Ceiling fans - The Lighting Warehouse (2024)

In the winter, Melissa says that a ceiling fan can re-circulate warm air that naturally rises in a room and gets trapped at ceiling-level: “All you do is turn your ceiling fan on in the reverse direction, which is only possible if the unit has reversible motors. This will bring the warm air down into the living space, which means the heating won’t have to work so hard.” The best of today’s ceiling fans have taken a considerable step up from their ancestors, says Melissa: “Today’s ceiling fan units boast better motors, they are made from more durable materials, feature more handsome finishes, and have intuitive controls. Today, there are ceiling fans in a multitude of sizes, styles and finishes, to suit virtually any décor style – from traditional, through to the über contemporary. You can choose fans with wooden, plastic or metal blades, depending on your décor and budget. In fact, a well chosen ceiling fan can stand proud as a feature in its own right.” Ceiling fans are controlled electronically – they usually come with wall-mounted control units, or in some cases with pullswitches. Some ranges are are even available with remote controls for added convenience and ease of use. Says Melissa: “Any ceiling fan worth its salt should have at least two to three different speeds, so that you can adjust the speed to suit your personal preferences and to extend its use throughout the seasons. In addition, most have two setting that allow you to control the direction that the blades turn – one setting for winter, which helps bring warm air down, and another for summer, which forces the warm air up. They are available with or without a built-in light source. These lights can be fitted with energy efficient LED or CFL globes, in warm or cool white, to ensure that the energy-efficient nature of the ceiling fan can be maintained.” If you have a very low ceiling, then Melissa ecommends that you invest in a wall-mounted ceiling fan: “Wall-mounted fans are a great choice for smaller spaces – they offer the same cooling efficiency as a ceiling fan, except they are mounted neatly out of the way on the wall.” she also advises that you measure the volume of the space in which the fan is to be installed, to ensure you purchase the correct size fan: “Different fans come with different blade sizes – those with larger blades are best suited to larger spaces, or spaces with high ceilings; and those with smaller blades are a better bet for smaller spaces or spaces with low ceilings. Also – take note of how many paddles the fan has – the more paddles it has, the more effectively it will cool you down. If you are shopping for a very large space, then you may want to consider installing two ceiling fans for maximum effect.”