Ceiling fan parts are typically long lasting and inexpensive to replace. This and the efficient management of your fan's rotational flexibility can help save you money without much hassle.
Ceiling Fans - The Basics
Ceiling fans are often under utilized and frankly don't get the respect they deserve. They help to provide climate control to your indoor spaces at a fraction of the cost of many other methods. Here's how: ceiling fans move air up or down depending on the orientation of the blades. Because warm air rises, this means that you can control the ambient temperature of your room, to a degree, by simply flipping a switch. In cold weather, move heated air down into the occupied areas of a room, and in warm weather, encourage heated air up so cooler air can take its place. This is an inexpensive solution that makes using a ceiling fan a bargain year round. It saves you energy dollars winter and summer.
Ceiling fans can also be decorative room additions, can be part of a strategy to increase the value of your home with green upgrades, and are also relatively easy to install, troubleshoot or replace.
Ceiling Fan Parts Descriptions
Most ceiling fans are made in a similar fashion, and although parts will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model, understanding a fan's components, and the vocabulary necessary to describe those components, will help you source replacement parts and recognize the accessories that will work with your fan.
- Fan Mounting - This is the assembly that actually attaches to the ceiling and can vary depending on the style and price of the fan. Although ball-and-socket configurations used to be pretty standard, as fans have gained popularity, other styles, like J-hook systems and close-to-ceiling mounts (or ceiling huggers) have become more prevalent.
- Fan Blades - Fans are available with as few as three and as many as six blades. Style is usually the determiner of how many blades a fan has, as well as their shape. Fan blades are more fragile than they look, and the angle and shape of the blade has a lot to do with how well your fan performs and how quiet it is. If you discover that you have a warped or broken blade, don't panic. Many fan manufacturers have replacement blades available, and if you have a standard enough blade, you may be able to find a generic replacement at your hardware or home supply store.
- Motor - The motor makes your fan turn when it's receiving electrical current.
- Flywheel - A rotating disc that helps regulate the speed of the fan.
- Blade Arms - These are the holders that connect the fan blades to the motor.
- Switch - Reverses the blade rotation of the fan, allowing seasonal air flow adjustments.
- Remote - Just like a television remote control, fan remotes change the speed, and control your fan's onboard light fixtures.
- Fan Box - This is the electrical box in the ceiling that connects to the fan. It's usually bolted to your ceiling joists. Standard electrical boxes aren't sturdy enough to support the extra weight of a fan, so fan rated boxes are available to handle the load. These components aren't usually included with your fan kit. When replacing a light fixture with a fan, it's a good idea to buy a fan rated electrical box for your installation.
Ceiling Fan Parts Suppliers
