Outdoor Ceiling Fans Buying Guide

What Is An Outdoor Ceiling Fan?

Outdoor ceiling fans are similar to the familiar indoor models that you’re used to seeing in the office or family den, but they are specifically designed to withstand the different environments of a patio or garage. They will have features like all-weather fan blades made of ABS plastic or other durable materials, and waterproof, sealed motor casings. Many models offer steel construction, and specialized paint and metal finishes that can protect the fan parts and ensure cleaner operation over time.

Where Can You Put Fans Outdoors?

Outdoor ceiling fans can be installed in sheltered outdoor areas to help move air when there isn’t enough wind to keep things comfortable, such as a porch, or a greenhouse. They are useful near outdoor fireplaces in the spring and fall to help move heated air as well as disperse smoke and fumes. They add a personalized indoor look and style to any outdoor space.

Common outdoor installations for fans can include:

• A wrap-around porch
• A backyard patio
• Inside a pergola or gazebo
• A veranda or Lanai
• A sunroom or screened porch
• Carports or parking areas

Outdoor-rated ceiling fans can also be used indoors. They are excellent additions to areas of the home with a higher moisture level, or seasonal temperature changes. A few places to install exterior ceiling fans inside the home are:

• The bathroom
• Laundry room
• The garage

Choosing the Perfect Ceiling Fan

Installing an outdoor ceiling fan on your porch, in a gazebo, or on a pergola can improve your entire outdoor experience. They'll keep you cool when breezes just aren't doing the job, chase away flying insects, and help you entertain, relax, and enjoy the outdoors during your favorite seasons.

Choosing the right ceiling fan is about more than just style, though. You have to consider:

• The type of ceiling fan that's right for your space.
• UL listings that help you ensure safe operation.
• Size, which affects how much wind a fan produces.
• Style that complements your home.

Types of Outdoor Ceiling Fans 

While the fan's main purpose is to circulate air and create a refreshing breeze while you're outdoors, finding one with the perfect design can make all the difference. From the installation height to the blade size, the right type of fan makes spending time on the porch or patio a much more attractive option for your family and friends.

Standard Fans

Standard outdoor ceiling fans feature a motor and blades. Some ceiling fans hang from a thin rod that lowers them closer to your living space, while others are considered huggers - they stay close to the ceiling to provide more space. If you intend to spend time on your porch, lanai, or deck before dawn or after dusk, a standard ceiling fan or hugger with a built-in light kit is probably your best option.

Outdoor Hugger Fans

Hugger outdoor ceiling fans are flush-mounted and provide a low profile. They're ideal for small spaces and those with low ceilings, such as gazebos and screened-off porches. Because you need at least 7 to 10 feet of space between the fan and the floor, a hugger ceiling fan can be the ideal solution in cozy areas.

Lighted Outdoor Fans

Outdoor ceiling fans with light kits can take all the guesswork out of fan shopping. Many outdoor fans are already assembled, featuring the light mount, fan controls, blades, a variable speed motor, and the hardware you need to pull it all together. Many also include controllers for the fan and lights.

The Best UL Listing For An Outdoor Fan

Some ceiling fans are specifically designed to meet the UL-ratings for outdoor use, to stand up to rain, humidity, and salty sea breezes. The three main UL categories are dry, damp, and wet.

Dry Rated Fans

Never use a dry rated fan outdoors. We cannot emphasize this enough. Ceiling fans with a dry rating don't belong outside, and using one there can be dangerous. Dry rated fans are not equipped to withstand moisture or temperature fluxuations and are subject to various mechanical problems when exposed to the elements.

Damp Rated Fans

Damp rated fans are perfect for covered patios, in the lanai, screened porches, and sunrooms. They are best in areas that are not directly exposed to water, rain, or snow. They can handle a little humidity like a champ all year round.

Wet Rated Fans

All outdoor ceiling fans will have a wet rating. The wet rating means that the ceiling fan has been equipped and tested to stand up to areas with heavy rain, ice and snow, and big ocean breezes. The wet rated fans are durable enough to help keep you cool during heat waves, so install them on sun-exposed decks, gazebos, verandas, or pergolas.

Over time, indoor blades can deteriorate and bleach out from sun and UV radiation exposure. Metal parts and motors can rust and lock up when exposed to moisture and cold. Dry rated ceiling fans aren't built to deal with water or excessive heat, and using them outdoors can result in fire or other catastrophic damage.

What Size Ceiling Fan Is Right For Your Space?

While outdoor ceiling fans with five blades are most common, they're also available with three blades, four blades, and up to as many as 15 blades, as well, so which one works best on a patio? Keep in mind that maximum fan size doesn’t necessarily mean maximum airflow. Factors like blade span, pitch, speed, and distance from the floor all determine how much air flow your fan will provide. 

Useful tips for choosing the right outdoor fan size:

• Small spaces require only small fans and if you choose an overly large fan, you'll likely have far too much wind to be comfortable. 
• Bigger spaces, such as a wide porch or an enclosed warehouse area, might need two or more outdoor ceiling fans to circulate air properly.
• The space between blades helps to create air movement, so look for fans with shaped blades and very little overlap to push air around. 
• Adding blades will adjust the airflow but will add to the noise as the air moves and the fan motor works harder to accommodate. A noisy fan can be distracting in social spaces, whether outdoors or indoors.

Blade Span  

A ceiling fan's blade span (sometimes called blade sweep) is a measurement from the tip of one fan blade to the tip of the blade directly across from it. It's the diameter of the circle the fan makes when it's turned on. Long blades move more air than short blades do.

Use this table as a guide when you're choosing your outdoor ceiling fan:

Multiple well-placed smaller fans can provide more effective airflow over a large space, such as for a warehouse area or along a wrap-around veranda, rather than a single large fan.

Blade Pitch   

Blade pitch is the angle of a ceiling fan's blades. Pitch affects the size of the motor your fan needs to circulate air in your space. Fans with flatter pitches move less air, and fans with steeper pitches move more air. Although fans with flatter pitches can spin fast with a smaller motor, they still move less air.

Outdoor Fan Materials

Outdoor ceiling fans can be made from a number of durable materials, including natural wood, metals, and composite plastic. The motor's housing can match the blade color, or you can choose finishes that complement each other.

White, bronze, nickel, and silver are the most popular motor housing finishes, and blade finishes are available in several colors, too - including white, black, light wood, dark wood, and everything in between.

Tips for Choosing the Right Style 

Outdoor ceiling fans come in a wide range of styles to complement your home. You can choose from the more popular styles, such as modern and contemporary, transitional, traditional and rustic. You can get even more style-specific with Southwestern, nautical, farmhouse, or tropical.

You don't have to zero in on a specific trending style, though. It is equally rewarding to make your own decisions on the number of blades, size, and finishes you like to find the perfect outdoor ceiling fan for your space.

Accessories for Your Outdoor Ceiling Fan   

You can buy a complete ceiling fan with lights in a kit that has everything you need, but sometimes accessories are necessary.

You might need individual accessories or parts, like:

• a downrod to hang the fan from a high ceiling
• an angled adapter to compensate for a ceiling that isn't flat
• or a separate light kit for customizing a light kit-compatible ceiling fan. 

Downrods   

A downrod - sometimes called a drop rod - is the rod that holds your fan the right distance from the floor. You need a 7- to 10-foot clearance between the fan and the walking surface to safely circulate cool air. 

AC Motors and DC Motors in Outdoor Ceiling Fans   

Ceiling fans can have AC motors or DC motors. While both convert electrical energy into mechanical energy, they rely on different power supplies to get things done.

AC Motor Fans

Outdoor ceiling fans with AC motors get their energy from alternating current through your home’s electrical system. Installing a ceiling fan, whether indoors or outdoors, will require some basic electrical work. It can be done by professional electricians or contractors if you aren’t comfortable with turning off the power and connecting the wires in the ceiling-mounted junction box. 

Outdoor DC Fans

Ceiling fans that run on DC motors get a direct current, like batteries, from a built-in AC-to-DC power converter. They can save up to 70% more energy than an AC fan, making them a good choice for garage or shop fans that run for long periods of time. DC fans control the motor differently than an AC motor, which allows for a wider variety of airflow settings, and quieter operation. These fans install into the same ceiling junction boxes as AC fans because the converter is built into the motor.

Fan Controls  

 Your ceiling fan will have a pull chain, remote control or wall control, or a combination of those to give you the ability to manage its power, speed, and lights.

• Outdoor fans with pull chains require you to pull a short, metal chain to control fan speed and the lights.
• Remote control ceiling fans allow you to control the fan and its lights from anywhere within range.
• Wall control ceiling fans, which can sometimes be equipped with remote controls, require you to flip or slide a switch on the wall to power them on and off or to change brightness and speed.

Some outdoor ceiling fans feature dimmable lights, giving you the option to create your own ambiance in your space. These will require either a wall control with a dimmable slide or a remote to get just the right result. (Keep in mind that dimmable lights require specific power and control features, so always make sure to have compatible parts if you're installing your own outdoor fans.)

Bulb Types

Some bulbs are more energy efficient than others, and they produce different types of lights. These descriptions can help you make the right choice for your outdoor living space:

• Ceiling fans with LED bulbs use less electricity, cost very little to run, and are available in a variety of color temperatures.
• Fluorescent bulbs in outdoor fans are inexpensive to run and provide bright illumination.
• Compact fluorescent bulbs are made in special shapes to fit in standard light sockets and provide the same benefits as fluorescent bulbs.
• Incandescent bulbs use a filament to produce light and must be replaced after a few thousand hours of use.
• Halogen bulbs produce bright light and consume less energy than incandescent bulbs.
• Ceiling fans with xenon or krypton bulbs provide clear, white light with a high lumen output while consuming fewer watts of power.

Incandescent light bulbs and CFLs are phasing out. Use the chart above to figure out what bulbs provide a similar amount of light so you can replace them when necessary.