Emerson Kitty Hawk Ceiling Fan Model CF2800BS

How long of a downrod do I need?

Building codes require ceiling fans to be installed with the blades no lower than 7 feet from the floor in residential applications (industrial fans may require more distnace). The closer you are to the fan blades, the more cooling effect you will feel, so 7 feet is the optimal distance from the floor for most residential ceiling fans to get the most benefit.

To calculate the length of downrod that you need to get as close to 7 feet from the floor as possible (but not lower), first you must look at the dimensions of the fan to determine how far from the ceiling the blades will hang using the standard mounting hardware. In most cases, the hardware that a ceiling fan ships with is all you need for an 8 or 9 foot high ceiling...but be sure to double check the distance a fan hangs from the ceiling because some fans hang down more than 18" and will require at least a 9 or 10 foot ceiling.

Once you know how far the fan hangs with the standard mounting hardware you can calculate how far it will hang with a longer downrod by subtracting the length of the standard downrod from the length of a longer downrod. Add that length to the distance the fan normally hangs from the ceiling to determine how far down your fan will hang with any particular downrod length. If you do not know the length of the downrod that is included with you can figure that 4" is about average.

If none of the dimensions you need to make your calculation are not shown on our website, then please call us to have someone help you choose the correct downrod.

Here is an example of the calculation:

If a fan comes with a standard 4 1/2" downrod, a 12" downrod would make the fan hang 12" - 4 1/2" further from the ceiling...or 7 1/2" further. So if the fan normally hangs 12" from the ceiling with a 4 1/2" downrod, it would hang 17 1/2" (12" + 7 1/2") from the ceiling. So if you want the fan to hang as close to 84" from the floor, then do the math to calculate the longest downrod you can use to get closest to 84" without going past 84".

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How to measure Rise:

Rise is the vertical distance your ceiling rises for every horizontal foot. Rise per foot is called Pitch. A roof with a 4/12 pitch rises 4 inches vertically for every 12 inches horizontal.

Our calculator uses roof pitch to calculate the angle of your ceiling. Since we already know the horizontal measurement is 12", we only need you to enter in the vertical rise to make the calculation.

To measure the rise of your ceiling: Hold a 12" ruler ruler horizontally (using a level) with one corner touching the ceiling. Then take measure the vertical distance from the other end of the ruler to the ceiling. This is the rise. Select your dimensions in the form above to calculate the angle of your ceiling. Most ceiling fans (except for hugger fans) can hang on ceilings angled up to 30 degrees without the need for an angled ceiling adapter. 30 degrees is slightly less than a 7/12 pitch. Most angled ceiling adapters will allow your fan to hang up to 45 degress...which is a 12/12 pitch.