How Much Does A Ceiling Fan Weigh?

Ceiling fans are an integral part of air conditioning in your home, but you may not know how much they weigh. You might not think you even care about how much they weigh until you decide to replace an old ceiling fan or install a new one yourself. In that case, knowing how much a ceiling fan weighs can be extremely useful to make sure that all your bases are covered before the job starts. So how much does a ceiling fan weigh? This article will tell you everything you need to know about ceiling fans’ weight!

Ceiling fans can weigh anywhere from 1 pound to 50 pounds. However, standard fans usually weigh between 17 to 20 pounds. Generally speaking, bigger fans are heavier, but other factors such as material, blade count, and the addition of light and other accessories influence a fan’s overall weight.

How much does a ceiling fan weigh

As the weight of a  ceiling fan directly relates to its ease of installation, knowing what adds to the weight of a ceiling fan will help you decide which model suits your needs the best. If you are planning to buy a new ceiling fan or replace an old one with a new model, this article will be very informative. So, keep reading!

Why it’s important to know the weight of a ceiling fan?

The weight of a fan directly affects the ease of installation. Most ceiling fans, even the large ones, come in at less than 60 pounds. That’s still a significant weight when you need to get it into the correct position on your ceiling. If it’s too heavy for one person to handle safely and comfortably, enlist a friend or family member for extra support. 

A heavy ceiling fan can also stress your electrical box if it’s not sturdy enough to hold a heavy fan. An incompatible fan box can damage your ceiling, and an unsafe installation can lead to the fan coming loose and falling and cause serious injury to anyone present underneath the fan.

How much does a ceiling fan weigh?

If you’re planning to install it yourself – it can be helpful to know the weight of the fan so that you know whether or not you have the strength necessary to lift it into place. The size of a fan has the biggest impact on the weight of the fan, so knowing fan weights according to its size will help you decide accordingly. Let’s see how much some commonly available fan sizes can weigh:

Ceiling Fan SizeAverage Ceiling Fan Weight
42 inch15 lbs.
44 inch18 lbs.
52 inch23 lbs.
70 inch28 lbs
72 inch32 lbs.
Ceiling fan weight for different spans

Weight of a 42-inch ceiling fan

42-inch ceiling fans are the smallest specification among all fan sizes. These small ceiling fans weigh about 15 pounds after assembling when it’s ready for installation. This weight includes all its components, including blades and hardware such as cables. With the packaging, a 42-inch fan weighs about 7 pounds; without the packaging, it weighs only 5 pounds.

Moreover, some of these fans may be lighter than others, depending on what type of materials are used to create them. These smaller fans are perfect for small spaces under 144 square feet.

44-inch ceiling fan

It is a medium-sized fan with an average weight of 18 pounds. Many 44-inch ceiling fans weigh in the range of 17 to 19 pounds. The exact weight will vary from model to model, but it’s usually within that range on average. Other factors like material, blade count, the addition of lights, etc., also affect the final weight of the ceiling fan.

A 44-inch medium-sized ceiling fan is suitable for room sizes between 144-225 square feet. These include a medium-sized bedroom, kitchen, and dining room. Fans of this size can also work efficiently in a medium-size patio and den.

52-inch ceiling fan

A 52-inch ceiling fan is suitable for large room-sized 225 to 400 square feet. Master bedrooms, large living rooms, and even gazebos are usually large enough to use ceiling fans above 50 inches efficiently. It weighs more than a 42-inch fan but less than a 70-inch fan. Most fans of this size weigh 23 pounds to 24 pounds. 

Also, the number of blades and materials can increase the average of fans of this size. These fans push more air downwards compared to 42-inch ceiling fans because their larger size provides airflow to larger areas. 

70-inch ceiling fan

To find out how much 70-inch ceiling fans weigh, I did some digging and found these fans weigh anywhere from 28 to 30 pounds. In general, heavier fans tend to be more durable, offer greater air movement, and have longer life spans than lighter models.

70-inch ceiling fans are ideal for large areas such as gyms, warehouses, and basements. The size makes them appear much larger than their actual size, while their size allows them to move massive amounts of air in your home or business.

72-inch ceiling fan

Being the largest fans, they weigh the heaviest among all ceiling fans. Also, these fans can come with as many as 10 blades which eventually add more pounds to the standard weight of a 72-inch ceiling fan. Mostly 72-inch fans weigh around 32 pounds. If you want to buy one of these heavy-weight models, you’ll need to be able to mount it securely on your ceiling.

For installing a ceiling fan, ensure that the fan box can withstand the weight of your ceiling fan. Most high-end 72-inch models are made from heavier materials like iron or steel so ask a professional for advice on the proper installation of heavier ceiling fans. Remember that manufacturers keep the weight of the ceiling under check so they can be installed and used without compromising the safety of the users.

Do lights add weight to a ceiling fan?

Most fans come with accessories such as lights, decorative covers for lights, and mounting brackets, while some may even include a down-rod and remote control. All these items carry some weight, but lights and decorative covers weigh the most among them. 

So, ceiling fans with lights are heavier than those without. Because of all the wiring and other hardware, they function as fans and light fixtures. However, lights don’t have much effect on the overall weight unless they are heavy-duty. The final weight of a ceiling fan with lights depends on the type of glass shades or globes the lights have on top and how many lights they include.

I have checked various ceiling fan models that have lights and without lights options. Surprisingly, the difference between the two variants was not very drastic. On average, ceiling fans with normal lights are only 0.30 to 0.50 pounds heavier than those without lights. 

How much weight can a ceiling fan bracket and ceiling fan box hold?

Knowing how much weight your ceiling fan box and ceiling fan bracket can hold is vital from a safety point of view. A ceiling fan box is designed to hold at least 50 pounds as that is the maximum weight of a large ceiling fan. However, when a ceiling fan is rotating, it exerts a downward pressure, so the ceiling box with a 50 pounds capacity can efficiently support the weight of a 35-pound ceiling fan when it’s rotating. 

Most ceiling fan manufacturers will advertise their fan box’s weight capacity. If you are buying your fan from a department store or online, you should be able to find that information in your owner’s manual. 

In addition to the weight support of fan brackets and boxes, there are other factors to consider when selecting a suitable fan box. You will find two types of electric boxes for fixtures and ceiling fans, plastic and metal. While plastic boxes are naturally insulated and cheaper, it’s not designed to support the vibrations created by rotating ceiling fans. Also, plastic boxes are easily breakable, which can result in accidents. 

Moreover, fan boxes for ceiling fans have braces that have to be attached to the nearby joists on the ceiling. If these braces are not installed properly, then the fan box will not be able to hold the ceiling fan.

Can a ceiling light fixture hold the weight of a ceiling fan?

When planning to install a ceiling fan, one of your first questions will be whether it’s too heavy for your light fixture. That might be a concern because some fans can weigh as much as 50 pounds and would require an extra-strong ceiling mount.

Although a standard light fixture can hold up to 50 pounds, it is recommended to use a junction box specifically for installing ceiling fans to avoid any mishap. Also, installing a new junction box requires extensive electrical work, so I recommend hiring a licensed electrician to do the job instead of doing it yourself.

Conclusion

For all these reasons, it’s important to know the weight of your ceiling fan before moving or taking it down. Now that you know how much ceiling fans of different sizes weigh on average keep in mind that there are also many other factors to consider when installing a fan so consult an expert if you have any doubts.

Charles John

Experienced HVAC technician with 8 years of experience in the industry. Capable of handling all sorts of heating and cooling equipment as well as proficient in operational management, construction-related techniques such as preventative maintenance, electrical troubleshooting and AutoCAD

Latest Posts