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Can A Ceiling Fan Be Too Small?

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By Jeff Eller 2 years ago 7037 Views No comments

Little Ceiling FansJust as a large ceiling fan can actually be too big to use in some spaces, getting a ceiling fan that is too small for your living area isn’t a good thing either.

As described in our article Can a Ceiling Fan Be Too Large for My Space, a ceiling fan needs to have enough clearance from the tips of the blades to walls, sloped ceilings, etc to perform properly. Usually the more clearance the better, but you can also go to the extreme with clearance and have too much by using a ceiling fan that is way to small in relation to room size.

Not only does a ceiling fan that is too small for a room look aesthetically wrong, it will never be able to distribute the airflow properly throughout the entire area.

How Small Ceiling Fans Work

Small ceiling fans almost always spin at a higher RPM rate (rotations per minute) than their larger counterparts; manufacturers ramp up the RPMs in an attempt to create the most air movement in a smaller package. This helps does help with airflow, but only if the fan motor is strong enough to also support a higher blade pitch, otherwise the fan will spin very fast with almost no benefit in return. Therefore, getting the correct little ceiling fan is necessary to get the air moving, and will be nearly perfect for a small bedroom or kitchen.

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Square Foot Challenged Spaces Could Benefit

A 42” ceiling fan is usually the perfect size for small bedrooms 10’ x 10’ and below, but if your bedroom is slightly above that don’t try to push it. Simply upsize to a 50” or 52” model for better comfort in the room. Remember you’ll have at least 3 speed options, and many newer fans offer 6 speeds.

When adding a ceiling fan to the average laundry area or small galley kitchen, consider a 36” ceiling fan or even smaller. It really just depends on how close cabinets may be to blade tips, and you want to be sure your cabinet doors are not going to hit the blades when swung open. If so, consider a tiny ceiling fan like the 26” TroposAir Mini Breeze.

The Common Sizing Mistake

Many people buy a fan that is way too small because for some reason or another they have it made up in their mind that they do not like the look of ceiling fans. This mindset probably comes from people that only think of the old outdated fan designs from the 1980’s and 1990’s, and possibly some from even the early 2000’s. However, thanks to new manufacturing technologies, ceiling fan designs have become one of the most hot trends going for a flowing and flawless high-end look in home décor. With the new hot designs from be best fan companies such as Minka Aire, Modern Forms, Fanimation and TroposAir, there is really no reason to buy too small, but rather buy the right design and in a size to fill your living space with the comfort of a gentle breeze like only the right ceiling fan can provide.

When someone adds a fan too small in their room it not only looks odd because it doesn’t fill the space properly, but it also is never able to do the job it was intended to do in the first place… add a subtle breeze cooling breeze during the summer, and gently bring hot air down to the living levels of a room during the winter months.

Never Go Smaller Than Your Room Requires

As mentioned earlier, in an attempt to make a small fan move more air the manufacturer’s go for higher blade pitches and increased RPMs. This creates a lot of wind speed directly below the fan, which is sometimes accompanied by more wind noise at the higher speeds than most would like to hear.

The airflow is so concentrated that it is somewhat annoying to sit or stand below, yet the airflow never reaches to the ends of the room. It’s comparable to a tabletop fan; you feel the air when it points directly at you, but adds nothing for a cooling affect when it’s pointed away.

By having the right ceiling fan, in the proper size for your room, you will feel nearly the same volume of airflow at the farthest edges of your room as you will if sitting directly below the fan. So do not go too small, but also be careful not to go too large. Remember, you still need at least 2 or 3 feet of clearance between the blades tips and your walls. Therefore installing a 84” ceiling fan in a 10’ x 11’ room is also the wrong thing to do.

In a Nutshell

Make sure you get the correct size fan for each room of your home, and don’t go too tiny or too massive. If you chose the correct size ceiling fan you will not feel too much airflow in one given spot, or too little in others; but rather a room filled with just enough airflow to keep you comfortable day and night year round. The perfect ceiling fan, in the perfect size, should create just enough breeze to notice a cooling sensation during warmer weather without blowing the hair back on your head. It should create be able to create a soft enough slow of air when on the reverse mode to use during the colder months, being able to gently redistribute warm air from the ceiling level back down the the living level and not create any wind-chill in doing so.

If you need help with finding the right size fan for your needs please give us a call… (888) 841-1993… and we will be more than happy to help you and answer any additional questions you may have.



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