subject: Features to Look For in the Blades of Your Ceiling Fans [print this page] Features to Look For in the Blades of Your Ceiling Fans
Adding ceiling fans to your home can be a wise move on your part. With the rising costs in electricity, you can save big time if you make a switch to these low-energy operating units. It is without any pretense that air-conditioning systems are big guzzlers of electricity in the home. Indeed, you may find it very pleasant and comforting to have your air and room cooled with these centralized systems but you may not find it pleasant to the pockets when you stumble upon your high bills by the end of the month.
A change to the overhead fan systems is therefore a welcome reprieve. But before you do some hasty purchases of these items, here are a few tips to help you out. While you can be looking for top brand motors of these devices, try to take a close look at the blades, too. The blades are very important parts of the ceiling fans so you should be able to know what features to look for in them.
One of the features that you should consider is the size of the blades. Bigger fans will generally produce more air and can reach a wider berth. Smaller ones, on the other hand, will generate cooling on a smaller area. Thus when you do have a limited and narrower space, you should only look for fans with smaller blades. This way the room wouldn't be too windy for your comfort. For bigger rooms, you should correspondingly go for bigger units or you may also try to incorporate two smaller fans to cool the place up.
The next feature you should consider is the pitch of the blade. The pitch is the angle of the blades. The rule here is that the greater the angle of the pitch, the more air the fans produce. The ideal pitch is considered to be around 12 to 16 degrees. If it is less than that the blade will only slice through the air and wouldn't be able to paddle and produce considerable air movement. If it goes beyond that, more air is generated but a greater resistance is involved causing a lot of stress to the motor.
Finally, take into account the blade's materials and finishes. Quality materials will not cause the blades to warp easily. Consider getting ones that are made of wood, plastic and metal. Less expensive ones made of MDF material can warp quite readily causing your unit to wobble and create some annoying noises.
When it comes to the finishes, get ones that will match your home dcor and furnishings. You can opt for stained woods, solid painted ones or metallic coatings. There are even options to go for reversible blades allowing you to change your home's themes every once in a while.
