Something that can cool your home and also be a decorative object is great, right? Well, ceiling fans can do both.
They are a lot different than ductless air conditioners and they have some advantages over ACs that people rarely mention.
Top 3 Things You Need To Consider Before Buying an Outdoor Ceiling Fan
If you ask me, these are the top three things you should consider before buying your outdoor ceiling fan:
- Energy Efficiency – It’s very important to know the running costs of your ceiling fan and how much energy it requires
- Lighting Style – If you’re planning to have a family dinner on your porch, you should consider getting a ceiling fan that comes with a LED light bulb.
- “The Looks” – Believe me, you want your ceiling fan to be a decorative object and match the overall home theme.
Now, let me answer the question that I see a lot of people curious about.
What Is UL Listing and Rating?
UL represents a non-profit organization that has been testing the safety of products for more than a century. As they are non-profit, they don’t have any financial interest, so you can trust their seal of approval.
Even after the rating was given, manufacturers know that UL representatives can come unannounced and write a new rating.
There are three different UL ratings:
- Damp
- Wet
- Dry
In short, you can trust UL ratings as they aren’t paid to write the rating in the company’s benefit – they do it to help all the consumers choose the most quality product.
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Click here to get a FREE Cheat-SheatRecommended Outdoor Ceiling Fans
Best Outdoor Ceiling Fan – Casablanca Fan Company 59360
- Airflow: 5020 CFM
- Size: 56-inch
- UL Rating: Damp rated
- Mounting Type: Protruding
What I love about this Casablanca Ceiling Fan is the perfect look that matches almost any home interior. If you’re looking to add decorative details outside of your home, then this ceiling fan is something you need.
This ceiling fan is recommended to be positioned outdoors, but it can work perfectly inside as well.
The only thing I don’t like is that you have to purchase an additional kit to get a remote. Other than that, this is a very quality ceiling fan.
Best Looking Outdoor Ceiling Fan – Monte Carlo 3MAVR60BK
- Airflow: 6687 CFM
- Size: 60-inch
- UL Rating: Damp rated
- Mounting Type: Protruding
The look of this ceiling fan is pure beauty. I see so many people buying it just to decorate their home and they don’t care about the functionality.
The blades are from real balsa wood instead of plastic, so that adds more smoothness in both look and cooling.
If your ceiling is high, this fan will be a perfect fit for you as it has a lot of power to move the air.
Outdoor Ceiling Fans For Salt Air – Emerson CF621VNB
- Airflow: 5255 CFM
- Size: 52-inch
- UL Rating: Wet rated
- Mounting Type: Protruding
Although this ceiling fan was made in China, it has amazing quality, and for this price – it’s hard to find a better one.
If you have a porch that you want to make more comfortable, you should definitely consider trying this Emerson ceiling fan.
Also, from all the white ceiling fans, it’s very rare to find one that doesn’t look cheesy. Emerson did a great job of combining great quality and design.
Damp Rated Outdoor Ceiling Fan – Honeywell Belmar
- Airflow: 5070 CFM
- Size: 52-inch
- UL Rating: Damp rated
- Mounting Type: Ceiling
While being super quiet, this ceiling fan can compete with higher-priced fans. However, it doesn’t have the look like the previous ones I mentioned, but if you’re looking for functionality – Honeywell Belmar would be a great way to go.
The thing you need to know before buying it is that installation is a bit harder than in the other ceiling fans, but as I said, it can cool a lot bigger areas.
📍 TIP: If you’re planning to use it outdoors, use a longer down rod to maximize the small blade size.
Outdoor Ceiling Fan For Large Spaces – Home Decorators Collection Kensgrove
- Airflow: 10484 CFM
- Size: 72-inch
- UL Rating: Wet rated
- Mounting Type: Angled, Flush, Hugger, Standard
From the airflow capacity, you can clearly see that it has a lot more power and that this ceiling fan is meant for very large areas.
I saw some people installing it inside of their homes, but I would recommend you buy this ceiling fan only if you’re looking to install it outdoors.
As expected, this ceiling fan makes a lot more noise than smaller ones, so consider that before buying it. It doesn’t produce a lot of noise, but if you want real comfort on your porch – be aware of it.
Outdoor Ceiling Fan With Light – Westinghouse Lighting 7220500
- Airflow: 4070 CFM
- Size: 52-inch
- UL Rating: Wet rated
- Mounting Type: Downrod
There aren’t many ceiling fans that have a LED light bulb, so that gives an advantage to this Westinghouse ceiling fan.
From what I discovered, this ceiling fan can cool the area up to 330 sq. ft. which is pretty decent if you ask me.
What I like about this Westinghouse Lighting ceiling fan is that it can be installed on angled ceilings. Also, it’s pretty energy efficient, so that might be an extra reason why I could give an advantage to this ceiling fan over the others.
Outdoor Ceiling Fan with Pull Chain – Hunter 59135
- Airflow: 6239 CFM
- Size: 54-inch
- UL Rating: Damp rated
- Mounting Type: Ceiling Mount
You’ll hardly find a ceiling fan with such powerful air movement while staying “whisper-quiet” and cooling the whole area.
If you’re a fan of design and decoration, this ceiling fan will most likely match the overall design of your home or porch.
It comes with stainless steel so it resists rust which means it has a lot more durability than the average ceiling fan.
Installation is pretty simple and straightforward, so it won’t take a decade to install it and start using it.
Wet Rated Outdoor Ceiling Fan – Minka-Aire F753-KA
- Airflow: 5450 CFM
- Size: 54-inch
- UL Rating: Wet rated
- Mounting Type: Downrod
Minka Aire fans usually have top-notch quality and it’s no different with this ceiling fan.
It has a lovely sleek design and large blades which move air without any noise or discomfort.
I was skeptical about it because it has just three blades, but it can cool a lot better than most ceiling fans.
The installation part is very easy, just be careful that you don’t scratch the surface.
📍 Note: You’ll have to buy a light kit separately.
Outdoor Ceiling Fan with Remote Control – Casa Delta-Wing Modern
- Airflow: 5732 CFM
- Size: 52-inch
- UL Rating: Damp rated
- Mounting Type: Downrod
When you first see this ceiling fan, you’ll probably fall in love with the look of it and how it can fit in as a decorative object in your home.
But…
I heard some people had issues with the noise it produces, so don’t expect too much when it comes to comfort.
Putting all of that aside, this ceiling fan has excellent air movement and energy efficiency.
The good thing is that it comes with remote control, so you won’t need to spend more money to buy an additional kit.
Outdoor Ceiling Fan for Windy Areas – Minka-Aire Concept II
- Airflow: 5710 CFM
- Size: 52-inch
- UL Rating: Wet rated
- Mounting Type: Flush Mount
If you’re living in a windy area, you will love this ceiling fan as it was built for those types of areas.
I see a lot of people saying that this ceiling fan can cool better than an air conditioner. Don’t get tricked by only three blades as these blades have very good air movement.
I have to mention that it’s energy-efficient and that it has extreme durability – the reason why it’s so good for windy areas.
Types of Outdoor Ceiling Fans
There are three different types of outdoor ceiling fans, so I wanted to tell you more about each one.
Hanging Propeller Style
The reason they are called Propellers is because of their three blades. At first, I was skeptical about the performance of these ceiling fans, but I saw that most of them can cool the air better than I expected.
What you need to know about these is that they’re meant to cool a bigger area.
Directional Type
What I love about Directional ceiling fans is that they can be turned to cover a specific area. If you’re looking to cool a certain part of your porch – directional is the way to go.
Rotational
If you didn’t know, Rotational is a hybrid of a propeller and directional type – meaning it can do the same thing as those two combined.
It comes with a set of blades that are attached to a fixed hanging rod, which can cool the air in multiple different directions. Of course, the rotational type is my favorite (…and I believe it will be yours, too!)
How To Choose The Best Outdoor Ceiling Fan?
Damp Rated, Dry Vs Wet Rated
Depending on your location, you should look out for different UL ratings. If you live in a location where there’s a possibility of liquids getting into wiring – you should check for a Wet rating.
Damp-rated fans would be for locations that are exposed to moisture near the components, while dry-rated fans can be placed in dry (mostly indoor) environments.
Coverage Area
Two different-sized ceiling fans can’t cover the same area. If you’re planning to cool a lot bigger area, you need to buy bigger-sized ceiling fans (with longer blades and more power).
I made the mistake of buying a smaller size than I needed and don’t let me tell you about the regrets I have to this day.
Ceiling Fan Size
I came across the new trend that people are buying bigger ceiling fans for smaller areas because they want that “extra-cool” on their porch – not bad, right?
However, I would recommend you try out the Ceiling Fans Calculator and find out the exact fan size you need.
Weatherproof Fan Blades
This is probably the most important characteristic that will affect the durability of your ceiling fan. If your ceiling fan can’t withstand high temperatures or rain, it will cause the blades to bend or totally fail apart.
📍 TIP: Look for Dry-rated ceiling fans if you live in an area that has a lot of rain and swelters.
Aesthetics
Some people laugh at me when I say this – but the look of your ceiling fan is very important. You want your ceiling fan to match the overall design of your home (or porch).
Of course, you’ll need to pay a bit more if you want the blades to have a sleek design and match your whole exterior.
Speeds
Again, the speed matches the functionality of your ceiling fan. It depends on you if you want your ceiling fan to have different levels of speed for different weather, or if you just want to switch from “low to high”.
Motor Type
There are different motor types you can choose from:
- DC
- Direct Drive
- Flywheel
- Oil Bath
- Ball Bearing
Airflow Rating
Airflow rating is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute) and it has a lot to do with the performance of your ceiling fan. The higher the CFM is, the more airflow the ceiling fan can produce.
Installation of Ceiling Fans
The installation varies a lot depending on the model of the ceiling fan you choose.
However, unless you have real-life experience (wish I had it), I would recommend hiring a professional to do the installation. Click here to get offers from your local contractors.
There are a lot of important things like turning off the power before even trying to install it and many more.
What I found really helpful is this youtube video where you can see each step of installation described and shown perfectly clearly.
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