Home Tech

Water sources worldwide come from rivers, lakes, springs, dams, reservoirs, and ponds. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States, there are 146,018 public water systems in 2019. The country considers its drinking water supply as the safest in the world, reported by CDCP (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention). Untreated drinking water can contain harmful contaminants, including Hepatitis A, e-coli, Giardia intestinalis, and other water-born germs. Contaminated water causes various diseases and can be detrimental to the health of the public.

Why do we need water supply systems? Every human being needs safe water to bathe and consume. It is a necessity to live and for our overall health. Municipals and households use water treatment systems for purification to ensure its safety for consumption.

The Processing Steps of Treating Water

First Step

Most water processing plants use coagulation and flocculation treatments using positive charged chemicals to neutralize dirt and other particles. It works by combining the particles with added chemicals to form floc.

Second Step

The sedimentation process helps the floc settles to the bottom of the water supply.

Third Step

The filtration step happens by filtering the clear water on the top to remove particles of dust, viruses, chemicals, bacteria, and parasites.

Fourth Step

The water goes through a disinfection process using chlorine or chloramine to destroy remaining parasites, viruses, and bacteria. The water supply then is safe to consume in businesses and homes.

Household water treatment systems are available in most retailers. Some people use them in addition to already treated municipal water supply. The most common types include distillation, disinfection, filtration, and water softeners. The main purpose for water treatment is to preserve the health of human beings and animals.

The EPA has researchers developing new technologies to improve small water systems in the US. Of the 146,018 water systems, 141,603 of them are using outdated treatment and distribution systems infrastructure. The agency is considering significant factors, including climate change, the impact of agricultural runoffs, harmful algal blooms, and industrial companies. Researchers have concerns with increased detection of pesticides, algal toxins, and pharmaceuticals in drinking water after treatments.

New Water Treatment Technologies

• Monochloramine
• UV Treatment
• Nanotechnology

Some municipal water supply plants are switching from chlorine to monochloramine as their main disinfectant. Ultra violet treatment is a purification method using an e-boiling system. The technique kills bacteria and harmful substances in water using an ultraviolet light. Nanotechnology uses titanium oxide to eliminate toxins by breaking unrefined compounds down using ultraviolet rays. It reduces microorganism buildup. Merus can help you decide what you need in your water treatment big or small.

The US Department of Energy recently approved funding of over $4 million to perform research and development of treatment technologies. The National Energy Technology Laboratory is managing three projects for commercialization to reduce water waste and increase water supplies for reuse. The projects comprise Electrolytic Coagulation and Disinfection, Nano-structured Membranes, and New Membranes.

Electrolytic Coagulation & Disinfection treats the flow-back and production of water for reuse. The method is new using ferric ion coagulant and disinfected.

Nano-structured Membranes is a method called electro spinning and spraying. A two-stage process is under development for cleaning water for reuse. It removes compounds and oil from water production. Municipals water supply facilities can incorporate the processes into their existing water systems.

New Membrane is a water treatment system using filtration. It removes organic compounds from produced water supply.

The new technologies are being tested, developed, and introduced into the market of municipal water treatment. People need water treatment plants to eliminate bacteria, viruses, dust, and harmful agents. Unsafe water causes illnesses and diseases to humans, livestock, and pets.

 

Integration is the basis of smart home technology. It’s about which device can connect to what, how they connect and what can be done to make these connections most efficient.

Here are some top smart home tech devices making the headlines in 2020.

SimpliSafe
Cameras are one thing, but if you are really concerned about security throughout your home, the SimpliSafe 3.0 kit is the best choice. It starts at $229 for the base station, a keypad, a motion sensor, and an opening/closing sensor.

It’s a start, but one that’s really exciting about SimpliSafe is that you choose from eight different sensors, from smoke to glass breakage to customize your system.

Philips Hue White LED
The Hue line has become known for its colour-changing lightbulbs, but most people can best start with their standard white light bulbs. For $70, you can purchase a set of two light bulbs and the Hue Hub. If you already have an Alexa or Google Assistant device, you can get the new Bluetooth version of the bulbs for $ 30 without the need for an additional hub.

Lockly Vision Smart Lock
Lockly is known for its smart high-tech locks incorporating advanced features such as fingerprint sensor technologies, a touchscreen keyboard that transfers additional security numbers, device control, voice control and temporary guest access codes.

The new Vision Smart Lock from Lockly has an integrated video doorbell so that you can watch videos from your veranda in real-time in the Lockly app and even save videos locally in the cloud.

You can also use the bidirectional conversation function to talk to your guests via the app, regardless of whether you are sitting on your couch or miles away from home. Lockly Vision has a suggested retail price of $399.

Aquifer Refine Water Purification And Leak Detection System

Aquifer Refine is a WiFi-connected system that is located under your sink and filters out contaminants such as lead, mercury and some medicines. In addition to water purification, it has a leak detection function that alerts you in the event of a possible leak with an alarm.

Because it’s Wi-Fi ready, you can get filter life notifications, and you can even connect it to Amazon Dash so that new filters are automatically sent to you. The Aquifer Refine system is retailed at about $600.

Kohler Touchless Toilets

Although Kohler has already tried this area, we CES toilet offering this year is a real beauty. This year’s toilets have a sensor for non-contact control, a handle and a colour-changing night light.

In the Kohler Konnect app you can change the night light colour and adjust the sensitivity of the sensor. So you can flush your toilet with just one hand movement without having to touch a toilet handle covered with germs.

Garage Smarts 101

If you already have a motorized garage door opener, also with a belt drive or chain drive, Garage Smarts 101 is a great option. Other favourite smart door garage openers include like Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub, Garadget, Alcidae Garager2, Nexx Garage etc.

Smart garage door controls are available in several variants. As a rule, a controller is attached to your existing opener with a double-sided adhesive strip. Engaging the services of a professional garage door company ensures your garage doors come equipped with these modern features.

Typically, they also include sensors that can be attached to your garage door. This sensor detects and transmits the position of your garage door so that the controller knows exactly whether the door is open, closed or somewhere in between.

Deciding which controller is the best smart garage door opener for you depends on what features you want the most and which smart home platforms you use in your home. Regardless of your needs, there is likely to be a smart garage door opener that will meet your needs.

Wrapping Up

Just 10 years ago, the idea of ​​controlling light, thermostat and security at home from your smartphone was unfathomable. Fast forward and today we are entering the era of smart home technology. That means it is the beginning easier, more convenient living.

 

As the cost of long-term care increases, many Americans are discovering that aging is expensive. Could smart home technology make aging in place feasible for you?

The Cost of Long-Term Care

Research from Genworth shows that the world’s population is aging at a faster rate than ever before. At the same time, people are living longer than ever.

Roughly 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 65 every day between now and 2030. Approximately 7 out of every 10 will require some type of long-term care. But unless you’ve dealt with an aging parent before, you’re probably unaware of just how expensive long-term care is. These national averages should give you an idea of how expensive the landscape is.

• $225 per day, or $6,844 per month, for a semi-private room in a nursing home.
• $253 per day, or $8,698 per month, for a private room in a nursing home.
• $119 per day, or $3,628 per month, for care in an unassisted living facility.
• $20.50 per hour for a home health aide.
• $20 an hour for homemaker services.
• $68 per day for services in an adult health care center.

As you can see, the cost of long-term care varies significantly based on the type of care. But factors like duration, location, and health needs also come into play. While many Americans are capable of covering a brief stint of care, multiple years can prove unaffordable. And that’s exactly why aging in place has become such a popular option.

How Smart Tech is Helping Seniors Age in Place

Aging in place is a lifestyle choice that centers on living in your own home for as long as possible as you age. Not only is it more comfortable, but it’s also more cost-effective. However, most homeowners have to retrofit their homes to make aging in place a practical option.

“Homeowners explore aging in place projects because they see the value in their current home, but understand that a forever home must be accessible and improve quality of life,” Case Design/Remodeling San Jose explains. “Aging in place design, also called Universal Design, is a set of principles that promotes ease of living and simplifies various aspects of your home’s layout. It’s a way to re-imagine a space with unlimited possibility.”

Here are some smart technologies that make Universal Design more practical and cost effective:

1. Smart Home Security Systems

Smart home security systems can protect elderly homeowners from both intruders and natural disasters, such as fire and flooding. The Abode home security solution is one of the top platforms on the market. It allows homeowners to install monitors, sensors, and a variety of devices to customize a system that works for their home and individual needs.

“This type of system also works with smoke alarms, flood sensors, and freeze/temperature sensors,” designer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy mentions. “If a senior shares access to the Abode system with a caregiver, that person can check in via a smartphone app and know that the temperature is comfortable, all the doors and windows are secure, and they’ll be alerted if a smoke or CO alarm is triggered.”

1. Voice-Activated Assistants

Smart speakers have become increasingly popular over the last couple of years. And while most people use them for novelty applications and convenience, they can actually provide some really important value for seniors who lack mobility and/or constant supervision.

Whether it’s the Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, or Apple’s Siri, these devices are extremely affordable and can be used in a variety of situations and environments. They’re great for making phone calls, listening to music, calling 911, accessing weather and news reports, and controlling other elements of the smart home (like lighting, door locks, and security features).

1. Smart Task Lighting

Did you know that falls are the number one cause of injury in seniors? More than 3 million seniors end up in the emergency room because of a fall each year. And while there’s no single technology that can completely eliminate falls, proper lighting helps.

Smart lighting can be turned on with a phone (or with your voice). This makes it easy for seniors to activate task lighting when they’re getting out of bed or walking into a new room. Best of all, it’s not very expensive. An entire home’s lighting can be retrofitted with nothing more than new light bulbs and a connected app.

Begin Planning Today

If you want to age in place when you’re older, now’s the time to start planning ahead so that you can proactively invest in the right technologies, solutions, upgrades, and retrofits.

Nowadays, home automation is much more advanced than what people imagined. Most parts of the home are affected, ranging from air conditioning to lighting and security. Homeowners are already aware of smart refrigerators and various other aspects of home automation. However, not much is known about the automation that is possible inside bathrooms.

We spend more hours than we think inside the bathroom. With this in mind, it should be no surprise to notice that there were technological advancements developed to help us out. Some of the most interesting things that can be added to your bathrooms are presented below, based on research done by drain blockage Melbourne specialists Fix It Right Plumbing.

High Tech Toilets

A smart toilet allows you to use it without having to rely on toilet paper or even hands to operate them. This is because of the addition of motion sensors. They lower and raise the toilet seat, control the temperature of the water and more. Some of the high tech toilets even include automatic dryers and spritzing wands. You can find models that are heated and include LED lights or antimicrobial seats.

Smart toilets became very advanced in a really short time. You can buy one that cleans itself. While high tech toilets are particularly common in Asia, now we see them being available in other parts of the world.

Digital Faucets

Digital faucets are really good when it comes to conserving water. They allow you to make the home more eco-friendly and you save money at the same time.

Usually, such a faucet has a lower tap flow and the temperature of the water is digitally controlled. Digital sinks can also be considered. They include infrared tap technology so that the presence of your hand is detected. As this happens, water is turned on. The digital faucet is even available for the shower and usually includes timers so that more water can be conserved.

Soaking Tubs

This is a rather new trend that takes the world by storm. A soaking tub includes modern and sleek faucets in so many different possible styles. Usually, pipes are used to fill a tub and offer you massaging jets. You can even find soaking tubs that have mood-enhancing lights included. Choose one of a suitable shape for the design you want to have inside the bathroom. Personal preference dictates what you choose.

Refrigerator Cabinets

This is another really cool gadget that you can add to your bathroom. It helps you to store beverages that you would use inside the bathroom. Many homeowners love the convenience offered and the possibility of enjoying a cold drink while soaking in a tub.

Smart Shower Panels

These are quite useful for modern high tech bathrooms because they allow users to control steam, lighting, temperature and even music. There are some smart shower panels that can even be used as TV sets. You would be able to watch a movie while you take a shower, making everything really convenient.

 

Marijuana has a long list of health benefits, and many people use it for recreational purposes as well. No matter what your reason, it is necessary first to look into your state’s laws. If they allow it, then read on. Growing cannabis is not a very challenging thing, but you need to have all the proper equipment before beginning.

The first tin you will need to do is look into the different strains. You should be able to find information on the internet, like a skywalker strain review. These will be very beneficial in deciding which one to grow.

Here are some tips that will help you cultivate cannabis:

Have A Designated Space

The first thing that you need to do is set up a spot in your house. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a particular room; it can be a tent, cabinet, a corner in the basement, or any suitable place.

It is essential that you start off small. Having a large number of plants will be difficult to maintain. It will also cost more. Since it is your first time, any mistakes you make won’t be expensive.

However, you will need to have ample space to fit in all the lights, fans, and other technological equipment required. Depending on the strain, make sure the place has a high enough roof.

Select From The Different Grow Lights

There are many different lighting types of equipment that you can use to grow the plants. The quality of the lights will profoundly affect the yields. Here are some lights that people use for growing different strains:

HID Grow Lights

These lights are widely used for their combination of output, efficiency, and value. They cost more than some of the other fixtures but provide much more light with a similar electricity input. There are two main types of HID lamps used for growing:

Metal Halide

They are generally used for vegetative growth. They have a blue-ish white light.

High-Pressure Sodium

These are more commonly used during the flowering phase. The light they give out is on the red end of the spectrum.

Fluorescent Grow Lights

These are quite popular among people who grow as a hobby. Their packages make them relatively cheap compared to the other lights. They also don’t require cooling systems since they don’t generate nearly as much heat as HID lights.

LED Glow Lights

Although they have been around for a while, their use in growing has only become efficient in recent years. They are much more efficient than HID systems, but they are costly as well.

These LED lights use very little electricity, last longer, don’t heat up, and the full spectrum of light they generate leads to higher yields.

Induction Grow Lights

Induction lamps are one of the oldest methods that have only recently been introduced into indoor farming. They are also known as electrodeless fluorescent lamps.

They are more efficient and long-lasting versions of the fluorescent lamps. However, their use is limited by their rice and availability.

If you are a person who likes to cook a lot, your kitchen might as well be your safe space at home. But what happens when that space becomes disorganized with spice canisters falling off countertops? Here are three tips to get your kitchen organized today.

• Use All Your Space As Efficiently As Possible

If items are cluttering the floors and falling off the countertops in your kitchen, you might be tempted to go shopping for additional storage in order to organize it. However, you are trying to organize and reduce the number of things taking space in the kitchen, so that might not be the best idea. Instead, look around your kitchen and check out the items that are clogging up your cabinets and countertops and figure out how to store them better.

For instance, your spices can take up a ton of space even though you use them often. You can label them properly and put them in a drawer that is close to the stove. If you have boxed foods like cereals and do not want boxes all over the place, put them in preserving jars that you can buy on Spares2you.

• Arrange for Ease of Use

When arranging your kitchen, you want to keep the few items you regularly use for cooking and serving within easy reach. You may choose to keep the things you use less frequently further out of your sight. This is important so that the things you need can be found easily and you do not have to scatter the whole kitchen while searching for your Sunday Tupperware.

Arrange your kitchen by putting your regularly used items close by. Keep your eating dishes in one place and keep your drinking glasses in another. Keep tools for preparation in the same area. All of this follows the age-old kitchen philosophy of “like goes with like”. When you organize your kitchen this way, not only does meal prep and table setting become quick and easy, but your kitchen takes on a more streamlined appearance.

• Arrange Your Fridge and Pantry Efficiently

While it is important to arrange the dishes and tools you use to cook and eat, you also need to make sure the foods you store are properly organized so that old items do not spoil or make a mess. Try to arrange your fridge and pantry using the same principles two principles above. You want to make sure you use the spaces in the fridge and pantry as efficiently as possible to store your foods. You also want to arrange the spaces so that the foods that can spoil quickly or that are easily reached.

These are three basic tips, but there are other ways to make sure that your kitchen is well organized. You can make use good use of your countertops and categorize your cabinets for better organizations. To make sure things stay organized, you can also create a regular cleaning and decluttering routine. With a little bit of planning and discipline, your kitchen can be an organized and efficient kingdom once more.

 

 

Are you planning to renovate your kitchen? If yes, you probably want it to be perfect – or as close to the image in your head as possible. I bet you already have thought about colours, maybe new cupboards or even appliances, you have browsed through catalogues looking for decor inspirations and you imagine your everyday life in these new surroundings. In order to help and inspire you on your journey to your perfect kitchen, here are some tips for a successful kitchen remodel:

• Plan your budget

It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a new house, renovating a kitchen, looking for a car or landscaping your garden – you should always start with planning your budget. Be realistic and a little cautious – always plan to spend a little bit more in order to avoid problems when facing unexpected expenses. It’s reasonable to add 10%-20% more to your budget.

• Start with appliances

It is so much easier to choose your appliances first and then to start decorating around them – much easier than the other way around as appliances have to be, above all, useful and practical. Plus, you may really be surprised by the effect of decorating your kitchen around, for example, a fridge that you liked. So start with a refrigerator and a dishwasher, check out https://www.plumbingforce.co.uk/heating/gas-safe-engineers/ to find Gas Safe engineers to safely install you a stove and then get to the looks of your kitchen!

• Re-use your cabinets

If you have good-quality cupboards and cabinets and you simply got bored with their colour and style, don’t throw them away; don’t even sell them. Cabinet frames can easily become the most costly thing in your kitchen, but there is a simple way to reduce it significantly – re-use what you already have. In most cases, it’s enough to change doors and drawer fronts or paint or re-laminate your old cabinets to get a fresh look that will completely satisfy your need for something new.

• Don’t put price over quality

There’s no point in skimping on materials while renovating your home, especially in the case of the kitchen, because you will soon discover that lower price very often means a shorter time of usability. It’s not about buying the best things, but about researching the best affordable materials. You don’t want to be forced to renovate once again in several months, or even a few years. If you choose the right cabinets and appliances, you will be able to use them for as long as you want – until you move out or decide to remodel because it’s boring. It’s a good idea to check the market for any used materials – that’s how you can obtain high-quality items that you normally wouldn’t be able to afford.

• Plan your space

It’s best to hire a professional to lay everything out so that your kitchen is 100% safe, but you need to cooperate when it comes to convenience. It’s you who will spend time in there and it’s you who needs to feel comfortable. It’s good to remember some general rules; for example, make enough space for food preparation (36 inches is recommended), at least 24 inches on one side of the sink – if you can afford more, do it. You will thank yourself later. Make sure you can easily open all doors of cabinets and appliances while still having some space to walk in front of them, and take note of the direction of swinging doors so that they can open all the way. Finally, remember about traffic flow – you don’t want to constantly bump into each other in the kitchen.

• Choose matching appliances

You already know that it’s best to start with choosing your appliances; now it’s important to remember that they should match. It’s better to get everything from the same brand to make sure that nothing stands out too much. Luckily, it’s not hard at all – most manufacturers started to make appliances in matching, good-looking sets. Thanks to it, you will start your kitchen remodel with a designer look.

• Don’t touch plumbing

Even if you want to replace your sink or a dishwasher, you should put the new one in the old place. It can be extremely costly to move water and gas lines, especially in older homes. It’s not impossible, but you will probably prefer to spend that money on something else or save it for later.

Now you know some basic rules and things to keep in mind while renovating, but it still may be a good idea to ask a contractor or a designer to help you with planning your perfect kitchen. This will help you confirm which ones of your dreams and ideas can actually work without obstructing your everyday life. Don’t let anyone talk you into things you don’t like, don’t follow trends blindly and try to stick to your budget.

You don’t have to be an HGTV fanatic or a design specialist to increase the worth of your home. There are little (and some not so little) things you can do to evolve your house to the next level. After all, when you have people over to visit, you want them walking away feeling impressed. And how much more impressive will it be when you tell them you did much of it yourself?

Replace Old Carpeting

More and more people are leaning away from having carpet in their homes. In the past, people would often go with carpeting because it laid down fast and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Nowadays, there are other types of flooring that you can choose if you want to dramatically change the look of the inside of your home. Plus, you can install much of it yourself over a day or two. If you want to make a huge change to the look of the interior of your home, flooring is where it is at.

It’s Nothing But Paint

Paint is so inexpensive that repainting all the rooms in your house virtually only takes a hit on your time. If you haven’t touched the paint in your house for more than a decade, it may be time to go ahead and update the look. A decade or so ago, people were leaning more towards various types of brown. Nowadays, the colour of choice is mostly grays and blues.

Painting Cabinets

Why stop at just the walls? Your cabinets could probably use an updating as well. However, rather than spend thousands upon thousands of dollars having them replaced (along with the countertops), you can simply paint the cabinets and the doors for a huge update. Even the drabbest of kitchens and bathrooms can look so much better just by painting out the cabinets.

Why Stop at the Inside?

Rather than focus on just the inside of your house, consider the outside as well. After all, most people driving by your house will not ever come inside. But they will notice how nice or not so nice your yard looks. If you don’t believe you have the skills to make your yard appear as if it was done by a professional, it is perfectly fine to look for help. You can improve your house with landscaping in Montreal that will make your home appear to be the best on the block!

 

Winter weather leaves us all shivering, and sometimes just turning up the heat isn’t enough to fight the chill. Then what? You could do a home energy audit to find the source of drafts and cut down on heat loss, but sometimes the only solution to an icy home is to make some improvements. Using new smart home technology can significantly improve your home’s efficiency and help you stay comfortable this winter, even when it slips below freezing.

Create Home Zones

Most older home heating systems have a single central thermostat that controls the entire home’s temperature, which means that rooms far away from the thermostat may end up far too cold or too hot. They can also make the home prone to a lot of energy waste, heating spaces that no one uses. By switching to a smart thermostat with a home zoning system, though, you can reprogram your home to heat only specific areas based on use.

Opt For Electric

Classic fireplaces lend a home a lot of charm, but they’re also terribly inefficient. In particular, because they need to be well-ventilated, fireplaces are prone to a lot of heat loss. One way to maintain the aesthetic appeal of a fireplace without the inefficiency is by switching to an electric fireplace for supplemental heat. The electric fireplace can be connected to smart speakers and other home hubs for central control.

Insulate With Blinds

Proper window coverings are important for keeping your home properly insulated, but it’s also important to let some sunshine in, both for mental health and for some natural, thermal heat. That means you need to be highly attentive regarding when the curtains or blinds are open, which isn’t always practical. Installing motorized blinds and scheduling them to change position at the appropriate times of day can simplify this process, making sure every room is properly insulated, even if you’re not home to adjust the blinds.

Hook Up A Humidifier

Our homes tend to become warm and dry during the winter, which can lead to dry skin and nosebleeds, and can aggravate health issues like asthma or respiratory infections, but there’s an easy solution: a humidifier. In particular, by using a smart humidifier you can maintain control over air conditions and make your home more comfortable. Most smart thermostats also take humidity into account when setting the home’s temperature, but they can’t add more moisture to the environment, only heat it accordingly. An actual humidifier will help keep conditions balanced.

It’s All In The Details

Sometimes staying comfortable in the winter months is all about the small details – the blankets, slippers, and warm beverages. What happens when you leave your cup of cocoa out too long, though? It’s the worst, especially if you’ve just come in from shoveling snow or digging out your car. Grab a chargeable Ember mug with customizable temperature settings and never worry about your warm drinks getting cold again. And on the coldest days, isn’t that what really matters?

The worst winter days can leave us feeling cold all the way down to our bones, and sometimes standard heating options just don’t keep us warm enough, but smart home technology is here to help. Not only can these new devices heat your home, but they also feature improved efficiency compared to their old-fashioned counterparts. There’s a smarter way to stay warm this winter, and you can upgrade your home today.

What may seem to be a simple task may turn out to be a challenging one in choosing the right ceiling fan. Things such as room size, durability, budget, and intensity of noise need to be considered in choosing the best ceiling fan. Read here for the basic functions of fans and their benefits to man.

Actually, when you go to the stores to make a choice, the things you have to think about when you first planned on acquiring a ceiling fan was a short list. You realize there is more that needs to be determined, such as but not limited to, number of blades, their length, what materials were it assembled from, airflow, and many more that can run a long list.

Fan Size versus Room Size

This should be the first thing to consider. What size of the room will it go? The floor area of the room will reflect how big and wide the ceiling is. Fan size against a room size is important because with the wrong fan size, air is not circulated properly.

Here’s a guide that can be referred to:

Fan Size Room Size

29 inches or less Less than 50 square feet

36 inches up to 75 square feet

42 inches up to 100 square feet

52 inches up to 225 square feet

56 inches Up to 400 square feet

Room

When a room is big, it is either you choose one big fan or two smaller ones. Clearances on all sides are very important, otherwise, the ceiling fan is not free to function well due to obstructions.

Hanging Height

There should be at least seven feet of space between the floor and the blades, at the very minimum, while a height of eight to nine feet is the best height of space to allow optimum circulation. The more space between the ceiling and the blades, the better the air can circulate. Downrods are helpful with average and high ceilings, while flush mount ceiling fans are the best options for low ceilings.

Sloped Ceilings

Ceiling fans can be installed in slope ceilings, but a longer downrod is necessary to allow enough clearance around the blades. Only a certain degree of slope can usually be accommodated, but if the ceiling has a steeper slope, an adaptor or angle-mount can be used to level to slope and enable installations.

Blades

The number of blades is also thought of to be an important factor in deciding which kind to pick. It has been a notion that the more blades there are the more efficient. CFM or the measure of a fan’s air efficiency is more reliable in ensuring that efficiency is at optimal. The number of blades will now fall on the embellishment factor, for example a four-blade option may be preferable because it gives a more balanced and conventional look, whereas the three-blade option imposes a modern trend. Sites like http://www.christopherteh.com/blog/2014/05/ceiling-fan-design/ discusses the science behind the design and number of blades.

Different Kinds of Blades

1) MDF or medium density fiberboard are blades made of sawdust and other wood remnants glued together with a cementing material to make it hard, and laminated to make it suitable for use. These are, most often, the least expensive kind, however, quality-wise it does not hold-up well. It does not also do well outdoor; with moisture it will not last longer as expected.

2) Plastic are also inexpensive; it can be made into almost any shape. These blades will hold up great outside.

3) Wood is best indoor, but can also be a good choice for outdoor installations. These take more effort though in sourcing and manufacturing. Most often, Balsa wood is used as it is solid, lightweight and aerodynamic.

4) Metals are best for fans mounted high above the floor. These are good for outdoor installations as it can stand well amidst moisture and damp. However, it may not be a good choice in places near the ocean as the salty breeze can cause corrosion.

Avoiding Noise

The one setback with these installations is when they make too much noise. To avoid this from happening and make your ceiling fan quieter, ensure that the blades are cleaned off regularly, blade screws are tightened and checked once they begin to make excessive noise; examine if there is presence of any warped blades and fix or replace them; ensure that the upper canopy is well secured; also make sure that the motor is oiled; that these are balanced; the motor cover is tightened; and others.

Regular checkup and maintenance will not only ensure low noise, but also ensure that the installation lasts as expected.