inches of clearance from the nearest wall, or from the ceiling if it’s a heavily pitched ceiling. If the ceiling pitch is 34 to 56 degrees, you will need an angle mount ceiling fan. Otherwise you will need a lengthy downrod to bring the fan down low enough.

Don’t Forget Style

Style may not be the most important thing to consider when you’re choosing a ceiling fan, but it’s still pretty important. You want the ceiling fan you choose to blend in with your decor and fit in with your home’s architectural style. If you live in a downtown loft with huge windows, you can choose an industrial-style cage fan or a large windmill fan with up to nine blades. If you have a beach house, you can choose airy palm leaf fans with a coastal feel. If you live in a cozy cottage in the woods, perhaps a more traditional, ornate fan will do.
Don’t let choosing a ceiling fan overwhelm you. As long as you know what size to get, it’s really just a matter of shopping until you find not just a fan you can live with, but one you can love.