Take a good ceiling fan for a spin

Nearly all ceiling fans look good in the store. They are runningon low speed, so wobble is not apparent. The background noise in thestore drowns out any hum. After installing one in your house, thedifferences in actual quality become apparent.

Even though a good quality fan will cost more, the energysavings and comfort will make it a money-saving investment overall.

Running a ceiling fan allows you to raise the air conditionerthermostat setting by as much as five degrees and still becomfortable.

This can cut your electric bills by 15 percent or more. In thewinter, reverse the fan rotation so that warm air at the ceilinggently flows outward and down the walls.

There are many new contemporary ceiling fan designs available.Several have unique high-tech airfoil appearances in three tofive-blade designs. One of the most unique is the Odyssey model withsplit blades and uplighting.

For children's bedrooms, there are even models that look likeairplanes.

When shopping for a high quality ceiling fan, pay particularattention to the design features like a die cast motor housing,permanently lubricated sealed bearings, large speed range from low tohigh, rubber or cushioned mounted flywheel and steep blade pitch.

Of all these quality features, blade pitch is probably theeasiest to check because it is often listed on the packaging. Asteeper blade pitch, up to 18 degrees, moves more air at a slower fanspeed. This reduces noise and wobble. A steeper pitch alsoindicates a more powerful, reliable motor. A model with a largerange in speeds from low to high is best. This provides the mostcomfort and noise control.

This is particularly important when installing one in a bedroomor if you plan to use it in the winter too.

Some models now have programmable controls with hand-heldremotes like a television. Update Bulletin No. 462 is a buyer'sguide of the highest quality standard and air cleaner ceiling fans,unique styles, blade pitch, speed range, controls, sizes andfeatures. Please send $3 and a business-sized, self-addressedenvelope to: James Dulley, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244.Or instant download: www.dulley.com James Dulley is an engineer and writer based in Cincinnati.