Question on ceiling fans in Singapore

[rajagainstthemachine]

Based on my observations through various mechanisms like house hunting visiting friends etc. i find that ceiling fans are used/installed only in the living rooms and almost never in the bedrooms.
I find sleeping in air conditioned rooms is affecting my respiratory health and I often wake up in the mornings with a dried nose full of bloody boogers.
so the question is what does it take to install a ceiling fan in the bedroom?

a.) permission from the landlord

b.) whats the easiest method to install one of them without having to a whole lot of electrical/drilling work?

tl;dr version: need to stop using a/c, start using a ceiling fan.

[Pal]

a.) permission from the landlord
I am sure the landlord will be more than happy as this enhances his property, but this is based on the assumption that the cost is not bared by the landlord

b.) whats the easiest method to install one of them without having to a whole lot of electrical/drilling work?
Install the fan with light at the original lighting point, usually at the center of the bedroom

[sundaymorningstaple]

To add to Pal's post, I've got ceiling fans in all my bedrooms (4) and in the hall. We don't use Aircon at all (in fact, none installed). I hung the fans myself, but you will need to drill two holes minimum to hang a ceiling fan, otherwise you risk the chance of having it drop. If it's in the bedroom, the will mean directly on the bed and anybody who might be in it at the time. The fan base is a flat dish shaped metal fixture that need to have concrete wall anchors installed. One of the anchors will be fastened with a stud that will accept a nut to hold the disk to the ceiling. The second will also need the same except the stud that screws into the ceiling anchor will normally have a hook end. This is to facilitate the safety cable which will be affixed to the motor block of the fan and the ceiling anchor should they separate (the cable is a stainless steel cable). Additionally, it allows you to hang the fan from the cable so as to give you two hands to do the necessary wiring without trying to figure out how to hold up the fan without an extra pair of hands. If you get bedroom fans (usually 3 bladed and smaller than the hall fan) ensure you get ones with the light kits. These will allow you us use the same light wiring. However, please note that you will need to get the remote control type of controls for the fans as there will only be an on/off switch on the wall (that controlled the original ceiling light). The remotes I won't give you 2 cents for but what to do? Otherwise you need to go back to the wall switch, modify the wiring to run an extra set of wires through the same trunking in order to be able to switch the fans & lights separately. (I initially had the remote units and after replacing them 2x said the hell with it, went in a did the necessary rewiring and now operate them with wall switches.

OR, let the lighting/fan shop install them. Usually between $30~$50/unit. You don't need a license or permit to install ceiling fans in an HDB flat. I've always hung my own but if you have neither the time, inclination or proper heavy-duty hammer drill, I'd say let the installers furnished by the shop install them.

You cannot hang a ceiling fan without drilling at least two holes in the ceiling.

[x9200]

Based on my observations through various mechanisms like house hunting visiting friends etc. i find that ceiling fans are used/installed only in the living rooms and almost never in the bedrooms.
I find sleeping in air conditioned rooms is affecting my respiratory health and I often wake up in the mornings with a dried nose full of bloody boogers.
so the question is what does it take to install a ceiling fan in the bedroom?

a.) permission from the landlord

Depends on your TA.

b.) whats the easiest method to install one of them without having to a whole lot of electrical/drilling work?

There is no easy way to work around drilling unless you already have a hook installed in the ceiling. Just imagine what may happen if few kgs heavy fast rotating propeller falls down on somebody below. But if you have a decent hammer drill with a decent drill bit it is a fast job. Beside the holes you would need 3 to 4 anchoring screws of this type:



And a hook:



Some fan manufacturers (e.g. KDK) recommends 3 point anchoring but I believe it is close to impossible to find such hooks in Singapore.

I installed a basic KDK fan at my son's room replacing the ceiling lamp so it uses the wiring for the lamp.


tl;dr version: need to stop using a/c, start using a ceiling fan.

[rajagainstthemachine]

thanks for the suggestions, however here is another problem i have. the ceiling light is not directly below the bed it is located to one side of the ceiling, additionally there are two spot lights on the ceiling once again offset diametrically opposite.
think bedroom is a rectangle and the lighting points are located close to either sides of the length of the rectangle and bed is in the middle.
I'll get some pictures when i go back home later this week. I really want a ceiling fan however I might just end up getting one of those tower fan with fins as an alternative. I am quite disappointed with the cheap 30$ toyomi/mistral whatever cheap fans as they are quite noisy.

[x9200]

It does not need to be directly above the bad. It still blows nicely. But prepare that you may perceive it as noisy too. It is sort of funny because it is much less noisy than the stand fans but if your place is generally quiet the noise it produces is less uniform comparing to the smaller higher velocity fan.

Another and more easy to install alternative are all the wall fans. Install it on the wall opposite to you bed, no need for anchoring screw etc.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Another and more easy to install alternative are all the wall fans. Install it on the wall opposite to you bed, no need for anchoring screw etc.

I have one of those (KDK) oscillating wall fans on my balcony/office which is a narrow rectangle and my desk is at the other end of balcony so it works a treat. Again to hang, a couple of screws with wall anchor (the plastic insert type) and Bob's yer uncle. These are a bit noisier but if you can keep the speed down they are okay. The KDK one that I have pushes a heck of a lot of air for it's diameter.

[the lynx]

thanks for the suggestions, however here is another problem i have. the ceiling light is not directly below the bed it is located to one side of the ceiling, additionally there are two spot lights on the ceiling once again offset diametrically opposite.
think bedroom is a rectangle and the lighting points are located close to either sides of the length of the rectangle and bed is in the middle.
I'll get some pictures when i go back home later this week. I really want a ceiling fan however I might just end up getting one of those tower fan with fins as an alternative. I am quite disappointed with the cheap 30$ toyomi/mistral whatever cheap fans as they are quite noisy.

I'd be interested to see what your solution to this problem is because I've always thought one would need to drill and re-wire to have the ceiling fan in between those two lights.

[menudown]

or you can get the Dyson fan with no blades but its costly

[Strong Eagle]

or you can get the Dyson fan with no blades but its costly

It has blades, you just can't see them.

[JR8]

The first place I lived had ceiling fans (CF) plus air-con (AC) in the lounge only, and AC only in the bedrooms.
Second place. Exactly the same set-up
Current place. No CF anywhere, but AC in all ‘habitable rooms’ (i.e. lounge+beds, not kit/baths).

CF need tall ceilings. The more modern a place the lower the ceilings tend to be. CF need clearance between the ceiling, plus enough headroom to not risk chopping someone’s head off. For example, if we had CFs in the bedrooms now, and anyone stood on the beds whilst they were on, it would get messy.

I also hate air-con. It gives me bad congestion which at night causes me to snore (apparently ). Snoring really disturbs quality sleep, so you wake up feeling exhausted. Also if I snore during the night my wife will periodically wake up and jab me to roll over. i.e. we both lose sleep, and she wakes up less than happy. This is why I’ve previously suggested new arrivals who aren’t used to this climate, make a go of adjusting, and without air-con at night. Healthier, cheaper, better sleep.

I’d ask, if you consider the height of a CF, and how much clearance you’d have if standing on the bed, is there enough clearance to ensure complete safety, even if using the bed as a trampoline? If not you’d be very unwise (IMO) to install a CF. That is also question no.1 I’d consider as a landlord.
Q2 would be is what is proposed to be installed going to look a mess? Will the mains cable be pinned across the ceiling/wall? As a landlord I wouldn’t approve that. Even surface cable ducting is a negative (IMO). As a LL I’d need to hear that it wouldn’t have surface cabling, and that it would be safe to use.

a) Yes, for sure

We use Takada brand floor-standing fans ($30-40?), one in the lounge, one in my study, one in our bedroom. We also keep a few strategically chosen windows cracked ajar at night. That works for us.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Long story short. Fans in Singapore are designed for normal HDB ceiling heights so no worries. In Singapore, all electrical lines are in trunk boxes across the ceilings unless you have suspended ceilings. If that is the case, then your ceilings are too low to hang ceiling fans from and would have to do with Air con anyway.

[taxico]

please keep your rooms (with running fans) properly ventilated on hot nights (>30'c).

[Wd40]

We have wall fans in my current house. In my previous house we had a fancy ceiling fan in the living room, but it was for show only. Not enough air speed. Same experience from couple of other friends on mine. The fancy ceiling fans that you get in Singapore are not like the fans we get in India. I know some people who have got fans from India and installed it and they are fine.

The wall fans in my current house are in all the rooms. Thanks to landlady. We rarely use aircon now, that too only when its really hot and humid.

We had the same problem with mixer grinders too, the ones you get here are good to make juice only. We replaced atleast 3 of them in Singapore, they spoil if you use it to grind pulses etc. We got one from India and it works like a charm.

[x9200]

please keep your rooms (with running fans) properly ventilated on hot nights (>30'c).

What so specific about portable electric fans?