What Size Fan do I need?

First things first; you’ll need to know what size you’re looking for. To do this, you’ll need to calculate the size of the room and the height of the ceiling. If you don’t know how to calculate the square footage of your room; as a rule of thumb, multiply the length of the room by the width to get the total square feet. For example; if you have a 10’ by 11.5’ bedroom, then 10 * 11.5 = 115 sq ft.

With this in mind, here are the Energy-Star recommendations for the blade span of a fan based on the size of your room:

Under 75 sq ft: 29-36 inch fans

Under 175 sq ft: 42-48 inch fans

Under 350 sq ft: 52-56 inch fans

Over 350 sq ft: 60+ inch fans

So that’s the general guideline for the width / span of the fan, but what about the height? Determining the ceiling to floor distance can be equally important. However, this is also a fairly straight-forward calculation, and there are two options. For ceilings that are 9’ and below, a flush mount ceiling fan will likely be your best bet to save vertical space and make sure that the footprint of the fan doesn’t intrude into the room too far.

If you have a ceiling at 9’ or above, a downrod-mount ceiling fan would be your best bet. These push the location of the ceiling fan down into the room just enough to be effective without being intrusive. The size of the downrod can also be determined by the height of the ceiling. For instance; here are a few recommended downrod sizes based on the height of your room:

9 Foot Ceiling: 6 inch downrod

10 Foot Ceiling: 12 inch downrod

12 Foot Ceiling: 24 inch downrod

14 Foot Ceiling: 36 inch downrod

16 Foot Ceiling: 48 inch downrod

18 Foot Ceiling: 60 inch downrod

20 Foot Ceiling: 72 inch downrod

Calculating the right size fan for your room is a simple but often overlooked and critical part of determining the best fan for your space

What Types of Ceiling Fans are available for my Budget?

Now that you’ve gotten the size for your fan calculated, it’s time to determine your budget. To be fair; there are great fan options to fit almost any budget. While materials, style, brand and size can all have an affect on the price, there’s a wide enough variety of fans available to get most (if not all) of what you want for any cost. If you’re shopping for a ceiling fan under $200, there are several options available to you, including several Energy-Star compliant fans from a number of manufacturers and in a number of different styles. For example, we carry Tropical Ceiling Fans that provide you with a nice, airy feeling and go great with a more beach-centric themed room. There are also some good budget-conscious options for Modern Contemporary Ceiling Fans as well as Transitional Ceiling Fans that offer a great selection of styles for your needs, making sure you can fit the style of your fan to almost any style of room. If you’re willing to push your budget up a bit, your options broaden with plenty of Ceiling Fans under $300 available to you in a range of different styles and size configurations. If you’re looking for a more upscale fixture, there are great options from the likes of Minka Aire, Casablanca Fans and other manufacturers that will be able to hit most price points while being stylish, functional and energy efficient.

What types of features are available with ceiling fans?

Ceiling fans also have a wide range of functionality and lighting type options that are available to you as a homeowner; everything from lighting options such as Halogen Lighted Ceiling Fans to LED Light Ceiling Fans, and controls that range from the standard pull chain to a number of electrical controls that are available; from remote to wall mounted. LED Lighting in ceiling fans have the benefit of providing ample light with very little energy used and a long (50,000 hours) lifespan. While they do tend to be more expensive than some Halogen Lighted options, the savings in energy bills and potential bulb replacement costs could be a deciding factor for you to make the switch. There are also Fluorescent style lighting with CFL bulbs that use approximately 60% less energy to light than halogen lighting and can emit a cool or warm lighting without the higher initial cost typically associated with LED fixtures.