Advice on ceiling fan size for replacement

I have a large Master Bedroom, approximately 17x20, which I like cold especially at night. I recently had a 52" Hunter added in the room above a computer desk. Above the bed I have a Harbor Breeze 60" fan which compared to the 52" seems to run slow even on highest speed and the 52" seems to move more air on the medium compared to the 60" on high. My friend who helped me install the 60" says it doesn't appear to run as fast as it used to and googling the fan many people report problems with it.

As a result I am now looking at replacing the fan. My question is which size should I go with? Originally I only had one fan in the room which is why I went with a 60 but now with the 52" I am wondering if I should go with a 52-54. Like I said I like it cold so the faster the speed the better, but at the same time I like how much coverage I get with the 60".

Oh one other question... Currently I only run the 52" when I am sitting at the desk. Would I do better to run both fans at night or would it be a waste since I am several feet away from the fan?

Thanks.

 

It's not just the size of the blades, but also the pitch of the blades and the speed of the blades. All fans are rated as to their CFM (cubic feet per minute) on each of their speeds. It is this CFM value that you should be paying attention to. There is usually a chart on the side of the box.

Also, fans move less air if they are too close to the ceiling or too close to the walls. They do best on a downrod of sufficient length and in the middle of the room.

Finally, if you use an aftermarket remote control, the manufacturer's CFM ratings are no longer meaningful.

Fans are only useful (in the summer) if you can feel the breeze.

 

Why does having the remote change the CFM? Is this even if you pair say a Hunter remote with a Hunter fan also assuming you set the fan on high and then use the remote to control the speed?

Yeah unfortunately I must have thrown out the box for the 60" a while back and Lowes no longer carries the fan so no way to compare the CFM.

I may have my friend help me uninstall the one remote in the 60" then and see if that helps the speed.

Ok I figured having the desk fan on wouldn't help but figured it was worth asking.

Thanks for the help though. If removing the remote doesn't work I will look at swapping the 60 with a high CFM preferably another 60 if I can.

 

If you use the fan on a remote, the remote controls the fan speed. Otherwise, the fan itself controls its speed. However, this probably applies more to the low and medium speeds than the high speed. If you can read the make and model of fan off the unit, you can probably find its specs online.

 

give one of these a try.

don't laugh

 

I may have to look at those though this was the one I was originally looking at which had the highest CFM rating at HD. Of course I read the warning which said it shouldn't be hung any lower than a 10 foot ceiling. I figured I might end up decapitating myself since I have an 8 foot ceiling and the fan above my bed is only 4 feet above the bed.

Playing on google, it looks like I have the Harbor Breeze Glenwood 60" brushed nickel model GLN60BNK5CR.

Number of Blades: 5
Reversible Blades: Yes
Remote Control Included: Yes
ENERGY STAR Qualified: No
High Speed Airflow (CFM): 6319.0
High Speed Electricity Use (Watts): 84.0
Airflow Efficiency (CFM/Watt): 75.0
Motor Speeds: 3
Reverse Air Flow: Yes
UL Safety Listing: Yes
CSA Safety Listing: No
ETL Safety Listing: No

 

Are you sure that the fan speed was set to high before the remote unit was installed? If the fan was on medium and the remote was on high it would only go as fast as the fan switch would allow.