Hunter Ceiling Fan: Beacon Hill never had it so good

Have you been to Beacon Hill? For those unfamiliar with the East Coast, yes it is a real place, having very little to do with ceiling fans. A nice little area in a section of Boston with a feel of history - then again, what area in Boston doesn't have a little history in the mix?

Anyway, the name give to this fan, though a bit ironic since electric-powered ceiling fans certainly weren't the norm in historical Beacon Hill, does somehow fit thanks to the brushed nickel finish - making this one a bit more subdued than many other ceiling fans I've had the "pleasure" of encountering.

Hunter Fans
I'm really not much of a snob in the ceiling fan department. I have plenty of opinions on light fixtures, wood choices, even light switches. But ceiling fans? For the most part I say tear 'em off the ceiling and forget about it. But I married a woman who has some sort of addiction to circulating air so I live with a couple ceiling fans in the house.

The last fan purchased, this Beacon Hill model, replaced a relic that was in place when we purchased the house. We had purchased cheaper fans for the kids' room in the past, going more by color than quality. Within a month the thing was shaking on the ceiling when it ran and the fan motor had this incessant buzzing as if I'd stepped in a swarm of very angry hornets. It was a disappointment and something I did not anticipate encountering.

So we went with Hunter - a relatively popular name in the realm of ceiling fans, and I am now convinced that name recognition often means a better product. At least where ceiling fans are concerned - Hunter has a lot more to lose if their products should prove defective.

Model 20431 - Beacon Hill

Appearance: Five reversible blades are finished in either a light maple or cherry finish. "Finished" should not be taken to imply this is a high-end unit with board hand made of cherry on one side and maple on the other. As best I can tell the cherry is not a faux finish while the maple side appears to have been pressed on in some way. First negative - if you want the maple finish you'll have to live with blades that are cherry on the side and, therefore, darker.

Width: 42"

Three lights hang from the bottom, each with a white-finished glass shade. Hunter called this a "full illumination" light - I would assume because each light faces in a different direction from center, resulting in full room glow. Nothing fancy here in terms of light control, though if you hook it up to a dimmer switch on the wall you can control the level of brightness.

Fan body is brushed nickel (i.e. a non-shiny silver). This goes for body of th emotor as well as the blade hardware. This is our metal of choice in the house - we don't like brass or shiny finishes - so it's a perfect choice for the style we live within.

Assembly/Installation: I had the benefit here of simply replacing one ceiling fan with another ceiling fan. This is relatively easy work for anyone remotely handy. Some basic electrical knowledge is necessary for hooking up wires, and some basic tool skills (not really carpentry) for actually suspending the unit from the ceiling.

The weight of the unit was somewhere around 15 pounds - on the higher side of that estimate. Because of the size I'd suggest this as a two person job, perhaps doable by one but I'd never admit to suggesting that should you find yourself falling off the ladder attempting to wire the unit to the ceiling and holding it in place at the same time.

Some assembly is required involving the lighting fixture and blade attachment, but it's installation that will take time in this situation.

My biggest suggestion is this: if you are not a licensed builder or electrician and if you have never before installed a ceiling fan, please engage the help of a professional if you are starting from scratch rather than simply switching out an old fan for a new one. Find someone willing to let you work along with him and perhaps next time you can tackle the job on your own.

Function
Two dangling cords on either side of the motor housing control lights (on/off) and fan (three speeds). The on/off functions can be controlled from a wall switch, though fan speed cannot.

Be advised that if you use a standard-sized light bulb, you'll see the bulb peeking out from the lamp shades. An aesthetic issue for some.

Fan operation is relatively quiet though increasing in noise as speed selection increases. To date we have had no problems with operation and in comparison with cheaper fans the silence is golden. I have, however, heard (or not heard) fans with more silence - it seems to be a factor of the cost of the fan.

Verdict and Extras
This fan far surpassed the off-brand unit we lived with previously. This goes for operation as well as appearance. It still is not as silent as I'd appreciate and the blade edges being a darker color can irritate my wife depending on her mood. But for the price range we were operating within, it has met our expectations.

Warranty: Lifetime...though I've never utilized one this applies to the motor only.

Extras: Literature tells me I could get this one to work with a remote control made by Hunter. Again, have not had the opportunity or desire to try this for myself.

And unless you like to stand on the bed or a chair to dust, you'll probably want a duster on a really long stick.