CFM stands for cubic feet per minute and is a measurement of the volume of airs that a ceiling fan move. Many people look at the visual appearance of ceiling fans when they purchase one. However, the visual appearance of a ceiling fan dont indicate how much air that the ceiling fan will move.
You must look at the CFM to determine whether the ceiling fan will move enough air to cool an area. A ceiling fan that has a low CFM will not move enough air to cool large area. Therefore, it could become merely decorative.
Why CFM Is Important for Ceiling Fans
A ceiling fan does not lower the temperature of the air around a sleeping person. However, it do create the sensation of coolness because as the air move over the sleeping person, the moisture in the person skin evaporate. The evaporation of the moisture from the person’s skin create the feeling of coolness.
Because a ceiling fan creates this sensation, the CFM of the fan are an important metric to consider. A higher CFM means that the fan will move more air over the sleeping person and create a more stronger sensation of coolness. The relationship between the CFM of the fan and the wattage that the fan use determines the efficiency of a ceiling fan.
The higher the CFM and the lower the wattage of a ceiling fan, the more efficient the ceiling fan is. When buying a ceiling fan, people should look for ceiling fans that meets Energy Star standards. Ceiling fans that meets Energy Star standards will have a high CFM per watt rating, which indicate that it uses electricity efficient to move the air in the area.
The type of motor used in a ceiling fan has a great deal of influence over the performance of the fan. Many older ceiling fans uses AC motors. However, DC motors are more efficient than AC motors.
Ceiling fans with DC motors have more speed setting than ceiling fans with AC motors. Having different speed settings allows people to control how much air the fan moves. Furthermore, fans that utilize DC motors will use less electricity to perform the same task as ceiling fans with AC motors.
The installation height at which a person hangs a ceiling fan can influence the CFM of the fan. If the blade of the fan are too close to the ceiling, the fan will not be able to pull in enough air to move through the room. This will lead to a reduction in the CFM of the fan.
To avoid this problem, fans should be hung with a downrod to ensure they are hung at an appropriately height. If ceiling fans are hung too high into a room, they will only move the air near the ceiling. This will not provide cooling to individuals who is sitting or sleeping in the area.
The pitch of the blades of a ceiling fan can influence the amount of air that the fan push into the area. Blades with a steep blade pitch will push more air downwards into the area then blades with a lower pitch. Therefore, ceiling fans with a low blade pitch will move less air into the area than ceiling fans that use blades with a steep pitch.
To maintain the CFM of a ceiling fan, individuals should perform regular maintenance on the fan. Over time, the blades of a ceiling fan will accumulate dust. The accumulation of this dust will create drag on the fan motor.
This drag will reduce the CFM of the fan. To avoid this problem, individuals should clean the blades of a ceiling fan every few month to remove any accumulated dust. This will allow the blades to move more efficient through the air and the fan will create a greater CFM of air.