Do you want to experience a cooling experience on a low ceiling? You might experience some issues. You might want to know what is the minimum and ideal height to mount a ceiling fan. Here is what you need to know.
In many places, if you mount a ceiling fan below 7’ and or mount a ceiling fan 8’ or lower, you are violating the building codes. It is perfect to have the blades at 8’-9’ from the floor and strikes a balance between air circulation, cooling, and safety.
Why does it happen and should you worry about any of this? Go through this guide to determine that.
What’s The Minimum Height To Mount a Ceiling Fan?
The minimum height you need to consider to mount a ceiling fan mostly depends on safety.
According to the building code, it’s against the law to mount a ceiling fan with the blades below 7’ from the floor. The violation of the building code happens when you mount a ceiling fan on ceilings 8’ or lower.
Having the blades at a minimum of 7’ from the floor, keep people safe from the rotating blades of fan while standing up. You will not want anyone to hit his head when a ceiling fan is running. This act will be dangerous and the fan can be hit very hard in this way.
There is no doubt in saying that you can mount a ceiling fan at your desired height in your own house. You do not need a license for this process and no one is going to come to inspect it until you sell your house. However, it is a wise decision to not mount a ceiling fan at a height that can hurt you when you are standing up. You will also think the same for the guests. Your height may not be 6’7 but you might have a NBA player friend.
The chances are slim to none for anyone to get hit by the fan when standing up and about 7’ is the minimum height to ensure that it never happens.
It is really the minimum distance. Think of this how often do you stand up and stretch? It is common thing, right? If you have a height of 6’ and stretch out without thinking, you can easily reach 7’ height using your hand without even putting in too much effort.
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What’s the best height to mount a ceiling fan?
The minimum height might be 6.5’ to mount a ceiling fan but the minimum cannot be the ideal right. So, the question arises what is the ideal height to mount it?
Generally, the perfect height to mount a ceiling fan in your space is between 8’ to 9’ from the floor. It indicates that the distance from the floor to the bottom of the blades should be at least 8’ to 9’. It clearly shows that the mounting point of the fan is a little higher.
It is the best height because it gives the appropriate balance between clearance and the airflow. If the ceiling fan blades are too low, you are at risk of catching something in the rotating blades. The tip of the fan moving at the highest speed is actually rotating very fast. Quick enough to hurt you seriously if you touch it.
In a nutshell, you will avoid it being too low due to the safety issues. However, too high is also not better. The airflow reduces due to the distance. It means that if the blades are higher from the floor, you will end up with less airflow. The flow will be distributed to a larger space so it is not lost entirely. Some air circulation advantages will be achieved but direct cooling effects will become less.
With the help of spinning cooler air over your skin, a ceiling fan cools you down and it is done by the wind-chill effect. Some of the cooling effects are wasted at “people’ height due to the decrease in the air speed. To make amends for it, the fan could work at the highest speed but it will consume more energy and result in a noise too.
If you have ceilings higher than 9’, it is not an issue. Most ceiling fans come with downrods. This is a tiny component that connects the mounting point to the blade assembly. They are available in various lengths. Typically, ceiling fans have just one downrod. However, ceiling fan brands that produce fans design different length downrods. Some of them are 4 ft long. It shows that if you have 12’ high ceilings, you may use the blades at 8’ height.
If you give more preference to the air circulation in a room and less preference to the direct cooling effect, it is found to mount the fans higher.
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Recommended Ceiling Fans For Low Ceilings
Let’s suppose, your ceilings are 8’. What are the ideal options for them? Obviously, you do not have enough room to keep the blades higher than 7’ from the floor. So, are there any fan models that only extend 12” from the ceiling. They are not available in bulk, you have some choices.
Do not forget the ceiling fan downrods I stated above. Naturally, all ceiling fans do not have them. Fans can be constructed without them. As a result, you will save a lot of height. This type of fans are known as flush mount, hugger or low profile fans. this type of ceiling fans can lead you to the correct selection. Most of these models are low profile enough to install on 8’ high ceilings.
Here are some best options.
Honeywell 50182
The price of this fan is reasonable and contains a lighting fixture. The lighting kit’s bottom is 13.5” from the ceiling which is too low. However, the blades of the fan are a few inches above the bottom of the lighting fixture to make them high enough. If you do not want to use the light kit, you can use the cover to hide the hole that is intended for the light.
It has a classic design which might not be attractive to everyone but there is no objection to it. it has a diameter of 52” which makes it a nice fit for most rooms. It will deliver ample airflow for a smaller and good size bedroom.
Hunter Low Profile IV
This model from Hunter is even more cost-effective. The fan blades’ bottom is only 7.53” from the ceiling which makes it the perfect low-profile fan you are willing to get. With this unit, you get over 7’ of headroom on a 8’ ceiling.
It is devoid of lighting fixtures but the model saves some space. It contains a 42-inch diameter and generates 2300 CFM at the highest speed. It will be perfect for smaller rooms that are 200 square feet or less.
Casa Vieja Spyder
Looking for something a little bigger? This 60” diameter fan is a good choice for most living rooms. The bottom of the ceiling fan descends 11.5” from the ceiling which is within the limitations of an 8’ ceiling. The design is simple and not offensive which is compatible with most interiors. It generates up to 4300 CFM which can serve up to about 450 sq. ft. areas.