Ceiling fans are much more effective than pedestal fans at cooling your family members down. They also come with the added bonus of operating at a fraction of the cost of air-conditioners. Most ceiling fans now come equipped with reverse cycle technology for all seasonal usage, leaving no reason not to get one. If you’re in the market for a ceiling fan, you are probably wondering whether there are any differences between 3, 4 or 5 (even 7) fan blades. Do ceiling fans with more blades generate more airflow? More importantly so, does it really matter for the average buyer?
So, does the number of ceiling fan blades matter?
The answer is, for the most part, no. With the current innovation in fan design, you are unlikely to notice any major difference in performance between fans with fewer or more blades. Even if they do matter slightly, there are many factors at play here to simply say that more blades will generate more airflow. However the more blades that are attached to the fan may influence the air movement noise levels the fan produces (Air movement noise, not motor grinding). This is because the more blades the fan has, the more the fan has to rely on. Therefore, if we are just strictly talking about the number of fan blades, it is safe to say just choose whichever that pleases your eyes!
The conclusion is, it is difficult to tell if a ceiling fan will perform well simply by looking at its individual design features (i.e. number of fan blades). Other crucially important factors such as motor quality, blade span, blade pitch, and blade material all act simultaneously to give the net outcome on whether a given ceiling fan is well designed or not (that’s a topic for another article). The most objective way to measure a fan’s performance is through the CFM/Meters Cubed and power consumption information provided by the fan designer or manufacturer. So just choose a ceiling fan design that complements your taste and home decor, be it 3, 4, 5 or even 7 fan blades. Then examine its CFM/M3 and power consumption. Finally, remember to check that the fan noise is kept to a minimum as a noisy fan can be rather annoying!