The smallest ceiling fans draw .34 amps while the largest use 1.5 amps. A 48” ceiling fan amps are .63 amps, and that’s the most common ceiling fan size.
So, you can see that ceiling fans use very little electricity to cool your home when compared to central air and room air conditioners. Pennies a day, in fact. And ceiling fans do a great job circulating the air in your home in order to make it feel more comfortable. Read on to find out more about the number amps a ceiling fan uses, as well as many more topics and facts about ceiling fans.
How Many Amps Does a Ceiling Fan Use?
The amperage that a ceiling fan uses depends on the speed and size of the fan. Typically, a ceiling fan will use less than one amp whenever it is running. Low settings use less amps than medium or high settings. For example, a 120-volt ceiling fan on a low setting will use 0.17 amps. A medium setting will pull 0.58 amps, and a high setting will draw 0.65 amps. In comparison, electric heaters will use between 10 and 20 amps, so ceiling fans use very little electricity and are inexpensive to run.
How many amps do ceiling fans draw? Here are the most common sizes with amperage in the right column.
| Ceiling Fan Size (in diameter) | Amps |
|---|---|
| 24 inch | 0.34 amps |
| 30 inch | 0.40 amps |
| 36 inch | 0.46 amps |
| 42 inch | 0.54 amps |
| 48 inch | 0.63 amps |
| 52 inch | 0.74 amps |
| 56 inch | 0.85 amps |
| 60 inch | 1.00 amps |
| 72 inch | 1.50 amps |
Note: A ceiling fan with light will draw 2-4 times more amps. For example, a 60-watt light bulb draws about .5. 1 amp is equivalent to 120 watts. But if you don’t have the light on “all the time,” it shouldn’t noticeably raise your electric bill.
How many amps does a 42 inch ceiling fan pull?
0.54 amps. Find 42 in the Ceiling Fan Size column. Scan to the right, to the Amps column, to find the answer of .54 amps.
How many amps does a 52 ceiling fan use?
The answer is .72 amps. Use the Ceiling Fan Amp Use Table to learn that a ceiling fan that is 52 inches in diameter will use 0.72 amps.
What Size Breaker Do I Need for a Ceiling Fan?
All you need is a 15 amp breaker for a ceiling fan. This is because ceiling fans are in the same category as lights and outlets and require a lot less electrical power to operate.
What are Some Types of Ceiling Fans and How Many Amps Do They Use?
There are a number of different size ceiling fans available. You can buy a residential ceiling fan that is only 24 inches in diameter and some fans are as large as 72 inches in diameter or even bigger.
The bigger the fan, the more amperage it will require. As seen above in the table, a typical ceiling fan will use less than one amp of electricity. Industrial ceiling fans are much more expensive and much larger.
An industrial ceiling fan will cost $1000 or more and will use between 1 and 6 amps, depending on the motor and blade size. Industrial fan blades can be up to 10 feet long.
One of the most popular and common brands of ceiling fans are Hunter Ceiling Fans. Hunter fans can be bought at big box home improvement stores, such as Home Depot. You can purchase Hunter fans for around $100 and up. A Hunter ceiling fan will draw less than one amp of electricity.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do amps compare to watts?
For comparison, one amp is equivalent to 120 watts, based on 120V input voltage, so 0.5 amps would be 60 watts. This measurement and comparison for electricity is standard at all times. If voltage drops to 110, then one amp equals .54 amps, and so forth.
How many ceiling fans on a 15 amp circuit?
A 15 amp circuit should be able to run 4 ceiling fans without any problem. For example, a 52 inch fan is between 90 and 100 watts at a high speed setting with three 60 watt light bulbs. That means that each fan will use around 280 watts. A 120 volt, 15 amp circuit can supply 1880 watts. Four fans at 280 watts each is about ⅔ of the total wattage that can be on the 15 amp circuit.
What size wire is needed for a ceiling fan?
The minimum size wire that is required for a ceiling fan is 14-2 gauge wire, which is standard for lighting or fans, but if your fan has an adjustable switch or speed control, 14-3 wire is needed. However, some electricians prefer to use heavier-duty 12-2 or 12-3 wires that are rated for 15 amp circuits.
How much electricity does a ceiling fan use a month?
The average price to run a medium sized ceiling fan is $.003 an hour. So, if you have the medium-sized ceiling fan running 24/7, you should expect to pay about $0.065 a day, $0.45 a week, and $1.94 a month to operate your fan. That’s pretty cheap cooling and airflow!
How expensive are ceiling fans to purchase and to operate?
Ceiling fans can be bought for anywhere from $50 to $300, for a fan that has five blades and also has lighting fixtures. Running a ceiling fan is very inexpensive. It only costs around $.01 an hour to operate.
How are amps and watts different?
Many are confused when talking about watts and amps. Amps are simply the unit of current electrical flow and watts are the actual unit for power. When you multiply the amps by the voltage you get the wattage. Amps are only used when dealing with electricity, but watts can be also used for other forms of energy.
How many amps do central ACs use?
We produced a guide called How Many Amps Does a 1-5 Ton Central AC Unit Use? The guide includes a calculator for inputting AC size, efficiency and voltage to calculate the amperage. The calculator shows that 1.5 ton to 5.0 ton central air conditioning systems pull 4.5 to 21 or more amps.
