Industrial HVLS Ceiling Fan Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best ...

05 Jun.,2025

 

Industrial HVLS Ceiling Fan Buying Guide: How to Choose the Best ...

The term “HVLS” stands for High-Volume, Low-Speed. HVLS fans are huge, with some measuring around 10 feet to as much as 24 feet in diameter, and move a tremendous amount of air. These large industrial ceiling fans create a cooling effect of nearly 10 degrees Fahrenheit and generate airflow throughout a large area. In the colder months, these large ceiling fans effectively mix the layers of air in your facility through a process called “Destratification,” which helps to redistribute heat. Using HVLS fans decreases the burden on your HVAC system and can lead to an energy savings of up to 30%!

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Windmax Power.

Learn More: What are HVLS fans?

Ideal Industries for HVLS Fans

A wide variety of businesses make use of HVLS ceiling fans. If you have tall ceilings and prioritize comfort and safety, HVLS fans are right for you! Here are just a few of the common settings where you will find HVLS industrial ceiling fans:

  • Warehouses and Factories
  • Dairy Barns
  • Gymnasiums
  • Breweries
  • Automotive Shops
  • Aviation Hangars

HVLS Fan Mounting Structures

Next, you need to consider if you have the proper mounting structure for HVLS ceiling fans. HVLS fans need to be mounted on sturdy structures that can withstand roughly twice the maximum hanging weight of the fan. These mounting structures include I-beams, purlin structures, Unistrut, and glulam beams. This usually isn’t an issue, as most industrial spaces are designed with these sorts of materials. However, some fans are heavier than others, so it is important to ensure that your space is sturdy enough to support the weight.

Additionally, you must make sure your HVLS ceiling fan is installed with enough clearance from any obstacles. This means the fan must be at least 2 feet away from any lighting fixtures, and 5 feet out of reaching distance from walkways or mezzanines.

YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: Industrial Ceiling Fan Size Guide

Not all HVLS fans are the same. Now that you have discovered if you have the right space for large diameter ceiling fans, let’s go over a few things that set some HVLS fans apart.

Learn More: HVLS Benefits for Warehouses

Are you interested in learning more about Large Warehouse Ceiling Fans? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

HVLS Fan Price and Performance

As is commonplace with most large, industrial equipment manufacturers, most companies require customers to get a quote to find specific HVLS fan pricing. That way, they can learn more about your specific needs to ensure they recommend the correct product. Hunter HVLS ceiling fans are extremely affordable when compared to other leading brands, and the benefits of going with Hunter are unmatched. (More on that later.)

It is also important to consider HVLS fan performance. HVLS fan performance is measured in CFM, which stands for Cubic Feet per Minute. This is basically a way of measuring how much air is being pushed through the fan in a set period. The Hunter Titan HVLS fan is capable of moving massive amounts of air!

HVLS Fan Durability and Warranty

Is the HVLS fan you are considering built to stand the test of time? Some manufacturers still use outdated technology, like gear-box motors that can leak oil! Hunter HVLS fans are designed with oil-free direct drive motors, and the blades are constructed with air-craft grade materials and redundant safety systems. We are the only HVLS manufacturer to offer an Adjustable Downrod, which takes the guesswork out of ordering and installing your fan.

Are you worried about accidentally hitting your fan with a fork truck? Don’t worry, we’ve already tested that for you:

In fact, we are so confident in our HVLS products that we offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty on our Titan, ECO, and XP models. That is the best HVLS fan warranty around!

Lead Times and Support

These days, it is difficult for industrial suppliers to keep their warehouses fully stocked. Before you place your HVLS fan order, make sure you know exactly how long it will take before the fans arrive at your warehouses. The last thing you want is to place your order, thinking you will have the fans before it gets too hot, only to discover it will take weeks or months for the fans to even leave the warehouse. With Hunter Industrial & Commercial, you can rest assured knowing that we offer 10-day lead times on our industrial and commercial fans! We will get the air flowing when you need it!

Have a question or concern? Our customer support is standing by to lend a helping hand. Learn more here.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Commercial HVLS Fan. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

An Affordable Large Fan Option for Garage/Shop

I'm a big fan of big ceiling fans for my work spaces. Like in a home, air movement discourages mold, dampness, and cold spots, de-stratifies the air and, for those without AC, helps somewhat in the summer with cooling.

Over on the Green Tractor Talk forum, a member posted about an affordable 10 ft HVLS ceiling fan with good reviews that he found and installed. He then followed up with his wholehearted endorsement. I thought that there would be some interest by the members here and so I'll post the link to his thread here.

Thread on Large Fan on GTT Forum

Looks like a good and very affordable alternative to big arse fans and their hefty price.
It installed the 72" version of that fan recently above my deck. I honestly expected a bit more airflow from it, but it is near silent and looks nice.

I have two similar BAFs on my front porch and I’m a little disappointed with the airflow from them on the lower quieter speeds. I need to call their support team and see if lowering them some would supply more air. I’m wondering if there just isn’t enough air up there to supply a good breeze. Your installation is similar.

I have two similar BAFs on my front porch and I’m a little disappointed with the airflow from them on the lower quieter speeds. I need to call their support team and see if lowering them some would supply more air. I’m wondering if there just isn’t enough air up there to supply a good breeze. Your installation is similar.

Lowering them will almost certainly provide an improvement, but there is the aesthetic aspect to consider.
Lowering them will almost certainly provide an improvement, but there is the aesthetic aspect to consider.
Yeah, my first consideration when I bought and installed them was aesthetics. I don’t think they would look bad 6” lower, that would put them below that beam and hopefully supply them with more air. After the holidays I’ll call BAF and see if they’ll supply me with longer rods.

If I find I can’t live with the looks, I’ll raise them back up and hide a box fan blowing on me from behind the little brick wall My shop is 30x50 with 12’ eave height and 4:12 pitch roof. My trusses are open so I have a 17’ peak height. I have 4 tons of a/c.

What I have found is that there is a temperature gradient / change from working height to the top of the ceiling area. What I figured out is that I don’t want to bring down the hot air and mix it with the conditioned air and I don’t want to push up the conditioned air. So I have been using fans to blow air horizontally at around 3’-5’ high.
My shop is 30x50 with 12’ eave height and 4:12 pitch roof. My trusses are open so I have a 17’ peak height. I have 4 tons of a/c.

What I have found is that there is a temperature gradient / change from working height to the top of the ceiling area. What I figured out is that I don’t want to bring down the hot air and mix it with the conditioned air and I don’t want to push up the conditioned air. So I have been using fans to blow air horizontally at around 3’-5’ high.
The only time I want to pull down air is in the winter. BAF is effective in large spaces, no argument there. We put one in one of our plants at work about 16yrs ago as a test case. Since then several more have been installed. First one was something like 20' diameter. Lot of other sizes have been added along the way. Truss Height there is at 27'.

In my own shop - I was able to score three smallish ones on the closeout rack at lowes for something like $8ea. They are all set at medium speed and usually just turned on when I run the heat but do help on hot days to just have a bit of air movement.

One hint - make sure they are mounted higher than the lights. The flicker can drive you nuts if you are in the wrong spots in my shop. Westinghouse 100inch Fan. Used to be carried by HD and Amazon. The price has gone up $100-150 since Ive bought mine. Very economical when compared the the comp for BAF at $4K. Ive had it for years in my shop. 12ft ceiling to 14ft in the front. Moves air very well with a winter and summer setting. I ran this all last summer in low to help with humidity. Shop is 28x46 so that should give you an idea of coverage.

Westinghouse - Widespan 100-Inch Indoor Ceiling Fan, DC Motor

The Widespan 100 inch ceiling fan relies on size to move air in high volume, and rotates at lower speeds than smaller ceiling fans. This effective and efficient distribution of air is perfect for large commercial and residential spaces. Ideal for warehouses, gymnasiums, storage facilities...
I have two similar BAFs on my front porch and I’m a little disappointed with the airflow from them on the lower quieter speeds. I need to call their support team and see if lowering them some would supply more air. I’m wondering if there just isn’t enough air up there to supply a good breeze. Your installation is similar.

Yours looks OK compared to above, but one issue I see in both installs as far as "Feeling" the air is these fans are in the open (No walls) vs being in a closed room.

The closed room makes the air recirculate down, then back up to the fan creating more velocity from the same fan speed. I mounted the squirrel cage fan from my old furnace up near the ceiling in my detached 24x28 shop. I mounted a cover plate over the rectangular outlet to create some back pressure, onto which I mounted four directional 4" outlet elbows so I can create four airflows. On low speed it moves plenty of air. I mounted it at the back of the shop so it pushes air out the overhead door. I hope too the airflow causes insects to get less of my body heat and scent to hunt me down. Here is my writeup on those same fans.

Ceiling fan for tall shop

So I am cheap...well...trying to just get by with things and have had another posts on my shop and some AC questions which I am eventually going to go with a couple of mini splits. But for now I am wondering if adding a couple of large ceiling fans would help or hurt. Shop is 40DX60WX20H with...
I still have two more that I didn't put up that I need to figure out what to do with or sell so if anyone is interested they are brand new in the box.
Lots of fans in this thread are mounted too high. If you get a vibration or change in sound on high that is a sign there is not enough space above the fan for the amount of air it's trying to move. My suggestion is to move your fan down, just make sure it's not too low to hit someone.
Last week I bought a 96 inch HVLS fan for the garage. The manual states the optimal height is between nine and 11 feet. Supposedly this fan put out 14,000 CFM of air. The fan is mounted exactly 9 feet off the ground and you can’t feel anything, 15 feet away. Not even a slight breeze. When you’re directly under the fan or within about 5 feet of it then you can feel the wind. So I went ahead and bought a 10 foot fan from the same manufacturer mounted it in the same exact place as the 8 foot fan . They say that puts out 23 CFM of air. And honestly, the wind performance was worse than the 96 inch fan. So needless to say both of these fans are going to be going back. Now I kinda know why lots of folks recommend BAF.
I understand a HVLS fan is not going to be a hurricane but more so give you that nice breeze feeling on your skin. But if these fans can’t even push wind out beyond 15 feet, then it’s no wonder some of these folks are spending $3- $ on a fan
Last week I bought a 96 inch HVLS fan for the garage.
Sorry for all the troubles your have having. Going to a larger fan and having it feel like less wind makes me wonder how much space you've above the fan for it to pull from, as that could be the issue. if it was me I would try the fan at 8 feet.
I'd suggest doing a test for air movement before and after any more changes. Wet your finger and hold in the air, count how long it cools and note the feels of cooling. Also you could set up some paper and video it moving to compare.
You might need two fans, or a fan with a differ blade design. More power at the same size usually equals more airflow.
Sorry for all the troubles your have having. Going to a larger fan and having it feel like less wind makes me wonder how much space you've above the fan for it to pull from, as that could be the issue. if it was me I would try the fan at 8 feet.
I'd suggest doing a test for air movement before and after any more changes. Wet your finger and hold in the air, count how long it cools and note the feels of cooling. Also you could set up some paper and video it moving to compare.
You might need two fans, or a fan with a differ blade design. More power at the same size usually equals more airflow.

There’s about 5’ of airspace above the fan.
Last week I bought a 96 inch HVLS fan for the garage. The manual states the optimal height is between nine and 11 feet. Supposedly this fan put out 14,000 CFM of air. The fan is mounted exactly 9 feet off the ground and you can’t feel anything, 15 feet away. Not even a slight breeze. When you’re directly under the fan or within about 5 feet of it then you can feel the wind. So I went ahead and bought a 10 foot fan from the same manufacturer mounted it in the same exact place as the 8 foot fan . They say that puts out 23 CFM of air. And honestly, the wind performance was worse than the 96 inch fan. So needless to say both of these fans are going to be going back. Now I kinda know why lots of folks recommend BAF.
I understand a HVLS fan is not going to be a hurricane but more so give you that nice breeze feeling on your skin. But if these fans can’t even push wind out beyond 15 feet, then it’s no wonder some of these folks are spending $3- $ on a fan
Not even a slight breeze? Not being a smart ass but are you sure it's rotating in the correct direction? Mine has a quite a breeze at 11 ft up from the deck but none when blowing in the "up" direction.