A ceiling fan extension is used to lower the height of the fan so that it sits at the optimum height above the ground. Having your ceiling fan too high off the ground won’t allow air movement and it will just be a fancy light fixture that moves. Ideally, you should try to maintain a distance of about seven feet between the blades of your ceiling fan and the floor. This is also the safety distance to ensure that children or pets do not get harmed by the rotating blades.
Most standard fans come with a rod that attaches to the motor housing of your ceiling fan and extends down into the room. This rod is called a ‘downrod’ and it helps to keep the fan positioned at the proper height. It’s especially important to use a downrod on fans that are mounted on sloped or angled ceilings because the fan could otherwise crash into the angled part of the roof.
Many people choose to buy hugger-mount fans that do not require a downrod because they are designed to be mounted directly onto the ceiling without any intermediate rod between the motor and the ceiling. These fans are a good choice for rooms with low ceilings because the fan will be less intrusive. The disadvantage of using these types of fans is that they can’t be lowered as far, so they won’t move the same amount of air as a traditional fan.