Buying a Ceiling Fan

[Steve B.]

Hunter is my favorite brand. On some of the cheapies I have seen in the past the blade pitch is such that the just don't move any air. Turn the sucker on high and it shakes, rattles, knocks and swings but stand under it and you can't even feel a good breeze. My current Hunter is perfectly still on high and moves enough air to have the bedroom curtains all wiggling about when it is on high.

Be aware that most of the fans have multiple mounting options so the one you are looking at may be able to mount differently. On the ones I just replaced you could do the downrod mounts or the upper "bell" could be attached directly to the fan and then to ceiling mount. Go to

and look half way down the page and you will see what I mean about the different ways to mount. Steve B.

[01dyna]

Hunters are fine. I like Casablanca as well. Stay away from the no-name brands that Lowes and HD sells. They're crap.

My philosophy on fans is much like paint. Buy the good stuff, it's too much of a pain to have to re-do it again in a year.

[LouB]

Yabut For a quite awhile Home Depot's store brand paint was the highest rated. I had one of their fans for 16 years with NO problems. Anyone who automatically thinks the "name" brands are always better probably thinks the highest price gas is better too.

Lou

[cybercat]

Are you thinking anyone believes that you are in this much demand?

[SMS]

I installed three in a rental recently.

If you're getting one with lights find one where the light is an integral part of the motor housing, and not an attachment that's bolted on below the motor.

I had a really hard time finding a fan with a light that wasn't really obtrusive. I found nothing at Home Depot. At Lowe's I found one.

"

"

[cybercat]

"

" This is the one I really love! When I looked at it, I wondered how well it cools, given that it has only three blades. How well do you find it works? And how big is the room(s) you put it in.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

More important than the number of blades is the shape or airfoil of them. Ceiling fans are meant to give a gentle breeze anyway so they should be fine. Looks better than average IMO.

[cybercat]

I think this is the one I want.

[HeyBub]

The proof is in the pudding. Every time I lick my eyebrows in public, several follow me home.

[David Nebenzahl]

On 5/18/2008 2:34 PM HeyBub spake thus:

You dog, you!

[cybercat]

hahaha

[Rudy]

In the last Consumer Reports, it still was.. BEHR brand

[cshenk]

"cybercat" wrote

Ok, hey, the kits are pretty easy to put in so if in doubt and wanting to not have to go back up into the attic more than once, not a bad deal. Both of ours now have a kit. The bedroom one wobbled and it was the mounting as best as we can tell. Took all of 15 mins to add the kit with it's simple screw points to the beams. Lots of different models out there. I think Don said this one cost 15$. Sort of x-shaped and fits over the beams (adjustable) then you put in 3-4 screws on each side of the beam. Supposed to be for really heavy fans I think? Anyways, most sturdy than what was up there.

The livingroom fan already had such a unit a bit like it and that one has never wobbled. It just had the dang thing broken by the renters who seemed to play basketball or something indoors.

[SMS]

"

">

I have no idea how well it cools because it's in a rental unit. If I call the tenants to ask, they'll probably demand I install central air conditioning! The fans were put in in January when it was cold. They seem to move plenty of air around. The old ones were five blade fans without lights. The rooms are about 10' x 14'.

You can see pictures of them installed at "

"""

[SMS]

You have very good taste.

[SMS]

"

">

There was another reason I liked this one. It could be mounted very close to the ceiling. Actually I would have preferred a flush mount, but I couldn't find a flush mount with the lights I wanted. Also see "

" which might be good for a kitchen, but not a bedroom.

[cybercat]

"SMS" wrote >

Looks nice!

[cybercat]

"SMS" wrote >

Why, thank you! I sent my husband the link to it, we'll see if he likes it.

One thing I wonder about--our present big gawky one has a large drum-like base that is flush with the ceiling, whereas this one does not. So we will have to do come cosmetic repair to the ceiling, right?

[SMS]

Or use one of those ceiling fan medallions that cover the hole if it's bigger than the base.

[clifto]

Thanks! Good reason to avoid it.