Need help selecting fans

[vladpryde]

Hello all, this is my first time on the forum.  Long time ceiling fan aficionado.

So back last August, I moved into a single-wide mobile home, and since then I've had the entire ceiling rebuilt in about 90% of the house, with all new framing, insulation, and sheetrock.  In doing so, I was able to add about an inch in height.  In hindsight though, I wish I had added about a foot.

When the ceiling went up, I had an electrician come in and mount the ceiling for fan boxes in 4 places:  Kitchen, living room, small/guest bedroom, and master bedroom.  There's only one problem:  the ceilings are barely 7 feet tall (about 6-10 to 6-11 to be exact).  I guess people were a lot shorter in 1976.

Sigh.  All that work, and I wasn't smart enough to have the ceiling raised.  I should have discussed it with the framer on the first day.  FML.

So this has severely limited my choice in fans.  And yes, I know about the building codes, I just don't care....I want fans.  To make matters more complicated, the living room and kitchen boxes are wired into one switch, which also has a switch attached to the same junction box that controls the porch light.  And to re-wire that would be a nightmare and far too expensive.  So I've got no choice but to take fans with pull chains, and just leave the switch on.

The small bedroom is getting a flush-mounted Minka-Aire Supra 32" with no light kit.  I think that's really the only fan that can fit in there comfortably.  But the rest of the house, I just don't know.  Any fan I look at, with length from ceiling to base, seems like it would be awkward as hell to be around.

I'm 5'6", and nobody else comes in this house but me.  So unless someone is above that height, I really don't see it being much of a problem, however, I also don't want the fan base, without a light kit, being two inches above my head either.  The only fan I anticipate having a light kit is POSSIBLY the Hunter Crestfield 52" that's going in my kitchen.  But even then, the light kit is going to come down to my forehead.

So I need help.

I've been looking at a lot of huggers, and yet some of the down-rod options out there would actually be lower if they were to be flush-mounted than the huggers themselves.  If you flush mount the Casablanca Concentra, for instance, it gets a profile of only 10.1", whereas something like the Casablanca Durant hugger is 14.8" (according to CeilingFans.com).  It's completely baffling to me.  But then you also have to sort through all of the downrod-style fans to find those that are flush-mountable.  It's a nightmare.

I'm also a Traditionalist.....I hate the modern-looking 3-bladed techie abominations that are out there.  So something like the Westinghouse Casanova, or similar Quorum hugger model is my type of fan.

I've also fallen in love with the new Hunter Studio Series in antique brass, and I'm working to see if it can be flush-mounted and what the height of it would be if I did.

So I need help.  I'm open to suggestions.  I want the best air movement and quality fans that money can buy.....not including the Original.  I'm not ballsy enough to try and mount that thing in this house, lol.  As far as air movement is concerned, obviously I want the best, however, when your ceilings are this low it's probably redundant....I'm going to feel a breeze no matter what.

Thanks everyone!

[Parkman]

Noah C. Can probably help you out the most with the height conundrum.

What stinks is Hunter (besides formally making good motors) used to have there hands free ii system which was excellent and gave you the most versatility with the options for mounting including a true flush mount not this garbage where they give you a two inch down rod. I know some collectors are give hunter a chance with there high end stuff personally I’d stay away from anything hunter or Casablanca that’s new except for the Original which obviously you have already mentioned is an exclusion there motors suck and I’ve dealt with way to many of both lines in the last few years which all lead to bad bearings.

I’ve heard the 52” Minka Aire Mesa is decent obviously a builder fan but IMO better than a modern Low Profile. The Supra is a go to recommendation from me I have two very pleased and the airflow will blow your roof off lol.

I’ll have more to say later at work 😁

[vladpryde]

Apr 24, 2021 7:36:48 GMT -5 Parkman said:

Noah C. Can probably help you out the most with the height conundrum.

What stinks is Hunter (besides formally making good motors) used to have there hands free ii system which was excellent and gave you the most versatility with the options for mounting including a true flush mount not this garbage where they give you a two inch down rod. I know some collectors are give hunter a chance with there high end stuff personally I’d stay away from anything hunter or Casablanca that’s new except for the Original which obviously you have already mentioned is an exclusion there motors suck and I’ve dealt with way to many of both lines in the last few years which all lead to bad bearings.

I’ve heard the 52” Minka Aire Mesa is decent obviously a builder fan but IMO better than a modern Low Profile. The Supra is a go to recommendation from me I have two very pleased and the airflow will blow your roof off lol.

I’ll have more to say later at work 😁

I appreciate it bro, thank you!

[Noah C]

Apr 25, 2021 7:36:16 GMT -5 vladpryde said:

Apr 24, 2021 7:36:48 GMT -5 Parkman said:

Noah C. Can probably help you out the most with the height conundrum.

What stinks is Hunter (besides formally making good motors) used to have there hands free ii system which was excellent and gave you the most versatility with the options for mounting including a true flush mount not this garbage where they give you a two inch down rod. I know some collectors are give hunter a chance with there high end stuff personally I’d stay away from anything hunter or Casablanca that’s new except for the Original which obviously you have already mentioned is an exclusion there motors suck and I’ve dealt with way to many of both lines in the last few years which all lead to bad bearings.

I’ve heard the 52” Minka Aire Mesa is decent obviously a builder fan but IMO better than a modern Low Profile. The Supra is a go to recommendation from me I have two very pleased and the airflow will blow your roof off lol.

I’ll have more to say later at work 😁

I appreciate it bro, thank you!

Hi Vlad, welcome to the forum! Also thanks Parkman for referring him to me

So in terms of fans for 7' ceilings, first thing to know is that most the time, flush mounting a downrod fan will get you more clearance than buying a hugger, and usually huggers are detuned, slow, and not the best of air movers. Part of why they're detuned is because of air cavitation against the ceiling, but you'll still get more air out of something with a bit more speed and power. Most downrod fans other than the ones from home stores don't come with flush mount options anymore so it's getting tougher to find those.

First fan that comes to mind is the Hinkley Windward. These used to be sold under the Regency brand as the "MX Excel", and are commonly seen at older Subways before they stopped installing fans. They're great fans; huge 188x22mm motors, steep blade pitch, and great air movement (better than Supras), and they come with flushmount-adaptable canopies so you don't have to buy one separately. Here's a link to the product page for these; their site has a link to take you to retailers' sites:
www.hinkley.com/901552fss-nia.html

If I were you, I'd put a bunch of these in any rooms that can take an average-size fan. BTW this would be much better and stronger than the Hunter you're about to put in your kitchen; just find a low-profile light kit for it. I cook a LOT and know from experience how much it sucks having a weak fan in your kitchen, so I say do yourself a favor and get yourself something good. For smaller fans in the 42-44" range, you may want to just grab a 44" Supra and buy a flushmount kit for it like you did with your little one; don't know of anything else that's both traditional and offers that much quality for the price point in that size class...most really good fans these days are more modern/contemporary/industrial in style. Hope this helps!