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How To Choose A Ceiling Fan To Create The Perfect Personalized Cooling Space In Your Home 

By Sophie Johnson

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The summer is in full swing and you know what that means: it’s sweltering hot outside. The air inside your home is getting a bit stuffy and you need better air circulation. It’s time for a new ceiling fan. But how do you choose a ceiling fan that’s right for you?

The process can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. You want something functional, durable, and eye-catching. This article will help take the guesswork out of how to choose a ceiling fan and give you the confidence to install your new fan in the ideal location with no trouble at all.

Understand how a ceiling fan works to help you select the proper location for it in your home

While you may feel cooler standing beneath a ceiling fan, the fan itself doesn’t really cool down the room, it merely circulates the air without changing the temperature of the room. That’s why it feels cool when an individual stands (or sits) beneath it, but not.  The fan moves air better if it is running counterclockwise in the summertime. A large, low speed fan will actually move more air than a faster or smaller model, so keep that in mind choosing a new ceiling fan for your home.

How to choose a ceiling fan for your home

Now it’s time to select the right fan for your home. In addition to looking for something that will match the decor of your home (for an indoor fan) or your outside venue/porch (for an outdoor fan). Before starting your search, try to work out your budget to find an affordable and energy efficient fan.

There are a few key steps to follow when considering how to choose your ceiling fan: determine where you’ll install the fan, choose the size and style, decide if it will have lights, how it’ll be mounted, how it’s controlled and check the airflow.

Determine the ideal location for your new ceiling fan

To determine a great location for your new fan, first consider how you’re going to use it. Indoors, it can help move air, provide lighting, or improve the aesthetics of the space.

Outdoor fans are ideal for sunrooms, garages or porches. A damp-rated fan is great for covered outdoor spaces, while wet-rated fans are perfect for spaces constantly exposed to wet weather.

Size and style

Find a fan that is not only functional but fits your room. For smaller rooms, choosing a fan that measures less than 29 inches in diameter up to 39 inches will help avoid an overcrowded appearance in the room’s decor while adequately improving the airflow. Larger rooms (bedroom, living room, kitchen) require larger fans, typically between 42 and 56 inches. This chart from Hunter Fans has a nice break down of sizes/locations:

Ensuring the size and style of the fan fits your space is vitally important when choosing a new ceiling fan. Choosing the style of the fan is the fun part. Aside from modern and traditional designs, you can choose a rustic or farmhouse design to achieve more of a cozy feel to the room or industrial fans for a more urban feel. There are many choices available to help you choose a ceiling fan that’s ideal for you.

Lighting and mounting type

Once you’ve established the size and style of the fan, consider what type of lighting you’ll use (if any) and how you’ll mount it to your ceiling. You’ll need to figure out how many bulbs and what type of bulbs you’ll need to suit your room’s lighting and energy-saving needs.

How you mount the fan depends on the room. If the room has a low ceiling, mounting it close to the ceiling or totally flush with the ceiling is your best bet. For rooms with high ceilings, mounting extension rods may be required.

Controls and Airflow

The final considerations for how to choose your ceiling fan are how your fan will be operated and how well it moves the air in your home or outdoor space. Control is a matter of preference, whether it’s with a pull chain or controlled remotely via a wall switch, a smartphone and/or remote control.

Perhaps the most important aspect in how to choose a ceiling fan is the airflow. The efficacy rating of your fan determines the airflow and CFM (Cubic feet per minute) of the fan. A higher CFM means better airflow with reduced energy cost. Contoured and aerodynamic blades help optimize the airflow of a quality fan and are important considerations when making your ceiling fan purchase. Be sure to select the proper efficiency rating for your needs and by following these steps, you’ll have the air circulating from a great-looking ceiling fan in no time.

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About Sophie Johnson

As the senior editor for HomeDSGN, Sophie is the ultimate authority on all things home. With years of experience and a deep passion for home decor, she brings an unparalleled level of expertise to everything she does. From decorating and interior design or from cleaning to organization, her insights and guidance are invaluable to anyone looking to transform their living space. Learn more about HomeDSGN's Editorial Process.

2 thoughts on “How To Choose A Ceiling Fan To Create The Perfect Personalized Cooling Space In Your Home ”

  1. Especially for those of you who live in a place that is hot and humid, a ceiling fan is a piece of must-have equipment in your home. I call it equipment and not a piece of furniture because it runs on electricity. Now choosing one that is perfect for your room is difficult because it involves checking the room size as well. This blog does its best into giving a range of choices which you can opt for. Once you have the perfect ceiling fan, you can colour it according to your room theme or let it be a stark contrast, up to you. 

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  2. Thank you for this informative article that gives me the right size and style of choosing a ceiling fan. I would love to have a ceiling fan design
    that’s very simple and elegant to look at.

    Reply

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