Pick a Ceiling Fan Based on a Room's Square Footage

If you're investing in a new ceiling fan, get one that will be effective.

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With energy costs continuing to rise, ceiling fans are becomingan increasingly popularway to make homes more energy efficient. As we’ve written about in the past, not only can ceiling fanskeep your home coolerin the summer—有或没有空调—but they can alsohelp your home stay warmand toasty in colder weather.

But when it comes to choosing a ceiling fan, it’s not solely a matter of finding one to match your decor: You should also consider the room’s square footage in order to ensure that the fan is able to get the job done. Here’s what to know.

How to buy the right size ceiling fan for a room

First, you need to figure out the square footage of the room where you’re going to hang the ceiling fan.

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Find the square footage of the room

You can use anonline square footage calculator, ordo the math:

  • Measure the length of the room (in feet)
  • Measure the width of the room (in feet)
  • Multiply the length by the width to calculate that room’s square footage.

Finding a fan with the right span

Once you have the room’s square footage, you can select a ceiling fan that is the right size for the space, based on the fan’s span.

Thespan of a ceiling fanis the length (in inches) between the tip of one blade to the tip of the opposite blade (i.e. the diameter). If the fan has an odd number of blades, measure the distance from the tip of one blade to the center of the fan (the radius) then multiply it by two.

Now, pick a ceiling fan with the正确的年代pan for the room:

  • Rooms up to 100 square feet: 36-inch span
  • Rooms up to 200 square feet: 42-inch span
  • Rooms up to 400 square feet: 52-inch span
  • Rooms larger than 400 square feet: Either one 60-inch fan or two 52- or 56-inch fans
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Regardless of the size of the room or the fan, make sure there’s at least 18 inches of clearance from the walls.

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