What is a Ceiling Fan Downrod?

A ceiling fan downrod is an extension pipe that connects the motor housing of your ceiling fan to the mounting hardware in the ceiling. Downrod may seem like a useless thing but, it serves many important functions, like stabilizing your fan, preventing it from wobbling, ensuring proper airflow while maintaining a safe distance between the blades of the fan and the ceiling, as well as between the blades of the fan and the floor. 

 

How to Choose the right Length of Downrod of a Ceiling Fan?

 

These numbers may vary from ceiling to ceiling, but ideally, the length between your ceiling fan downrod and the ceiling should be at least 10 inches for proper airflow and safety, while the distance between your ceiling fan and floor should be at least 7 feet. If your ceiling is lower than 8 feet tall, then you should opt for a flush mount fan. 

 

Having a proper ceiling fan downrod length is important for proper airflow, a ceiling fan that is hung too low or too high can result in poor airflow in the room, which will make your ceiling fan work harder and waste energy. The length of the downrod also affects the overall aesthetics of your room. 

 

The ceiling fan downrod comes in different sizes, diameters, and lengths, depending on the manufacture and the type of ceiling fan. Generally, ceiling fans include downrod ranging in length from 3 inches to 6 inches, which is suitable for standard rooms with a ceiling height of 8-9 feet. However, if you wanted to, you could get a ceiling fan downrod that can range up to 177 inches. 

 

If you want to find out the downrod length for your room, the general rule of thumb is to subtract 9 feet from your ceiling height. So, for example, if your ceiling height is 11 feet, you will need a 2 feet downrod. 

Ceiling height (in feet) – nine feet= Downrod length

What Size Downrod Do You Need for 10 Foot Ceiling or 20 Foot Ceiling?

For a 10 Foot Ceiling, you would need 12 inches (1 Foot) of Downrod, and for 20 Foot Ceiling, you would need almost 132 inches (11 Feet) of downrod.

For more info you could simply look at the ceiling fan downrod length chart provided at the top of the post.

Are Ceiling Fans Downrods Universal?

No, ceiling fans downrods are not universal. The reason is simple, ceiling fans manufacturers make downrods for their specific and particular designs. They all differ in Color, size, and length. So, yeah, it’s important to choose downrod according to the height of your ceiling.