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.

Ceiling-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... 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 ceiling 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. Some fans allow you to add a 4 inch extension or longer 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 accomodate your ceiling situation.

If you are removing-old-ceiling-fan and it still works, give it to Habitat for Humanity rather than throwing it away. You can try to sell it in a local trader or Craigslist.com but I've found you won't get much for it.

Handyman Tools To Install Ceiling-Fans...