Ceiling-Fans
Add Function
& Style To Your Home
 Ceiling-Fans have been
around since the late 1800's and became popular in stores, restaurants
and offices. These early, 2 bladed models were operated by a belt drive
system which ran from fan to fan and was driven by a stream of running
water. Electric fan motors were developed around 1882 and remained
popular until going out of vogue during the Great Depression. There
popularity spread to other countries, namely ones with warm climates
without air conditioning. It wasn't until the energy crunch of the
1970's that they began a serious resurgence back in the US.
Since these fans only
move the ambient air and do not directly change it's temperature but
they can aid in providing comfort during the summer and winter months.
Many folks don't realize that they are very effective during the winter
by simply reversing the direction of the fan.
All modern day fans are
equipped with a switch that will reverse the direction of the blades.
In the summer the fans rotation blows air downward creating a breeze
that speeds up the evaporation of perspiration on the skin making the
bodies own cooling mechanism more efficient. In the winter, switch the
fan to spin in the opposite direction... but on a slow speed. Since the
hot air naturally rises to the ceiling and cool air sinks to the floor
(where we humans hang-out) the fan will work to even-out the
temperature in the room by forcing the warm air at the ceiling
throughout the room making it cooler at the ceiling but warmer where
you are. Now you can set the thermostat a few degrees lower to save
energy and still maintain the same level of comfort.
Exception
to the rule...
Vaulted Ceilings...
if your fan is mounted in a room with very high ceilings (two stories
or higher) the rule is reversed. A fan mounted so high can't have a
significant "wind-chill" effect so the purpose is to move the hot air
down in the winter and pull the cold air up in the summer. I can't
confirm this concept since I don't live in a home with vaulted ceilings
but it seems logical.
Ceiling-fan
buying considerations...
Depending on what type of ceiling you have, there
are different variations to the fan. If you have standard 8
foot ceilings you are probably going to want to look for a
"flush-mount" option especially if you plan on putting on a light
fixture. Most all other fans come with a 4 inch extension or you can purchase a longer one
depending on how high your ceilings are. Ceilings that are higher than
8 feet, look for a fan that comes with a 4 inch extension. This will
allow folks with vaulted ceilings to drop you fan down lower to the
ground making the fan more effective. Ceiling-fan extensions can be
purchased in several different lengths to accommodate your ceiling
situation.
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