How far to hang ceiling fan on 20 foot ceiling?

7 years ago

I purchased a 60" ceiling fan for our great room which is 19.5 feet high and has a 10/12 pitch. We will be heating with wood using a Wilkening Fireplace so want to properly move the air around. Everything I'm reading says that the fan should be 9 feet off the floor, which would mean I would need a 10 foot down rod which seems ridiculous! Would I be making a mistake if I just hung it as far down from the ceiling as is visually appealing to me? Since scaffolding is needed, I would really like to get this right the first time!! Thanks in advance for your help!

Featured Answer

Mini-Split Warehouse

5 years ago

RIGHT FAN INSTALLATION:

https://www.airconditionersductless.com/

Ceiling fan blade spans range from 29 – 54 inches - the most popular being the 52-inch model. To determine which size you need, measure the room where the ceiling fan will be installed and follow these guidelines:

Room Dimensions Suggested Fan Size

Up to 75 ft2 .....29 – 36"

76 – 144 ft2 .....36 – 42"

144 – 225 ft2 ......44"

225 – 400 ft2...... 50 – 54"

Choosing the Appropriate Mounting System

Ceiling fans should be installed, or mounted, in the middle of the room and at least 7 feet above the floor and 18 inches from the walls. If ceiling height allows, install the fan 8 - 9 feet above the floor for optimal airflow.

Standard mounts come with a 3 – 5 inch downrod, which is the metal pipe that extends from the ceiling bracket to the top of the fan. Downrods are usually either 1/2 or 3/4-inch in diameter.

Extended mounts can be used to hang the ceiling fan at the desired 8– 9 feet from the floor for tall ceiling heights. Downrods can be purchased from 6 inches (9 ft ceiling) to 120 inches (20 ft ceiling). Check with the manufacturer or sales associate to determine the right downrod length for you.

Flush mounts anchor the fan directly against the ceiling. Most standard fans can be installed as a flush mount however, many manufacturers sell “hugger” or “low profile” ceiling fans that are specifically designed for this purpose. Hugger fans are ideal for rooms that have ceilings under 8 feet in height or in situations where a fan with optional light would hang down too low. Hugger fans will not move as much air as a regular fan because the blades are closer to the ceiling.

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Comments (11)

PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Your downrod is not long enough and frankly it's the pitch of the blades that affects air flow. Is your fan large enough for the room?
User
7 years ago
Most charts say call the company to discuss for ceilings over 15' tall. Longest stock downrod that seems easily available is 6'/72".

Regardless, you need at least 2' from fan tips to wall at whatever height you suspend.
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PRO
Blue Marbles Renovation LLC
5 years ago
Jennifer- did you ever get your ceiling fan resolved? I have the same issue, we are re-building our lake home (and interestingly we are using a Wilkening fireplace also!). LMK what you ended up doing. My electrician suggested hanging the ceiling fan very high up but the fan company says we won't feel the air flow even with a 7500 CFM. Thanks for any help. Julie
Jennifer B.
Original Author
5 years ago
I ended up hanging it about 5 feet from the ceiling, so fairly high. I'm very pleased with it. A lot for me was the view of the lake (I didn't want to have to look through the fan to see the lake from the second floor balcony.) It moves the air just fine both directions depending upon the season. I DID, however, end up with the "strobe affect" which my electrician warned me about. I thought I was hanging it high enough to avoid that, but I guess not!
sktn77a
5 years ago
Just be aware that the longer the down rod, the more susceptible to imbalance the fan will be. With the quality of fans today, you could have your fan swinging around like one of those aeroplanes you see in the toy stores!
formulaross20
5 years ago
Our family room has a vaulted ceiling, 16' to the peak and a ceiling pitch of 8/12. We installed a 60" fan and when it came to the down rod, I bought a 6 foot rod at Lowes, it was the longest they had. That places the fan at about 10'off the floor. Works fine for air circulation. I wouldn't be so concerned about the look, we don't pay attention to the 'look' of the fan, it's the fireplace, brick surround and built-in cabinets on each side that what we see in the room.

I disagree with sktn about a longer down rod making the fan more susceptible to imbalance. Fans mounts allow the down rod to pivot at the top/ceiling mount. This makes the combination of the down rod fixed to the fan act as a long pendulum. The longer the pendulum length, the longer its period of swing (as the pendulum is lengthened, it swings back and forth slower). With an out of balance fan assembly, the period of rotation of the fan is short (1/2 second?, 1 second?) when compared with the period of the pendulum (several seconds) such that the out of balance condition doesn't excite the pendulum frequency.
J M
4 years ago
What is a strobe effect?
Jennifer B.
Original Author
4 years ago
As I understand it, it is when the paddle of the fan cuts through the beam of light as it is shining down into the room. So it "cuts" the light out like a strobe light does. The faster you run the fan, the strobe effect you get.
DebbieandMario Cohen
2 years ago
Where can you buy a 96” down rod?
ci_lantro
2 years ago
Down rods max out at 72". You can use two down rods and a down rod coupler for longer lengths. Check with the maker of your fan to ensure matching finish.