downrod size for ceiling fan

10 years ago

I've posted this in the lighting section and haven't received any answers as of yet and figured i'd give it a try over here.

we're going to have a ceiling fan installed in our living room in our new build and are not sure what size downrod to purchase. our ceilings are vaulted and then flattens out at the top at 17 feet. the worker at the lighting store said a 48" downrod will be perfect (making the fan blades still 12 feet of the ground...(4 ft. downrod + 1 ft. for fan motor) is that right? i was thinking maybe a 60", but I have no idea. i'm hoping to hear some other opinions before we make the purchase. thanks!

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Comments (5)

mlweaving_Marji
10 years ago
How big is your room? Is there a 2nd floor bridge that looks over the great room with the vaulted ceiling? How high are the ceilings in the rest of the first floor?
Those are the considerations.
We're putting a 60" fan in our great room, which also has a vaulted ceiling with a dormer on the north wall to bring light into the room, as the whole first floor is surrounded by wrap around porch. Because our ceilings in the rest of the first floor are 10' and we do have a bridge that will look at the fan, we are mounting it so that it will be just above the floor height at 2nd floor level. Which I guess puts it about 12' off the floor of the great room.

In our last house we put a ceiling fixture instead of a fan, and it was one of those open pan/dome things. One of my sons thought he was cute and flipped a quarter into the dome one day while standing at the rail on the 2nd floor. It took an act of God to get a ladder into the great room to get the quarter out. Since then I'm cognizant of what the fixture is going to look like from the 2nd floor.
stblgt
Original Author
10 years ago
the room size is about 15x18 and there is no balcony overlook or anything. the rest of the ceiling on the first floor will be 9'.

we are also doing a 60" fan, but unsure of the downrod size.

This post was edited by stblgt on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 11:00
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stblgt
Original Author
10 years ago
so i was back down the light store and the worker showed me a booklet from minka aire that showed a room size/ceiling height/fan size/downrod size recommendation chart. for my room it said that a 60" fan in the 15x18 room and a 48" downrod on the 17' ceiling would be best. so i'm guessing that is the correct size? any other help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Beth Parsons
10 years ago
Personally I would go with a longer downrod if you can. My family room/den is much as you describe - measures 17'x14' with a vaulted ceiling height flattening out at 15'. I have a 70" fan on a 48" downrod, putting the fan blades approx. 11' off the floor and I wouldn't want it any higher than that. We get fabulous air movement with this fan!
stblgt
Original Author
10 years ago
parsonse: thanks for that response! I was hoping to have someone chime in with a similar room. I actually think i'm going to do a 60" downrod. that way it would also put the blades about 11' - 12' off the ground. I believe that would be the better way to go.

This post was edited by stblgt on Mon, Nov 18, 13 at 16:18