Ceiling fans are a great way to keep cool this summer. They keep you cool by moving air around, blowing a breeze over your body. Moving air helps your body feel cooler than stationary air, even though the air is technically the same temperature. This is because your body has a system to keep itself cool, which that works better when it’s subject to moving air, and hence why moving air feels cooler.

Ceiling fans can be used in bedrooms above your bed to help give a good sleep. They can also be used in living rooms to help keep you cool during the day.

They help keep you cool if you don’t have air conditioning, or they can help your air conditioner to run more efficiently if you do – because they make the air temperature feel cooler so your air conditioner can be on a lower energy setting.

Ceiling Fans are cheap to run – and range from 45 Watts for an entry level ceiling fan, while more powerful ceiling fans are generally around 70 Watts. DC fans have even more efficiency, and are usually 30 to 40 Watts for the same air movement as a 70 Watt fan.

In contrast, a small air conditioner will draw up to 2400 Watts, and a large one can draw up to 4800 Watts. So you can see, ceiling fans are far cheaper to run.

Installation Cost

Installation cost of a ceiling fan is determined by a few factors, including the type of fan, the location you want it installed, and the construction of your home (eg. double brick vs gyprock, tiled roof vs iron, etc). More details on this below.

Installation often requires access to the roof space as we may need to add a timber support for the fan, or install extra cabling. This is easiest to achieve in a single storey home with tiled roof, and hence why these homes have the lowest installation cost.

Some older homes dont have an earth cable to the existing light fittings. If your home doesn’t have an earth, we will install this for you, which may incur a small extra cost. Earthing the fan makes it safer for you and your family, and is also required by law.

Ceiling Fan Options

There are a few choices when considering which ceiling fan to get, and where to install it. These factors can affect the price of the fan and the installation. They include:

• Remote controlled or wall controller
• With or without light
• DC or AC
• Style

Remote Controlled or Wall Controller

A wall controller is the most reliable means of control, you’ll never lose the controller because it’s attached to your wall, but you will have to get out of bed to turn the fan off in the middle of the night.

A remote control is a handy and convenient way to control the fan (and light if you have one) without going over to the wall, but its not very convenient if you can’t find it or it has run out of batteries. 

Remote controlled is great for replacing an existing light with a fan or fan/light combo. This is because no additional cabling is needed – power for the fan and light are supplied from the existing light switch. This simplifies installation which makes it cheaper to install – especially in a double brick home, or a home with no accessible roof space. Remote controlled fans do cost more though so that’s something to take into consideration.  Some people find it convenient to have a remote control, but the trade off is that if the remote control gets lost, or needs new batteries then you can’t use the fan.

Wall controlled fans are very reliable, and can last decades. They are cheaper to buy than remote controlled fans but take more time to install which increases the installation cost. In single-storey tiled-roof homes, wall controller installation usually adds about 1 hour of labour, and requires extra cable to connect from the fan down the wall to the switch. In double brick homes the wall controller would need to be installed on an external wall, since there’s no cavity in internal brick walls. Installation time for homes with corrugated iron roofs depends on how much roof space is accessible.

Some homes have very limited or no access to roof space and wall cavities, which make it very difficult to install a wall controller. There’s always a way if you insist, but it will certainly be more labour intensive. We are happy to discuss  options and give recommendations to get the most cost effective solution. Difficult installations would include:
– If there’s no accessible roof space (eg a flat roof, raked ceiling or downstairs in a double storey home)
– If there’s no cavity in the wall where you want the controller – eg an internal wall of a double brick home

With or without light

Most ceiling fans have the option of a light attached or built-in to the bottom of the fan. This is great for rooms where you want to replace a light with a fan. You wouldn’t need a fan with light if you are installing in a room or outdoor area which already has ample lighting, for example downlights. Modern ceiling fans have slimline LED lights which are effective but discrete. Usually the installation time is the same regardless of whether the fan is with or without light.

DC or AC Ceiling Fan

DC or AC options refer to the type of fan motor that is used. AC motors have been around for decades, while DC motors are relatively new to the domestic fan scene. AC Motors are less efficient, but cheaper to buy, and may last longer. 

You can get AC Motors in either a wall controller version or remote control, but DC fans generally only have the remote controlled option.

AC motors are very basic and are built from only a handful of components, which virtually makes them bulletproof. AC wall controller fans generally last decades, while remote controlled AC fans have electronics for control which might not last as long. If it does stop working, usually the motor will be fine, but the electronics might need replacing.  

DC motors are much more efficient, so cheaper to run, but they are more expensive to purchase at the moment because its a newer technology. DC motors have more complex electronics to run them, which technically means theres more chance it could fail, but good quality technology is getting more reliable every day, and we haven’t seen any DC ceiling fans become faulty yet. Just like AC remote controlled fans, a faulty DC fan can usually be repaired by repairing/replacing the electronics.

Style

There are so many styles of ceiling fans available – number of blades, colour, texture, design, vintage or modern… It’s just a matter of taste – which one you like and goes with your home decor. Installation time/cost is about the same for most ceiling fans, because they have similar installation requirements, however some high end models have more intricate assembly requirements which could take longer to install. 

You can browse all the different styles and then purchase a fan to suit your taste from a lighting shop like Beacon Lighting, delights, or even Bunnings. Or if you would like just a basic style or don’t have the time to go fan shopping, we can supply a quality white one.

If you would like a new ceiling fan, we’d love to take care of that for you.  Book us in today!

We will call you shortly after booking is received to discuss your job and confirm the pricing.
Use this table when booking your time slot:

* For homes with corrugated iron roof and no accessible roof space, please add + 1 hour