Ceiling Fans Can Enhance Comfort

Fri., Aug. 1, 1997

Karol V. Menzie And Randy Johnson The Baltimore Sun

Comfort is the reason old-fashioned ceiling fans have been making a comeback, especially during the past decade.

If you don’t have air conditioning, judicious use of ceiling fans can almost replace it. If you have some air conditioning, ceiling fans can make it feel like you have more. And if you have central air, ceiling fans can help you use it more efficiently.

In the winter, reversible ceiling fans can help circulate warm air and make furnace use more efficient.

Now is the time to think about installing a fan. Most fans come in standard sizes, based on the sweep of the blades; 48 inches and 52 inches are the most common sizes.

The size you choose is largely a matter of common sense. The fan should fit the space where it’s being installed. A small room doesn’t need a huge fan, but in a large space, the fan needs to be big enough to move enough air to make the room feel cooler.

We recommend a clearance of 7 feet from the floor to the bottom of the fan (or the bottom of its light fixture). Local building codes may require more.

A distance of a foot from the ceiling to the blades is best for air flow, but you don’t want to place the fan where you’re going to hit it when you put on a jacket. If you’re using an existing fixture’s box, make sure the box is attached to the framing above the drywall or plaster.

Fans up to 35 pounds can be installed to a secured junction box, but anything heavier will need additional support.

Installing a fan can be a do-it-yourself job, but if you don’t have some experience dealing with electricity, it’s probably a better idea to hire a qualified electrician.

Here are the steps involved in installing a fan:

Turn off all power to the existing fixture and check to make sure it’s fastened to a joist. If you don’t have an existing fixture, locate the center of the room by running diagonal lines from the corners. Then cut a hole large enough for the junction box and run wiring to it.

If you have access from above, such as in an attic, you can screw the junction box to a piece of 2-by-4, position the box so it is flush with the surface below, then screw or nail the 2-by-4 to the joists.

If you don’t have access from above, you can use one of a variety of fan braces that can be mounted through the outlet box hole. The braces adjust for 16- to 24-inch joist spacing.

When the box is installed and electricity is turned on, it’s time to assemble the fan. They all come with assembly directions and the only trick is not to attach the blades until the rest of the fixture (including any light fixture) is in place. It’s much easier to lift the fixture and make the electrical connections if the blades aren’t on.

You can install a fan in the middle of a room without a junction box if you use a swag kit.

The fan is bolted through the ceiling to a joist and the wiring is suspended on a chain attached to the ceiling with hooks. The swag leads to a wall outlet where the fan is plugged in.

Since this installation is portable, it could work in a rental property, where you would just have to repair the holes where the bolts and hooks were to move the fan. If you want to use a swag, check the fan before you buy it to make sure it’s suitable for that kind of installation.

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