How To Look At A House

McGarry and Madsen's home inspection blog for buyers of  

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When is a ceiling fan too low?

Friday, January 10, 2020

Manufacturers specify seven feet as the minimum safe height for ceiling fan blades, but no minimum is specified in the building code. Thirty inches is also recommended as a minimum dimension from blade tip to side for adequate air circulation. 

     The ceiling fan on a screen porch addition to a mobile home shown at the top of the page is an example of how not to do it. The blades are 5’-10” above the floor—ready to give a crew cut, or worse, to anyone crossing the room and not looking up. 

    If it had been mounted with a flush-mount kit instead of a downrod, the fan might have almost met the seven foot minimum.

    Also see our blog post How close can a smoke detector be to a ceiling fan?

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Here’s links to a collection of some of our other blog posts about APPLIANCES: 

What are the building code requirements for installing an appliance (furnace, air handler, water heater) in the attic?

Which house appliances need a dedicated electrical circuit? 

Is a washing machine drain hose required to be secured at the standpipe?

When was GFCI-protection for kitchen dishwasher receptacle outlet first required? 

Why does venting a clothes dryer into a garage, attic, or crawl space cause problems?

Does a refrigerator water supply line require a shutoff valve behind it? 

My spa tub stopped working. What's wrong?

What is the maximum recommended height above the floor for an above-the-range microwave?

Why would a home have natural gas appliaces but no gas meter? 

Is a hot water faucet required at a washing machine?

Can I remove a 240-volt range receptacle and hard-wire the range? 

 Can a dishwasher be wired to a kitchen counter small appliance receptacle circuit?

Why is it bad to have a clothes dryer vent near an air conditioning condenser (outdoor unit)? 

Do home inspectors test the appliances?

What are the most common defects with over-the-range microwaves?

Are a range and refrigerator required kitchen appliances for a house to pass FHA inspection? 

What are the code requirements for an outdoor dryer vent cover?

What is the maximum length for a clothes dryer vent? 

Why are my ceiling fan blades drooping?

How do you inspect a dryer vent? 

• Why is there a water hose connected to the back of the clothes dryer?

    Visit our APPLIANCES page for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.

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