OK, moving into a new house that doesn't have ceiling fans.

I want to put one in each bedroom and the family room. I've not installed before nor, am I familiar with what's modern other than some come with various settings and others you can reverse their direction. What's good? what to avoid? and what considerations do I need to take into account?

If you are replacing a ceiling light fixture with a fan/light, make sure the electrical box is well attached to the ceiling joist.

You're probably going to need a ceiling fan retrofit brace

Normal light fixture may be held in place with skinny 3/8" long screws and can't take the dynamic load of a ceiling fan.

When I lived in Can-eh-duh, I was renting a townhouse the owners were trying to sell for $900,000 CAD (i.e. it was a nice, late model home not some crummy, old rental). The MBR ceiling fan remote control quit working so at lease renewal one of my terms was either fixing the remote or replacing the ceiling fan. The landlord elected to replace, and when he took down the old one discovered a plain electrical fixture held in place by 3/8" long sheet metal screws. He put in one of those retrofit braces, and I'm very glad I had insisted on this as I slept under that fan every night.

Here’s maybe a place to start. I bought from them awhile back.

https://www.hansenwholesale.com/ceiling-fans/bestfans

I recently moved into a house where I replaced two bedroom ceiling fans, installed one in the master bedroom as there was only a light fixture, installed a new ceiling fan in the vaulted slanted living room, and left alone two suspended ceiling fans in the den.

I remember I had to size the ceiling fans to the space. For the three bedrooms which were roughly the same size like 14' x 15' and 8'' high ceilings, I went with the same fan - 54" flush mount LED with light and remote control. To reverse it, there's a switch on the body.

For the living room which is about 20' x 20' with 16' high ceiling at the high end, I went with a 60" angled-mount with down rod LED 10-speed fan with light and remote control. It reverses using the remote. Since there was nothing there before, there's no wall switch. All the ceiling fans I found had LED lamps and mostly single.
The bedroom ceiling fan lights are just on / off but I can change colors from warm orange to sunlight blue. The living room fan can change brightness and color. I would have gone for a larger size in the living room like 75" but the fan I chose was the largest fan that had angle mount and down rod in the description. They powered the living room fan off a smoke alarm power line.

quote:

Originally posted by Some Shot:
If you are replacing a ceiling light fixture with a fan/light, make sure the electrical box is well attached to the ceiling joist.

^^^ This

If you can get up into the attic, it makes life easier. Just don't do it on the hottest day of the year! (ask me how I know )

Most of the fans you get are super easy to wire. If you want, pull an extra line from the switch to the fan and get a dual control dimmer switch- one for the light, one for the fan. Makes life much easier!

All good advice. Fan boxes need to be secure, and the fan needs to be able to be balanced.

People have recommended Big Ass Fans, I look them up and HOLY cow, what is with their prices? What do they do that others don't?

Big Ass fans are well, generally BIG ASS fans with powerful motors that move a LOT of air. Usually used in industrial or commercial applications. However, I just went to their web site and they do have residential models available for indoor and outdoor applications. I'd pick one of those over anything from a big box store made in China.

Historically, I have used Hunter brand fans, but they are not what they used to be.

I used to work for a Big Ass Fans supplier -- we had a few of their large units (the model they called Element) and some smaller ones hanging in the facility.

The Element ran at a max speed of just 72 RPM, but it moved a TON of air due to the design of the foils (blades). We started up a test unit one day, not noticing the box of foam peanuts below it... "hilarity ensued."

BAF cut out some suppliers through vertical integration, but it was fun while it lasted.

If you can afford them, consider the small upgrade to Mink-Aire fans. Even if you can't, find a way to for your bedroom. They move air very well and are super quiet. Quieter than the standard Hunter, Harbor Breeze, etc.

Dan's Fan City. Between our houses and my dad's, we have between 30 and 40 ceiling fans from Dan's Fans. Mostly the white now $160 models, Link. The 15 in my dad's house in Florida are the oldest ones at 23 years and we've never had an issue with any of them. My wife made me buy a fan from Home Depot for my daughter's new bedroom in Michigan because we couldn't possibly wait for one from Dan's, $48 piece of junk didn't go a month before the motor started making noises.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
If you can afford them, consider the small upgrade to Mink-Aire fans. Even if you can't, find a way to for your bedroom. They move air very well and are super quiet. Quieter than the standard Hunter, Harbor Breeze, etc.

I can’t speak to Mink-Aire, but I have had to replace other brands with Hunter. I know this is anecdotal, but every brand we’ve had had buzzed, clicked, wobbled, or suffered “saggy blade” syndrome - except Hunter.

I definitely sleep much worse without a ceiling fan.

I've used those fan braces in the past that you put in. Then twist so it locks into place as braces. I've put in x4 of them in my house. They all are still holding the fans just fine 15 years later.

Good brace to support the weight and fan of choice.

I used RACO Retro-Brace to put in fans just reaching through the hole of the old light fixture.

Since no one mentioned it, if you have a fan and a light and you want to run off the wall stitch you are noting to be one or two wires short.

Unless you want them both to go on at the same time.

I got around this by either accepting the fact I am going to run the lights/fan by a pull chain or in other places installing a remote control.

I leave the wall switch on all the time and use the remote to operate the fan and light.

I currently only use Hunter fans.

Their regular remote control works great.

The one that works with a cell phone is useless.
installed a bunch and they old either did not work out of the box or died less in than a month. Their regular remotes have lasted decades for me.

I’m a big fan of Big Ass Fans! (Haha) they bought out a Japanese fan manufacturer (Haiku) a few years ago and they are the best built residential fans on the market. The motors are extremely well made and each blade is perfectly balanced so that there is zero balance issues. They are also very quiet.

Just in case you weren’t aware. The electrical boxes are suppose to be rated for fan use not just any old box will do.

Hunter fans all over the house, some dating previous to 2007, and nary a problem. Highly recommended.

The newest ones came with remotes which is a nice feature that removes the usual pull-cords or switches for changing light intensity and fan direction.

The only recommendation I can add to the above posts is to be sure to think about height clearance, especially if you're considering a fan with a light fixture hanging underneath for a room with low ceilings.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: joel9507,

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:

People have recommended Big Ass Fans, I look them up and HOLY cow, what is with their prices? What do they do that others don't?

The hangars at Our Little Airport are basically sun-powered ovens. The maintenance business opposite me is a 10,000 sq. ft. hangar. He has a Big Ass Fan that keeps the hangar reasonably comfortable to work in on these 100° Florida days.

Look at fans with DC motors. The DC motor is quit, uses less energy and a number of other benefits.
Link to some info

I have 4 Hunter fans still running from the 1980s. Did not bother with remote control or wall controls other than on/off. Rarely change speed and reverse beginning of spring and winter.