Posted by Staff | May 25, 2022 | Ask The Electrician, Sponsored, Town Square
Q: How do I select a new ceiling fan?
Ceiling fans are great for helping to move air around a room and can help with both cooling in the summer and heating efficiency in the winter. They are most effective in rooms that are occupied but plenty of people leave them on full time just to circulate the air. One of our more common requests is to come and install a new ceiling fan or replace an existing light fixture with a ceiling fan or fan/light combo.
Almost all ceiling fans have a switch on the motor (or a setting on the remote) that allows you to reverse the direction the fan blades spin. This changes if the fan is blowing air down into the room (best for cooling) or pulling air upward towards the ceiling (more efficient for spreading heat). In the summer month you should set your fan to spin counter clockwise and then reverse it to spin clockwise in the winter. The direction is determined by looking upwards at your spinning fan. (So in the summer/counter-clockwise position you will feel a breeze coming down towards you.)
Ceiling fans can commonly range in size from as small as 30” to as large as 72”. This is one of those places where bigger is better. The size of the fan is directly related to how much air it will move around the room. Most single rooms like a bedroom, sun porch and kitchen will easily accommodate a 42-44” or even 52” fan just fine. Larger fans work best in great rooms or rooms with higher ceilings. The other size consideration is ceiling height. If the ceiling is low you may want to consider a flush mount fan that sits directly against the ceiling, as a rule of thumb your ceiling fan should be at least 7 feet from the floor to avoid accidental contact with the blades. Sloped ceilings require a down rod to allow the fan to hang level. Larger fans require higher rated boxes to accommodate the heavier weights.
There are a lot of style options for ceiling fans and they can cost anywhere from $50 (we don’t recommend going this inexpensive) to upwards of $500 for specialty or designer fans. Depending on your style choices a good quality basic single room ceiling fan should in the $120-$150 range. If you are hanging your ceiling fan outside be sure it is rated for outdoor and/or potentially wet conditions. These factors will come into your decision:
How much does it cost to install?
Most of our ceiling fan installs range from $179-$249 to replace an existing fan and $179-$429 to install one in place of an existing light fixture. This price can vary depending on factors like ceiling height, if there is an existing “fan rated” box already in place and any wiring needs. Costs could be higher if scaffolding is needed or there is no existing wiring to the location. It’s best to let us come and take a look first if you’re not sure.
We normally schedule an estimate for most ceiling fan inquiries. This allows us to look at any determining factors and provide an accurate cost that homeowners can then base their decision on. If you are scheduling an estimate and think you would like to just go ahead with a same day install please make sure you have your new fan on hand and let our office know. For simple installs we can do these during the same visit as the estimate, especially if we know ahead of time. Summer is here so we’ll start those fans up counter-clockwise!
Scott Cummings leads the team at Dynamic Electric, a Hillsborough-based full service electrical provider for both residential and commercial needs. Dynamic Electric is dedicated to providing quality workmanship, outstanding service, reliable installation and safe repairs or troubleshooting for all their customers.
In “Ask The Electrician,” Scott answers common questions about electrical work, from switches and outlets to safety issues and preventative maintenance. If you have a suggested question for us to answer – or need an electrician – please reach out to our office at (919) 370-0056 or visit our website.
Scott Cummings leads the team at Dynamic Electric, a Hillsborough-based full service electrical provider for both residential and commercial needs. Dynamic Electric is dedicated to providing quality workmanship, outstanding service, reliable installation and safe repairs or troubleshooting for all their customers.
In “Ask The Electrician,” Scott answers common questions about electrical work, from switches and outlets to safety issues and preventative maintenance. If you have a suggested question for us to answer – or need an electrician – please reach out to our office at (919) 370-0056 or visit our website.
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