Ceiling fan versus floor fan. Which is better? And what about efficiency?
Are ceiling fans more better than floor fans? In terms of energy usage, ceiling fans typically consume more energy than floor fans. However, ceiling fans are more effective in cooling a room than floor fans. At low and constant speeds, ceiling fans move a high volume of air to circulate the whole room evenly and efficiently. In short, they do a better job than floor fans overall even though they consume more electricity.
Ceiling fans are also more expensive, but they are the best option for larger spaces. They are quieter, and they do not take up space like floor fans.
Ceiling fans provide better, unrestricted airflow. They come with more advanced features and are more comfortable. However, they require installation and are more expensive than floor fans.
On the other hand, floor fans are very easy to install. They are very portable, and you can move them from one room to another with ease. In the end, both of them come in handy in many situations, as they are designed to achieve the same goal.
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Reasons to Consider a Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans seem to be the number one option of many people because of the numerous benefits they offer. Here are some of the key benefits of a ceiling fan:
Cools Larger Rooms Faster
One of the major benefits of ceiling fans is that they cool larger rooms faster. If you are looking for the best fan to cool a larger space, then a ceiling fan is a better option than a floor fan. Ceiling fans are installed in the center of the ceiling, which is the central location of the space.
They have a better vantage point because of where they are installed, and this allows for better air circulation. They blow air around the quicker than floor fans. Ceiling fans have longer blades than floor fans, and this allows them to move air more effectively.
Less Obtrusive and Occupies Less Space
Another notable advantage of ceiling fans is that they are less obtrusive. They are installed on the ceiling, which means they will not take up any space in your home. They do not occupy space like floor fans. A ceiling fan can be on the ceiling, and you will not notice it is there.
They are not as clunky as floor fans. Ceiling fans are also less obstructive, which means their airflow cannot be restricted by any object like that of floor fans. If you are looking to save some space in your room, then ceiling fans should be your top option.
Safety
Ceiling fans are also much safer than floor fans. The blades of the fan are high up in the ceiling, where no one can easily reach them, especially children. If you have children running around the home, ceiling fans are a better option.
Standing fans have their blades locked up in a frame, but tiny objects can still pass through. Children can reach the blades of a floor fan with their fingers or a long object. With ceiling fans, you would not have to worry about cords or wires tripping over.
More Visually Appealing
There is a wide range of ceiling fan designs out there. Ceiling fans have a better appearance than floor fans. They have a more intentional, permanent look than floor fans. Ceiling fans have numerous designs, and you can find an option that will suit your interior design.
For example, if you have a classical interior, you can opt for a ceiling fan with wooden blades to blend with your décor. Some of them also come with light fixtures to enhance the look and feel of your interior space. This means, in addition to keeping your room cool, ceiling fans can also lighten up your space.
And lets not forget all the electrical cords and electrical outlets you won’t have to worry about.
Drawbacks of a Ceiling Fan
While ceiling fans have a wide range of benefits, there are also some drawbacks to them, some of which includes:
Installation Is Required
Stating the obvious here, but unlike floor fans, ceiling fans require installation. If you handle a few electrical tasks around the home, you can install it. However, if you do not, you might need the help of a professional electrician to do the installation for you.
Pricier (At First)
When it comes to price, ceiling fans are more expensive than floor fans. In addition to being pricier, they consume more electrical energy than floor fans as well. After purchasing them, you would still have to pay to get them installed.
Ceiling fans typically use 30 to 35 watts of electricity and add only a few dollars to your monthly electricity bill. So after you pay to purchase the ceiling fan to have it installed, it gets relatively cheap to have one.
In fact, compared to your overall cost of the central air conditioning unit that typically uses over a hundred times more electricity than that, it’s only a small fraction added to your monthly energy bill.
Advantages of a Floor Fan
Concentrated Cool Air
If your focus is on getting a more concentrated cool air, then your best option is a floor fan. Ceiling fans do a great job of covering larges spaces and circulating hair evenly, but floor fans are great at providing concentrated cool air.
With floor fans, you will enjoy a steady stream of cool air. You can also position them anywhere you want to provide with direct cool air. A floor fan would cool you much faster than a ceiling fan would.
No Installation Required
One of the major benefits of floor fans is that they do not require installation. Most of them come pre-installed out of the box, which means you can just plug and start using it. All you have to do is to assemble it, and it often comes with an instruction guide for assembling it.
Portability and Flexibility
Floor fans are more portable than ceiling fans. They are also more flexible, as you can move them around with ease. Ceiling fans assume fixed positions, while you can move floor fans to any part of the room you want. You can use them in tight corners and little spaces.
If you do not have enough space in your room or your ceiling is very short, then a floor fan is your best option. You can put it beside your bed or anywhere you want around the room.
Less Expensive (At First)
Floor fans are also less expensive than ceiling fans. Though they range in price, ceiling fans are generally more pricy. With a floor fan, you do not have to worry about installation costs. However, as they break down more frequently than ceiling fans do, you may find that a floor fan ends up costing you more in the long run.
Disadvantages of Floor Fans
Not As Durable as Ceiling Fans
One of the major downsides of floor fans is that they are not as durable as ceiling fans. When it comes to durability, ceiling fans are the winner. Cheaper floor fans tend to burn out quicker. After using a few months, the blades will no longer be as fast as they used to be and rattling noises start showing up eventually.
When maintained properly, a floor fan can serve you for a long time. However, ceiling fans are much stronger and durable than floor fans.
Less Attractive
Floor fans do not look half as attractive as ceiling fans. While floor fans also come in different designs, they look less appealing. Most options on the market today are made of plastic. It does not look pleasant and appealing to have a plastic fan in your beautiful space with a wire dangling around.
Modern floor fans also come with newer designs such as wood paneling to make them blend with other furniture. In all, they still look off most times and are not as attractive as ceiling fans.
Noise
Another major downside of floor fans is that they tend to make a lot of noise, especially as they get old. All fans make some sort of noise, but the noise a floor fan makes is more than what a ceiling fan makes.
This can be a nightmare (no pun intended) especially if the fan is in your bedroom.
Things You Might Not Know about a Ceiling Fan
In many ways, ceiling fans tend to be better than standing or floor fans. They tend to provide more benefits than floor fans do. Nevertheless, there are some things you might not know about ceiling fans, and some of those things include:
Ceiling Fans Generate Heat
Ceiling fans are cooling devices; they are designed to make a room cooler. However, these electrical devices generate heat sometimes. That is because they have electric motors that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, and this process usually generates heat.
The faster the motor, the more heat. Whenever you turn off the fan, you will discover that it is always hot if you touch it. This is why most people do not usually use the ceiling fan at the maximum speed, as this can generate more heat.
The heat it generates is not much, and in fact, most people rarely notice this. However, in some cases, you might be feeling warm air when the fan is blowing at its maximum capacity. This can also sometimes mean that the motor inside is faulty or being overworked.
The Bigger, the Better
While reading through the descriptions of ceiling fans, you might notice that ceiling fans with longer blades tend to cool better compared to those with shorter blades. When it comes to the size of a ceiling fan, the bigger, the better.
If you want more cooling power, you should avoid ceiling fans with shorter blades. You should opt for the ones with longer blades instead.
The major function of the fan is to keep you cool rather than its look or design. Hence, you should focus on airflow and choose a fan with long blades.
Combine your new large ceiling fan with some natural ventilation methods and the air in your home will be fresh in no time.
Lower Speeds are Cooler
As we said earlier, the faster the fan, the more heat it is likely to generate. If you want the fan to function more efficiently, then you should operate it at lower speeds rather than overworking its motor.
Running the fan on low to medium speed throughout the entire day will provide you with better cooling in the long run as opposed to forcing it to run at high speeds and constantly turning it on and off.
A Ceiling Fan Is Not a Substitute for an Air Conditioner
If you do not have an air conditioner in your home, you can opt for a ceiling fan to preserve your sanity, at least for the moment. A ceiling fan would help to keep you cool without ramping up your electricity bills as an air conditioner would. Like I said, a ceiling fan only adds a few dollars to your electricity bill every month overall.
If you have an air conditioner, a ceiling fan would still come in handy. A ceiling fan would help with the even circulation of the cool hair in the room. However, a fan cannot act as a substitute and it would not also reduce your electricity bills.
Ceiling fans do not reduce the temperature of your room like an air conditioner does. Rather, it moves air over your body, making you feel cool temporarily. Hence, having a ceiling fan will not reduce the workload of your AC, which means it will not reduce your electricity bill.
They Require Frequent Cleaning
You might not need to clean your ceiling fan as often as you clean your standing fan, but ceiling fans require frequent cleaning. Being at the ceiling, this device accumulates dust constantly, which you can see mostly on the blades.
Once the blades are dusty, you should turn off the fan and clean it properly. Do not use water to clean it to prevent electrical shock. You want to make sure it is always clean and dust-free because if it blows back dust into the room, it might affect your health.
And if your fan still continues to accumulate dust on its blades even after cleaning, it’s time to get an air purifier to get the dust out of your home.
Final Thoughts
Are ceiling fans better than floor fans?
The simple answer to this question is Yes.
Ceiling fans are better than floor fans in several ways. However, this does not mean that floor fans are bad. Floor fans are great also, as they are portable, less expensive, easy to maintain, and easy to install. When it comes to performance and appearance, ceiling fans are the winner.
