A Cool Breeze For The Small Room: Low Profile Ceiling Fans

You have a smaller home - smaller kitchen, smaller bedrooms, smaller bedrooms. Now you would like to install some ceiling fans, but you are concerned: do you have the room? Will people bump their heads on the fan blades? And if you have suspended ceilings, you may have a greatly reduced room height, further compounding your problems. What should you do?

What's your answer? Low profile ceiling fans. How are they different? Typical ceiling fans make use of a downrod - a metal shaft or rod that connects the fan unit to the ceiling overhead. While these downrods are available in a variety of lengths, but even the shortest of them may be too long and will cause the fan blades to operate dangerously close to people walking by.

Low profile ceiling fans eliminate the use of a traditional downrod, and install directly to the ceiling. This allows the ceiling fan to hug closer to the top of your room - in fact, low profile ceiling fans are sometimes called 'hugger' units.

And don't think that you will have to sacrifice quality - you won't - or that you will have fewer available accessories (such as lights) - again, you won't. Low profile ceiling fans are like their larger-sized twins, they just don't require as much overhead space.

What if you don't see a model of low profile ceiling fans that you like? In those cases, you might be able to take a regular ceiling fan and install it with a flush-mounting kit. You can purchase a flush-mounting kit separately - although some regular ceiling fans include them in as an alternative mounting option.

Homeowners please note: if you have less than 8 feet between the floor and ceiling of any room, you will have to install a low profile ceiling fan. Also, if you need a ceiling fan in a kid's room you are advised to install a low profile unit, as kids will jump around on beds and couches, and might hit their head or arm on a lower-hanging unit.

Please note: Because lower profile ceiling fans are closer to the ceiling they cannot move as much air as regular fans. You might not even notice it, but you should keep it in mind nevertheless.

A couple notes of caution: low profile ceiling fans MUST be properly installed. You must make sure that the mounting hardware is securely attached to the ceiling - it must be able to handle the vibration of the fan, as well as it's weight. It must also be wired properly (this will require the use of a special junction box). Honestly, if you are not the do-it-yourself type, you should contact your home remodeling professional and arrange for a knowledgeable workman to install it.