Getting some wind in your sails
How to choose the right ceiling fan
DAVID MINK GateHouse Plus

The world's resources have slowly demonstrated to the American people that they are not as renewable as we believe. Just look at your natural gas bill or see how much it hurts your pocket book to fill up the car if you don't believe that.

As citizens feel the financial crunch more and more, and as they grow weary of meekly opening up their wallets for the hands of Big Oil and the federal government, they begin to look for a way out.

While there is no clear-cut, here-today gone-tomorrow way to get out from under the crunch, many people are adopting small changes to bring down their monthly bills. Car pooling, for instance, increases gas mileage for everyone involved. Not running the air conditioner 24 hours a day, as well, can decrease your electricity usage.

But you'll still need to keep the house cool, even without the air conditioner. The best way to do that? Ceiling fans.

Ceiling fans are fast approaching their 150th birthday. Invented in the 1860s, ceiling fans were originally powered by water turbines. The turbines would turn a series of belts, which in turn would power a number of dual bladed fans placed strategically throughout a department store or business.

These

days fans run on

inexpensive electric motors. Although they do need a power source, ceiling fans are a popular supplement to air conditioners, as they use less power and provide an efficient way of circulating the air and keeping a home at an ambient temperature.

There are a few consid-erations you should take into account before buying a ceiling fan. The first, of course, would concern the aesthetic, but beauty is subjective. Pick which fan will be right for your design.

However, fans come in a number of standard sizes, so you should know which one you'll need for your home project. A 30-inch fan is ideal for small bedrooms and kitchens (rooms up to eight feet by 10 feet), while a 42-inch fan should be installed

in

medium-sized

bedrooms

and

living

rooms (rooms 12 feet by 12 feet). Large fans (52

inches) should only be

incorporated into much

larger rooms, measuring

around 18 feet by 20 feet.

Ceiling height also plays a significant factor in determining what style of fan you employ. Low ceilings (less than eight feet) are best complimented by hugger-style fans (fans that are flush with the ceiling). As ceiling height increases, down rods of varying length should be incorporated. Most companies recommend hanging your fans about eight feet off the floor. Use the following chart, provided by Westinghouse Ceiling Fans, to determine which down rod length best compliments various ceiling heights.

• For a ceiling height of nine feet, a 12-inch down rod should be used.

• For 10 feet, use an 18-inch down rod. • 11 feet - 24 inches. • 12 feet - 36 inches.

• 13 feet - 48

inches.

• 14 feet - 60 inches.

• 15 feet - 72 inches.

If you're working

with a sloping

ceiling, don't fret.

Most fans are built to accommodate sloped ceilings. Just set the fixture and then bring in a down rod long enough to keep the fan blades from grazing the downward

slope of the ceiling.

Although most fans incorporate the same machinery, styles certainly vary. For the low-end, pick up your every-day, generic ceiling fan at any local department store. High-end ceiling fans, however, incorporate palm-frond style blades and ornate lighting systems.

In the end, however, it's all about saving money, and a ceiling fan that can turn the air will go a long way toward shaving precious dollars off that electric bill.