Fitting a Ceiling Fan in a Conservatory – Dos and Don’ts

Things to consider when fitting a ceiling fan in a conservatory

Conservatories make a great addition to many houses. It’s room that stays warm in Winter but in Summer it can get very hot. The addition of a ceiling fan can make a glass room usable all year round. However you need to make sure you follow a few guidelines to get the most appropriate ceiling fan for your conservatory.

Photo – Farrow & Ball

DO

Consider the size of ceiling fan. The heat build-up in a conservatory can be extreme so we always recommend fitting the largest ceiling fan that you can. Generally a smaller ceiling fan (36″/92cm span) is not adequate to deal with the heat in all but the smallest conservatories. At Fantasia we recommend fitting a minimum of a 42″/107cm span ceiling fan and larger if you can.

DO

Think about the length of drop rod required. In almost all cases a conservatory ceiling fan will need to be drop mount. By this we mean a ceiling fan that has a drop rod installed rather than a flush mounted fan. Generally an 18″/46cm length rod is advisable. Fantasia rods can be cut down to size if required.

DO

Think about clearances. A Ceiling Fan will only be effective if the tips of the blades are clear of any obstacle. When you a measuring for a ceiling fan you will need to add 20cm to each end of the span (and also all around the blade) to allow proper air movement. Some conservatories have structural tie bars. These and also the slope of the pitched roof need to be taken into account when allowing space for the fan blades to spin.

DON’T

Fit your fan to any old bit of decorative plastic you feel like. Yes, we have seen it done! Ceiling Fans aren’t that heavy but the guideline is that the fixing should be able to take 4 times the weight of the fan. Most ceiling fans weight less than 10kg so the fixing will need to be able to support 40kg. In most cases it is worth talking to the conservatory manufacturer or installed to decide in the best place to fit the fan. If it is a UPVC conservatory then make sure the fixing screws are long enough the penetrate the plastic and also the structural aluminium underneath. To help with fixing a ceiling fan to a conservatory ridge Fantasia produce a Big Strip Fastener. This provides extra fixing holes and can be very useful.

DON’T

Use the fixing screws that some with the ceiling fan. All Fantasia ceiling fans are supplied with wood screws to fit the fixing bracket. It is not advisable to use these to fit a conservatory ceiling fan. Use self tapping screws instead.

Obviously we would prefer you to purchase a Fantasia Ceiling Fan but actually these guidelines will apply to most ceiling fans fitted in a conservatory.

Thanks for reading and check out our other useful Blogs

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What use is a ceiling fan in Winter?

Ceiling Fans wobble and they’re noisy – Untruth

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Fantasia Ceiling Fans – Question Time 3

Another ceiling fan question answered.

Q. I know that you recommend that ceiling fans are fitted to a ceiling joist. I have just had a new conservatory fitted and I now want to install my Fantasia Fan. The ridge section of my conservatory is Aluminum covered with white plastic. What’s the best way to fit a ceiling fan?

 

 

A. A lot of Fantasia Fans are purchased for fitting in a conservatory as they are ideal for that environment. However, a conservatory ridge section is a complicated thing (see slideshow below). In many cases you will need more than 2 fixings to make it secure. For this reason Fantasia has developed the Big Strip Fastener (see slideshow below) in order to allow for many more fixing with self tapping screws. If you are having a new conservatory fitted than ask you’re installer if you need a Big Strip Fastener. If you need any other technical advice then don’t hesitate to call us on 01959 564440 or check out our technical section on our website www.fantasaiceilingfans.com

 

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