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Lighting Design Dilemma

Outdoor Ceiling Fans? Or Wall Mounted Fans? Sagging Fan Blades...

5 years ago

My porch ceiling is 9' high. Would I be better off installing oscillating wall fans (and have ceiling pendants for lighting) or just stick with ceiling fans?

If I do ceiling fans, what is the best way to prevent the blades from sagging over time? Or is that inevitable with the southern heat/humidity?

Comments (5)

Jamie Ludwig
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
You can do a ceiling fan, Be sure you get one that is made to be used outdoor. To avoid sagging blades (This happens mostly when you use one that is supposed to be indoor only) you can look for one with METAL blades.

Here are a few with metal blades:

Kichler 44" Sola Fan LED, Brushed Nickel · More Info

Knightsbridge 3 Light 52 in. Outdoor Fan in Aged Bronze · More Info

There are also some with resin blades and they also will not sag. The one below looks like wood blades but they are ABS resin:

Westinghouse 7204300 Great Falls ABS Resin 4 Blade Ceiling Fan With Light, 52" · More Info
PRO
Hansen Wholesale
5 years ago
I would not recommend fans with metal blades, they will rust and typically require ceilings over 10 feet because they are not considered safe in residential applications. You are best off with fans that have special UV protective ABS plastic blades or thicker solid wood blades that are rated for outdoor wet or damp locations. Wet rated fans have the highest tolerance for abuse from the elements and are the best choice, but a covered porch like yours can use a damp rated or wet rated fan.

Also, in outdoor locations it is critical to consider the amount of airflow that the fan produces because open outdoor locations do not allow the air to escape on the sides and the breeze you feel from a fan is a lot less than what you feel in an enclosed area indoors. So you need more powerful fans than those listed above. The Donaire fan recommended below has a wind speed factor of about 3.8 MPH, which is over 50% more breeze than the Westinghouse fan above.

The ultimate outdoor fan is made of marine grade 316 stainless steel and has ABS blades. It is the Donaire by Matthews Fan Company and is available in brushed nickel or bronze stainless steel.

Here are some pictures of the fan taken from the product detail pages using the Room Settings Viewer at Hansen Wholesale. This feature allows you to add your own room setting so you can see how any fan on the website looks in your own setting, so you may want to give that a try.

Donaire in Brushed Nickel

Donaire in Bronze

There are many other high quality outdoor ceiling fans available from Hansen Wholesale. To add your photo to use the room settings viewer email some pictures to: DesignService@hansenwholesale.com with the subject "Room Settings Viewer - Houzz"

Response provided by:

Hansen Wholesale

https://www.hansenwholesale.com

1-800-201-1193
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Star Fans
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You should purchase outdoor rated ceiling fans. These are non rust guarantee and have a mix and match motor and blade option. The blades are real wood that are suitable for outdoor humid climates.

[Propeller Ceiling fan [(https://www.houzz.com/products/star-propeller-venge-ceiling-fan-gray-prvw-vr~92332486)
Mini-Split Warehouse
3 years ago
What are the benefits offered by a wall mount fan?

https://www.heatair.org/

When compared to a ceiling fan, table fan, and pedestal fan, the benefits offered by wall mount fan is different.

A wall mount fan is constructed in such a way that it can be mounted on the wall, this in turn, saves a lot of ceiling and floor space.

While ceiling fan is designed to be stationary and propel air in one direction, a wall mount fan can come with oscillation feature that can oscillate in left and right direction to spread air over a larger area.

A wall mount fan can push air throughout a room in different directions, rather than just one direction.

A wall mount fan comes fully assembled so that the user can mount the fan on the wall and use the product with ease.

What are the advantages of a ceiling fan?

https://www.heatair.org/

When compared to wall mount fan a ceiling fan consumes very less energy

Unlike other cooling devices like wall mount fan, pedestal fan, and other types of fans, a ceiling fan comes designed to make you feel cooler, even if the product does not reduce the room temperature.

A ceiling fan can be a backup option while power shut down, as ceiling fans can worth on inverter or UPS.

A ceiling fan is designed in such a way that it can warm up a room in winter season, as it can suck the warm air from the ceiling and propel it to the ground.

Ceiling fans requires the least maintenance when compared to other products like pedestal fans, wall fans, air coolers, etc.

Some ceiling fans come designed with lights and art works that increases the beauty of the product and make it suitable for modern room settings.
Jon and Rick Blair
3 years ago
Interesting feed. I did not know that metal-blade fans can’t be used in residential applications until I read it here. I was just looking at some of the metal-blade fans for a covered patio application in the desert SW.
I can’t tell you how many droopy wooden-bladed patio ceiling fans I’ve seen in the Palm Springs, CA, area.
Which type of fan is recommended for a mostly a hot and dry climate?

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