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Unique Ceiling Fans
What are the benefits of ceiling fans?
In today's marketplace there is variety of unique ceiling fans which provide an economical way to cool yourself in the hot weather and make the most efficient use of your heat in winter. During warm weather the fans create a soft breeze which cause evaporation of sweat from your skin thereby cooling the body. The fans do not work like an air conditioner in that they don't actually cool the air so if the humidity is high the degree of cooling won't be as great.
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If you do have air conditioning a ceiling fan will help to disperse the room air more evenly giving a more uniform temperature throughout the room.
Ceiling fans work during the heating season to circulate the warm air in the room that has risen to the ceiling. This is especially effective in rooms with high walls or cathedral ceilings and creates a more uniform temperature with fewer drafts.
What are the types of ceiling fans.
As you would imagine, ceiling fans come in many different configurations with various bells and whistles for every taste. The two most common types are fans that come with or without lights. If you are replacing a ceiling light with a fan you may want to purchase a model with lights.
The most common type of fan comes with a three-speed pull chain providing control for OFF-high-medium-low. There is also a control for the blade direction. Fans that have lights will have a separate control.
There are also fans that operate via remote control which can be installed using a 2-wire system. These systems allow you to turn the fan off and on, change the direction of the rotation, and regulate the speed.
Outdoor ceiling fans.
At first glance it may seem that an outdoor ceiling fan is a rather useless idea, however, there are some great benefits for this type of fan. If you enjoy sitting out on your porch on a warm evening think of how much more pleasant it would be if there were a gentle cooling breeze which would keep the bugs at a safe distance as well.
There are two types of outdoor fans, those that are designed for damp conditions and others that are rated for wet conditions. Damp rated fans could be used in areas such as a covered porch that is not directly exposed to rain or water. A wet rated fan, on the other hand, can be operated in areas that will be exposed to rain and the elements. Such a location might be a gazebo or uncovered porch.
Outdoor ceiling fans can also be purchased with a light but this could be counterproductive if you’re trying to keep the insects away. If you do want to include a light it’s recommended that it be controlled by a dimmer.
How many blades do I need?
Today you can buy fans that have one blade all the way up to eight and while the one and eight blade variety may provide some esthetic effect, the most common configuration is four or five blades. A popular misconception is that the more blades you have the more air will be moved; however, as the number of blades increase so does the amount of power needed to rotate them. Fans with fewer blades rotating faster will move more air than a fan with more blades rotating slower. This is why many commercial fans have three blades revolving at a higher speed.
In addition to the number of blades, the diameter of the blades is another factor. There are mini-fans that are 30 inches in diameter and others that range up to 60 inches or more in diameter. A small or medium size bedroom will take a 36 to 42 inch fan while a larger room will require a 50 or 56 inch fan.
What is a hugger fan?
If you have low ceilings you may want to install a “hugger” fan. This type of fan is designed so that the blades are closer to the ceiling than regular fans. This is to allow the maximum distance between the blades and the floor. While this allows you to install a fan that otherwise would not be practical, a hugger fan is not as efficient in moving air as those that are not mounted as close to the ceiling. It is suggested that there be a minimum of eight feet in height from floor to ceiling to install a hugger fan and that there be a least eight inches from the ceiling to the top of the blades.
How about energy efficiency.
One of the biggest advantages of ceiling fans and the reason they have become so popular in recent years is that they use a fraction of the electric power that is required by a room air conditioner. For example, a large size ceiling fan will use approximately 100 watts of power on the highest setting whereas a 5200 BTU energy efficient air conditioner will use about 470 watts. Nearly five time as much!
To purchase or for more information please visit Amazon Ceiling Fans