Bedroom Ceiling Fans

Bedrooms are the most popular place in the home to install ceiling fans.  They provide natural energy efficient cooling without the dehydrating effects of air-conditioning.  Plus many good fans have an optional integrated light which is useful in smaller rooms.  But not all ceiling fans are well suited for use in bedrooms; so what should you look for when buying a bedroom ceiling fan?

CEILING FAN NOISE

The commonest complaint about bedroom ceiling fans is that they are too noisy.  There are a number of causes of ceiling fan noise, most of which can be largely avoided by choosing well.  The key causes of ceiling fan noise are:

  • Wobble:  Mechanical rocking of the fan causing a consistent tapping found.  This is an indicator of poor installation or manufacturing.  It can sometime be solved by balancing the fan correctly.
  • Air turbulence:  Vortices develop at the tips and edges if the blades.  To minimise this problem choose blades with a:
    • Smooth finish without texture or holes
    • Thick leading edge and thin trailing edge and ideally an aerodynamic profile
    • The number and width of the blades has little impact on noise or efficiency.  Wind turbines prove this point by typically having only three narrow blades.
  • Motor noise:  All electrical motors produce a small amount of noise but by selecting a well made motor with lacquered copper windings this is kept to a minimum.
  • Mechanical noise:  Select a fan with maintenance free bearings.  You should not hear any bearing noise or moving parts coming into contact.  Consult the fan’s manufacturer or retailer if you experience this problem.
  • Ripple control signal interference:  All ceiling fans can suffer from electrical interference by signals sent down the power wires to control off peak hot water systems and street lights.  If you hear an intermittent whine that only starts at a certain time of the evening this is likely to be your problem.  It is not a problem with the fan.  Fortunately it is often easily fixed with a signal filter.

CEILING FAN AESTHETICS

If you are going to choose a quality ceiling fan you are likely to be living with it for many years, so it is important to like how it looks.  Ceiling fans are one of the most noticeable fixtures in your home so it is worth making the effort to find something you like and is going to complement your interior.

ENERGY EFFICIENT CEILING FANS

During the summer months it is common to leave a bedroom ceiling fan on low all night.  As such it is worth using an energy efficient ceiling fan that meets the CSIRO air movement benchmark of 1.87m3/watt.  On low speed this typically equates to 15 to 20 watts, or less than a bright energy efficient CFL light bulb.

CEILING FAN LIGHTS

A ceiling fan with light is often a necessity in a bedroom because of limited space and budget constraints.  A good light for a bedroom ceiling fan has the following features:

  • Well integrated with the body of the fan
  • Bright – at least 1,600 lumens (Halogen = 100 watts / CFL = 25 watts)
  • Even light diffusion – No dark spots in the room identifiable by looking for hot-spots on the diffuser
  • Quality diffuser – double layer glass (one structural and one optical) with an acid edged outer surface
  • No light bleed through the interior of the fan

Fans with a dim lamp (e.g. 60w rating) are not satisfactory.  A dim light is often a symptom of a fan not being able to pass the Standards Australia safety test for temperature rise, suggesting an inefficient motor is being used or the fan is poorly designed so the motor cannot self cool.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR KIDS

If you have kids in the house then the following extra points should be considered:

  • How durable is the ceiling fan and particularly the ceiling fan light?  Are Nurf guns and tennis balls going to get someone injured?
  • How thick are the blades?  Look for blades with a thick leading edge so that a hand in the blades isn’t going to result in a trip to the hospital.  Wood or plastic blades are usually preferable to metal.
  • Is the fan going to be hung over a bed or other object on which kids will climb or jump, and if so are shorter blades an option to keep heads and hands clear.

CEILING FANS FOR SMALL ROOMS

As a rule of thumb rooms larger than 3m x 3m are usually more suited to ceiling fans with a diameter (sweep) of 1.3m, which is an unofficial industry standard in Australia.  Smaller rooms are often better off with a smaller diameter blade set.  If a room does require small blades it is prudent to select a fan with a relatively small motor housing otherwise the fan’s proportions may look stubby.

More information on ceiling fan noise and what can be done to stop it, or on designer Ron Rezek is available in our Resource Library.

Image of bedroom with Ball ceiling fan