Ceiling fan selection - what to consider?

3 years ago

We are doing an outdoor reno and I need to choose ceiling fans. I like the one I have in my bedroom bc it's simple and attractive - it's a 3 blade fan with an enclosed LED light kit. But, I don't know what to choose for outside. We live in the Gulf South and we want to really MOVE air. These fans will go on an upstairs covered balcony and on a downstairs covered patio. I'm not sure if we should choose 1 large center fan for each space or 2 smaller fans for each space. The electrical is fine either way; there's plenty of access and there's electrical up there already, so each to move and adjust. Each space is about 15 feet wide and open to the backyard with no screening. Our goals are to move max air and have a light in each fan.

What are the rules of thumb regarding the number of blades, the length of the blades, 1 or 2 fans, etc?

I've never chosen outdoor fans bc the lame ones (small, hard to clean bc of too many nooks and crannies, don't move much air) have been here since we moved in.

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Hansen Wholesale
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
In open outdoor areas, it is critical to get fans that move a lot of air since you don't have 4 walls for the air to bounce off of. So you are only going to feel air directly beneath the fan. Not all fans are built equal and there are huge differences in performance between various brands and models and sizes.

Since you want fans that create the most breeze, so you need to compare the "Wind Speed" not the CFM. Wind Speed is how fast the air moves, CFM is now much air a fan moves. The faster the air moves, the more breeze you feel. Larger fans typical have a higher CFM (cubic feet per minute) but spin slower, so the wind speed is lower. Smaller fans spin faster so they create more wind speed, but over a smaller area, hence less CFM.

This is a generalized statement because there are some larger fans (like the i6 below) that will create more wind speed than most smaller diameter fans just because they are so well built (and quite expensive).

You must also consider your location in the Gulf South. If you are within a mile of the ocean, you will need to consider salt air, which is a big factor.

The only website that compares fans by "Wind Speed" is Hansen Wholesale. You can view their Outdoor Ceiling Fans here. Look for fans that are at least 3.5 MPH wind speed. Over 4 MPH is superb, but there are very few fans on the market capable of producing that much breeze.

Here are 3 fans I strongly recommend. I am showing them in white, but there are other finishes available.

72" Big Ass Fans i6 has a wind speed factor of 4.51 MPH

54" Minka Aire Cone has a wind speed factor of 4.53 MPH

52" Mattews Donaire has a wind speed factor of 3.8 MPH - This fan is made from stainless steel and is one of very few fans that can handle salt air. This fan even withstood Hurricane Irma!
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AJCN thanked Hansen Wholesale
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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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Ceiling fan selection - what to consider?

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