Ceiling fans are a fantastic invention. Invented in 1882 by Philip Diehl, they bring breezy relief to overheated people by blowing air across their sweaty skin, making them feel cooler.
Fans are also very popular. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), nearly 9 out of every 10 homes have a fan. And it’s no wonder; not only do fans cool you down, but they also do it for a fraction of the energy that air-conditioning uses.
But when you try to use a regular ceiling fan in a huge—very huge—room such as a warehouse, not much happens. A ceiling fan’s job is to circulate air downward into the room, but standard ceiling fans just aren’t big or powerful enough to push high volumes of air through a massive space like a warehouse.
To get the job done right, you need a large ceiling fan. A VERY large ceiling fan. Just how big are these warehouse fans? How big of a fan do you need for your warehouse?
How Large Are Warehouse Fans?
Large warehouse fans, also known as HVLS (high-volume, low-speed) fans, are enormous. Their sizes range from 8 feet (2.4 meters) to 30 feet (9.1 meters) in diameter. That’s about the size of two sedans end to end, or two giraffes, or a three-story building.
That’s BIG.
Why so huge? In an expansive space like a warehouse, it takes a tremendous amount of pressure to circulate air. A standard-size ceiling fan can push air only so far—perhaps up to 20 feet, which is perfect for a bedroom but essentially useless in an immense room like a warehouse.
In order to create enough pressure to provide airflow through a warehouse, a fan needs to be larger—much larger. The six to eight airfoils, which can each be four to 15 feet long, are big enough to push air to cover an area of more than 100 feet wide from a ceiling height of 30 feet and up.
What Size Warehouse Fan Do You Need?
The size of the fan a warehouse needs depends on a variety of factors, including the dimensions of the space inside. When measuring a warehouse for a fan, an airflow expert will also take into account any potential barriers to circulation such as shelves, machinery, or other obstructions.
Other possible considerations include the climate conditions such as extreme heat, humidity, or dust. If the building has (or needs) HVAC or evaporative cooling systems, an installer will determine how the large warehouse fan will work in conjunction with the other equipment.
The best way to decide which size fan you’ll need is to let the team at Big Ass Fans perform a SpecLab® analysis of your warehouse. By using computational fluid dynamics software, our airflow expert takes the measurements of your building to create a visual demonstration of how the fan will affect airflow in your space. Then they’ll be able to recommend precisely which fan will provide the optimal solution for you.
The Sizes of Big Ass Fans Large Warehouse Fans
Big Ass Fans offers a range of industrial fans built for warehouses, factories, and other massive rooms. Our best-selling large warehouse fan, the Powerfoil® X4, comes in sizes ranging from 12 feet (3.7 meters) to 30 feet (9.1 meters) in diameter. It’s huge, durable, and powerful enough to provide relief in the hottest, most humid conditions.
Our other large warehouse fans come with either six or eight airfoils, with sizes ranging from 8 feet (2.4 meters) to 24 feet (7.3 meters) in diameter. Examples include our industrial workhorse fan, the Powerfoil® 8, and the budget-friendly Basic 6®.
Contact Us for a Consultation
You can get started right away by contacting our team to take advantage of our complimentary airflow analysis. One of our airflow experts will visit your site, take measurements, give you an overview of our products, and make a recommendation for which large warehouse fan will work best for you.
