There are lots of things to consider when buying ceiling fans, and one of the most important is what size to get. Knowing the size you need will help you narrow down styles and even the number of blades.
Getting the size right is important for proper operation, as well as for the visual effect. Too much fan will eat your ceiling up, while too small a fan will make your ceiling look much larger and emptier than it really is.
This article will help you determine what size fan you need. By the end of it, we hope that you understand how to use that knowledge to make the right purchase.
In This Article We'll Discuss
How to Choose the Right Ceiling Fan Size
The primary function of a ceiling fan is to circulate air, and there’s a general level of air circulation that is desirable for each room of the house. Getting the right size fan will help you get the right level of air circulation.
Keep in mind that the downdraft of a fan drops off dramatically about a foot beyond the reach of the fan blades.
Fans also contribute to the overall appearance of a room. A fan that’s too large will dominate the room, while a fan that’s too small could make the ceiling appear bigger and more open than you want.
When choosing the size of your fan, it’s important to know the dimensions of the room rather than a room’s use. The smaller the room, the smaller the fan you’ll want.
Generally speaking, the smallest fans are appropriate for things like walk-in closets and laundry rooms while the largest fans will go in living rooms or in open-air homes. Medium-sized fans are appropriate for kitchens, bedrooms, and offices.
How Do I Know What Size Ceiling Fan I Need?
Knowing the size of the room is the most important part of knowing what size fan you need. It’s not a matter of square footage, either. You’ll want to get a fan that fits into the narrowest measurement of your room.
For instance, if you have a bedroom that is 10×20 feet, you’ll want to get a fan that is suitable for the 10-foot dimension rather than a fan for a 200 sq. foot room. If your room is long and narrow enough, you might even want to consider two fans rather than one large one.
Also, keep in mind that the breeze generated by a fan drops off about a foot outside the reach of the blades. That breeze will still circulate the air outside that space, but if you want the benefits of a direct breeze, you should take that into account.
What Sizes Do Ceiling Fans Come In?
Ceiling fans used to come in just a few standardized sizes, but demand for variety has opened the market in terms of size and design. These days, you can find fans of different sizes, designs and with varying numbers of blades.
When measuring fans for different size rooms, most measuring charts don’t lay out specific fan sizes. Instead, they tend to identify ranges.
A fan’s size is measured by the number of inches from the tip of one blade to the tip of another blade. For fans with an even number of blades, you can measure it directly across.
You can also measure it directly for fans with an odd number of blades, but you’ll need to bend your measuring tape in the middle of the fan and stretch it out across another blade.
An alternative is to measure from the blade tip to the center and double your measurement for the fan’s true size.
Can a Fan be Too Big for a Room?
It’s important to get the right size fan for a room. You’ll want to ensure that the fan you purchase isn’t too large, or too small.
A fan that is too large for a room won’t circulate air as efficiently as the right-size fan. It will also dominate the space visually. If your room is sloped, a fan that’s too large might even cause the blades to dig into the angled ceiling.
Make sure you know the measurements of your room when purchasing a ceiling fan. Knowing the size, especially of the room’s narrowest part, will help you avoid buying too large a fan.
Is a 54-inch Ceiling Fan Too Big for a Bedroom?
The dimensions of the room will be the deciding factor for whether a ceiling fan is too big. Bedrooms are usually among the larger rooms in our homes and a 54-inch fan is a large-sized fan. So, a 54-inch fan is the right size for a lot of bedrooms.
However, that’s for master bedrooms or the biggest of bedrooms. Any bedroom with dimensions of approximately 20×20 feet would look great with this size fan. But, 54-inch ceiling fan is much too large for smaller bedrooms and most guest bedrooms.
It’s important to not get caught up in average sizes, though. While most guest bedrooms are pretty small and most master bedrooms are pretty big, you’ll want to pair the size of your fan to the actual size of your room. So, you’ll still need to measure them to be sure.
A 54-inch fan might be appropriate for some guest rooms and inappropriate for some master bedrooms.
Conclusion
Knowing the dimensions of a room is the first step towards getting the right size ceiling fan. And, getting the right size fan is important because it will determine how efficiently air circulates, and it will also affect the room’s appearance.
A fan that’s too large will blow too much air and overpower your ceiling. On the other hand, a fan that’s too small won’t create enough of a breeze and will get lost in the ceiling. So, it’s important to get a ceiling fan that’s the right size.
We hope you feel confident about this topic after reading this article, and that it will help you make a smarter purchase. If this article helped you, we’d love to hear about it in a comment. We also invite you to share it on your social media networks.