Ceiling Fan - any good?

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Auzzie Gumtree

Auzzie Gumtree

Minister of Fire
Oct 17, 2012
535
I have a Neo 2.5 insert and it is located in the back lounge - the lounge has high ceilings ~ 20 feet high with a fan - the fan doesn't work ie its broke - is it worth fixing the fan to try and reclaim all the heat from the high ceiling space?

In other words are ceiling fans any good at bringing the heat back down to living areas? Any one have ceiling fans and if so how good do they work?
 
Ceilings fans are a must, especially with that height. Get 'em fixed/replaced and then experiment with up/down mode. I find when on "down" it's like the hair dryer just turned on, wow!
 
Yes, without the fan heat will stratify at the ceiling level. Fix or replace the fan. In the winter, run it in reverse (blowing upward) to reduce draft and increase circulation.

Ceiling-fans.jpg
 
Just to reaffirm, yes, a ceiling fan should help considerably to reclaim the heat that is pooling up near the ceiling.

For what it's worth, I deliberately bought a reputable brand ceiling fan and the cheapest fan I could find at Wal Mart and installed them both on the same day over 16 years ago. Both get ran often and both still work fine. The cheap one is a little noisy though.
 
They have ceiling fans with efficient motors now, if it's gonna get run a lot.
In our last house with a cathedral ceiling and an insert, as I was on a ladder installing the fan, the heat gathered up there big time.
 
Even in my standard eight foot ceiling rooms there is a huge difference with the fan on and off with the fire burning.
 
I've got a cathedral ceiling where my stove is located and a fan that's dropped down maybe 2 feet. The defiantly helps mix the air and get the warm air off the ceiling. If you spend a lot of time in the room I'd go with a more expensive fan with a variable speed over one with just 3 settings. You can dial it in without being tied to a certain setting. As someone mentioned above a more expensive fan is usually quieter. Little noises bug me so I love the variable speed fan.
 
Babaganoosh said:
I've got a cathedral ceiling where my stove is located and a fan that's dropped down maybe 2 feet. The defiantly helps mix the air and get the warm air off the ceiling. If you spend a lot of time in the room I'd go with a more expensive fan with a variable speed over one with just 3 settings. You can dial it in without being tied to a certain setting. As someone mentioned above a more expensive fan is usually quieter. Little noises bug me so I love the variable speed fan.
Click to expand...
I hard wired this fan switch into a new fan in our bedroom. $50 is steep, but I love the extra speeds and light features.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000MOIDA8/?tag=hearthamazon-20
 
Yes, it's worth it.

I have a tri level, with the third level being one room with a ceiling fan. The heat migrates up, and stays there if I don't have the fan on "down". It pushes the warm air back down into the rest of the second level, and creates a convection loop that moves the warm air around.(I have the 13 for the lower level, and that takes care of that area).

Well worth the investment, IMHO.
 
Auzzie Gumtree said:
I have a Neo 2.5 insert and it is located in the back lounge - the lounge has high ceilings ~ 20 feet high with a fan - the fan doesn't work ie its broke - is it worth fixing the fan to try and reclaim all the heat from the high ceiling space?

In other words are ceiling fans any good at bringing the heat back down to living areas? Any one have ceiling fans and if so how good do they work?
Click to expand...


My kitchen and living room are together in a big open cabin area around 1100 sq ft. Roof is uninsulated 18' at the high point and 9 ft at the low. I put two 70" fans from Lowes up about 2 years ago and they make a huge difference in the summer and in the winter. Really circulates the heat in the winter. Wouldn't be without them.
 
Wow - thanks for all the messages - i'll get it replaced at the weekend and let you know how effective it is.
 
Auzzie Gumtree said:
Wow - thanks for all the messages - i'll get it replaced at the weekend and let you know how effective it is.
Click to expand...
A bit late to the party, but 1 more vote for replacing the fan. I put up 3 and in a fairly open space they mix the air beautifully running on the lowest speed. I have Hampton Bay Altura, we love the look and the amount of air they move on a slow spin, but they are a bit noisy (cheap Triac IMHO, something I might swap out with a quality speed control unit if / when I get time). When everything is shut down at night except the fans, it's kind of annoying when we're still in the room. You don't need to spend a fortune , but don't be afraid to spend a few $ more if you want super quiet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jazzberry
bag of hammers said:
A bit late to the party, but 1 more vote for replacing the fan. I put up 3 and in a fairly open space they mix the air beautifully running on the lowest speed. I have Hampton Bay Altura, we love the look and the amount of air they move on a slow spin, but they are a bit noisy (cheap Triac IMHO, something I might swap out with a quality speed control unit if / when I get time). When everything is shut down at night except the fans, it's kind of annoying when we're still in the room. You don't need to spend a fortune , but don't be afraid to spend a few $ more if you want super quiet.
Click to expand...


Bag of hammers has good advice. As a retired gen contractor I can tell you fans are charged by the noise they don't make. Range exhaust, fart fans, or ceiling fans are all priced the same. A cheap Home Depot fart fan is like $50.00 and it works almost as good as a $300.00 Panasonic. You can't hear yourself fart with the cheapo running and you can't hear the Panasonic run at all.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
Small cabin with high ceilings. What kind of stove should I get?
Replies
11
Views
448
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
stovelark
stovelark
S
Air Circulation improvements/tips
Replies
19
Views
2K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
begreen
begreen
BC_Josh
How can I redistribute wood heat better in my house?
Replies
19
Views
4K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
BC_Josh
BC_Josh
IDfamforest
Shop stove build and buffeting/back puff from the air intakes- ideas?
Replies
20
Views
745
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
bholler
B
A
Please help! Poor air circulation.
Replies
9
Views
2K
The Hearth Room - Wood Stoves and Fireplaces
30WCF
30WCF
Top Bottom
Back