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Choosing an Outdoor Ceiling Fan

White front porch in a mountainous setting with wicker couch and natural wood ceiling and Visual Comfort Fan Collection Adler modern aged pewter outdoor ceiling fan with light grey weathered oak blades

﻿Generation - 3ADR60﻿

Perfect placement of an outdoor ceiling fan makes the difference between a relaxing afternoon in a mid-summer (albeit manmade) breeze and a sweatbox destined to drive you toward the solace of air conditioning. Buying an outdoor ceiling fan can be a bit nerve-wracking if you aren’t armed with the right information. Whether you’re looking for an outdoor ceiling fan with a light, or the less enlightened variety, we’ll arm you with all the facts to make your outdoor ceiling fan buying decision the right one for you and your space.

When it’s time to put away the parka and dust off your hundreds of pairs of cargo shorts, it’s time to think about how to stay cool in your outdoor spaces. On a hot spring evening, feet propped up on the railing while watching the fireflies battling mosquitos for supremacy, a cool breeze from a new outdoor ceiling fan would be perfect… but how do you choose the right one?

Let’s start with figuring out exactly what an outdoor ceiling fan is. A fan you put outdoors, right? Nope. An “Outdoor Ceiling Fan” is a ceiling fan that has special protection (fine mesh netting, sealed Barings and the like) to protect against bugs getting into the workings of the fan and mucking up the works. Outdoor ceiling fans can work perfectly well indoors, but not the other way around.

Just like you can’t pick just any clothing ensemble no matter where you’re going (man, do they get confused when you walk into Walmart sporting a full tuxedo), you have to pick the right kind of outdoor ceiling fan for the right location. Specifically, pay attention to the U.L. (Underwriter’s Labs) rating certification. A fan rated for “Damp” locations is good for use under a porch, backyard patio, sunroom or carport (basically, anywhere that you have a nice roof over your head). Ceiling fans rated “Wet” are the all-terrain vehicles of the fan world, they are perfectly fine having water dripping on them directly.

outdoor ceiling fan in a furnished patio

Even rugged wet-rated outdoor fans can have a pretty face.  

Next, let’s talk about the area you’re trying to cool. Pick an outdoor ceiling fan that is the right size for the square footage you have, and you’ll be good-to-go. I’ve seen fans as tiny as 20” wide, or as ginormous as 88” wide… follow this graphic to see what size range would be best for you.

Room Size (Sq. Ft.)

Fan Blade Span (Inches)

Up to 75

76-144

144-225

225-400

Over 400

20-36

36-44

44-54

50-72

Use multiple fans

Number of blades… doesn’t matter. It’s purely an aesthetic choice and I’ve seen fans with as many as fifteen blades and with as few as one. What matters is the amount of air the fan moves. Fans will typically give you their maximum air movement ratings (in CFM: Cubic Feet per Minute) so you can compare how much “blow” they have against each other. If you’re searching for maximum air movement, now you know where to look.

Visual Comfort Fan Collection - 4MC20BS

Visual Comfort Fan Collection - 3ADR60MBK - Adler 60 - 3 Blade Ceiling Fan-12.5 Inch Tall and 60 Inch Wide

﻿Visual Comfort Fan Collection - 3MAVR88BSKOA﻿

Finally, you’ll want to think about lighting – if your outdoor area has plenty of light, you can pass this one by but if you don’t, you may want to look at one with lighting integrated with the outdoor fan. As always, we’ve got a wide variety available, so take your time to pick out the one that is just right for you.

Visual Comfort Fan Collection - 3MAVR88BSKOA

Visual Comfort Fan Collection - 3MAVR88BSKOA

Let’s take your fan to new (and correct) heights. If you have a tall porch (over 9’) where the fan will hang, be sure to buy a downrod from the same company that manufactures the fan to bring the fan to about 9’ from the floor. Need help determining what size? We’ve got you covered:

a visual of downrod lengths compared to ceiling height

Now that you’ve got all the parameters for the perfect outdoor ceiling fan that will be just right, it’s time to review all of the options available to you from 1StopLighting. Take the time to select not just a fan that has all of the options you want, but one that matches your home’s style, and you’ll be pleasantly cooled for years to come. As you work through your options, if you get stuck or need someone to help you identify what would be just perfect, give us a call and we promise to treat you like family.

Choosing an Outdoor Ceiling Fan

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Ideas & Guides

Product Ideas

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