It is important to have the right size downrod to install a fan on a sloped or vaulted ceiling. If the downrod is too small, you risk the fan blades hitting the ceiling. So, what is the minimum length required for a ceiling fan downrod?
The minimum downrod length for a ceiling fan on a sloped or vaulted ceiling is 12 inches and the maximum is 36 inches. But this depends on the slope of the roof. To be exact the downrod length should be 4 inches more than the multiple of the rise of the ceiling per inch of its run and the fan’s radius.
That is, Downrod length (inches) = 4 + [(radius of the fan) x (rise/run of the ceiling)]
For example, consider a room with a sloped roof. The length, aka run, of the room is 12 feet, and the rise, the difference between the lowest and the highest points of the sloped roof, is 8 feet. The ceiling fan has a blade span of 52 inches.
Therefore, the radius of the fan is 52/2 = 26 inches
The length of the downrod = 4 + (26 x 8/12) = 21.33 inches.
I am pretty sure you are curious how I came to that calculation. Continue reading to know more;
Downrod length calculation for sloped and vaulted ceilings
When hanging a fan on a sloped ceiling, it should meet three conditions. They are;
- The fan blades should not hit the walls or the sloped ceiling.
- There should be sufficient space above the fan blades to circulate air efficiently
- The fan should be atleast 7-8 feet from the floor.
As you can imagine, meeting the first condition is more important. If the fan blades hit the ceiling, obviously, the fan won’t work. However, if the ceiling is high enough, all these troubles can be avoided by installing a really long downrod. For example, if you have a 12 feet high ceiling with a 10-degree slope, using a 4 feet long downrod is a no-brainer. It will keep the fan 8 feet high from the floor and far away from the ceiling.
The problem is when the ceiling is not high enough, and it has a large slope. For example, a roof with a 30-degree slope and 10 feet high at its highest point.
Let’s start the calculations. First, imagine a sloped room with a width X, smallest height Y1, and highest height Y2, as shown in the picture below. You want to install a ceiling fan with a blade span of ‘BP’ there.
As you can see from the above picture, the rise of the roof, which is the difference between the highest and the lowest points of the sloped roof is Y2 – Y1. The run of the roof is X.
So, the rise of the roof per inch run of the room = Rise/Run = (Y2 – Y1)/X -> Equation 1
Even though the dimensions are given in feet, we are dividing the same mathematical units. So, the above ratio we got can be applied to calculate lengths in inches as well.
As you can see from the above picture, the angle of the roof and the angle made between the fan blades and the ceiling is the same. So let’s consider the fan’s blade, the downrod, and the ceiling as parts of a triangle. The base of the triangle is the radius of the fan, which is half its blade span (BP/2). The length of the downrod ‘L’ is the other side, and the ceiling is its hypotenuse.
So mathematically, (Y2 – Y1)/X = L/(BP/2)
Therefore, the length of the downrod L = (BP/2) x (Y2 – Y1)/X -> Equation 2
Even though we got the downrod length, if you consider the above-mentioned triangle again, the tip of the fan’s blades will touch the ceiling when such a downrod is used. Therefore, we need to add more clearance between the fan and the ceiling. I selected this clearing as 4 inches since there is also the additional height from the fan’s motor housing.
So the final equation becomes;
Minimum downrod length L = 4 + (BP/2) x (Y2 – Y1)/X inches. -> Equation 3
where BP = Blade pan of the fan, Y2 – Y1 = Rise of the ceiling, and X = Run of the ceiling.
Pro tip: To calculate the rise, you don’t have to measure the highest and lowest points of the ceiling. Instead, hold a 12-inch ruler horizontally with one of its ends touching the ceiling. Then measure the vertical height from the other tip to the ceiling using another ruler. Use this vertical height as the rise of the ceiling and the 12 inches as its run.
Where to hang the fan in a room with a sloped roof?
Now that we know the minimum downrod length for the fan, the next question is where on the sloped ceiling the fan should be hung. Should it be installed on the highest point of the ceiling, at its center, or near to its lower end?
In a room having a sloped ceiling, the ideal position to hang a fan is one where its blades stay 7-8 feet from the ground and at least 18 inches away from the walls. Adjust the height of its downrod length accordingly.
Downrod length calculation for a flat ceiling
The downrod length for a flat ceiling is the difference between the height of the ceiling and the height at which the fan needs to be hung.
Downrod length = Total height of the ceiling – height at which the fan needs to be hung.
As the fan blades should be at least 8 inches away from the ceiling and 8 feet from the floor for efficient airflow, the length of the downrod can be found out by reducing 8 feet from the total height of the room. For example, if your room’s height is 12 feet, then the length needed for the fan’s downrod is 4 feet (12 – 8).
If the height of the ceiling is low, like 8 to 10 feet, then you need to consider the height of the fan’s motor housing too. Downrods are attached on the top of the motor housing, and there is usually a six-inch height difference between the top of the motor housing and where the blades are fitted. Since the minimum height needed between the fan blades and the ceiling is 8 inches, the minimum downrod length should be the difference between the height of the motor housing and 8 inches.
Minimum downrod length for the fan on a low flat ceiling = 8 inches – height of motor housing in inches.
So, if the height of a fan’s motor housing is 5 inches, then you should use a downrod of length 3 inches (8 – 5 inches).
