Outdoor ceiling fan for under deck roof

[David Masters]

My wife would like a couple ceiling fans for a roof that extends over the deck. The roof extends about 12 feet out from the house, but otherwise the deck is exposed to everything a St. Louis area summer and winter can throw at it. The deck faces west-southwest, so it will catch the brunt of just about every spring and summer storm that rolls through here. I thought that I should look at a heavy Hunter cast iron model. As I was strolling through HD this afternoon, the gentleman in the lighting department suggested that I could choose any ceiling fan made for outdoor, most of which are 1/5th the price of the cast iron Hunters.

Any suggestions or experience with outdoor fans? I want these things to last once up and I want them heavy enough to stay in place.

Dave

[Kent A Bathurst]

Not an expert in ceiling fans, but I have comparable experience in other items, including those from the BORG. Here is what I learned:

80% price savings sounds pretty enticing, no?

You get what you pay for.

[Ken Massingale]

We bought a couple a few years ago for the same purpose. I had not considered issues since they would be under a roof.
As I was selecting a pair from the cheap section a nice lady employee asked if I needed help. Nope says just grabbing a couple of fans for the porch.
After she explained that the blades on the cheap ones are made of MDF like stuff, they will absorb moisture and fall apart over time.
She pointed out that the mid priced one with 'plastic' blades are ideal for covered decks and porches.
Ours have been out for 5+ years and are like new.

[Randy Rizzo]

We bought a couple a few years ago for the same purpose. I had not considered issues since they would be under a roof.
As I was selecting a pair from the cheap section a nice lady employee asked if I needed help. Nope says just grabbing a couple of fans for the porch.
After she explained that the blades on the cheap ones are made of MDF like stuff, they will absorb moisture and fall apart over time.
She pointed out that the mid priced one with 'plastic' blades are ideal for covered decks and porches.
Ours have been out for 5+ years and are like new.


Same here. I went through an electrical lighting store. Probably paid more than anything at a HD. Plastic blades and it's been up for over 10 years in the UP weather in a covered porch. Has taken all the weather the UP can throw at it, still runs and looks as well as the day it was installed.

[John McClanahan]

I installed a pair of cheap fans in our screened porch almost 20 years ago. They did fine for about 10 years, but now I have to turn the blades over every couple of years to counter-act sagging. Plastic blades would be nice.


John

[Larry Edgerton]

Not sure about the outside use but I have a Hunter Original Classic with the cast iron body and oil bath lubrication system, and it is awesome. Does not even wiggle, and just has that feeling of quality about it that makes me smile. When you can buy the best for as little as $350, why not?

Larry

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I bought the Hunter outdoor model and am very happy with it, although it has only been 9 months. Mine is open to salt air, wind, and rain. So far, so good, including the 4 inches of rain in two hours blowing from the south (open end of the porch) that we had last week. The light is rubber gasketed atop, and has a weep hole at the bottom to allow venting of moisture. Fan running when photo taken so the blades look bent but are not.

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[Bruce Page]

Malcolm, that is a nice view.

[David Masters]

+1 on Malcolm's view.

Researching this some more, outdoor fans are rated as either damp or wet. The model Malcolm shows is rated as wet, and the old heavy cast iron model is rated only as damp. I have a cast iron model installed in the family room, and it has been spinning for better than 20 years. It is the quietest and steady fan I've ever come across. But it looks like the wet model is what I need. Malcolm, does your fan seem to have enough weight to stand up to the wind? Any wobble?

Dave

[Kent A Bathurst]

+1 on Malcolm sucks.

Fixed it for you, David.............


Malcolm, my close friend - with all sincerity............

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[Malcolm Schweizer]

OK, actually I was sitting on the porch reading this thread and looked at my wife and said, "That fan is a Hunter, isn't it?" She said, "Yes, the other brand sucked, remember?" and I raised up the iPad and took the pic. She didn't even question why- she's used to me doing weird things like that. "You suck" is well-deserved but I do sometimes forget how good I have it. I call that our front yard. A true gloat would be a wide view with the sapphire blue water but I will refrain.

The fan handles 20 knot blows all the time and gusts to 30 probably now and then. Beyond that I have hurricane panels that block off the whole porch. It does have a tiny wobble that I have not tried to sort out with weights because I never have any luck with weights. The only issue with wind has been when the blinds (in the pic they are rolled up) blow into the fan, but even when it hits the blinds it doesn't move.

I am not personally a fan of Hampton Bay fans. That is the other model that sucked, but the Hunters that came with the house, which according to the previous owner are 2005 vintage, all run fine. I added this fan to replace a light that did not take the weather well. As I said, so far so good.

[Kent A Bathurst]

A true gloat would be a wide view with the sapphire blue water but I will refrain.

Oh, no you don't. You cannot weasel out that easy.

We are already envious/jealous/depressed. What can you do to us from here?

[Karl Andersson]

I've had the same Hunter fan as Malcom installed on a screen porch for the last 8 years. During winter, we have a "water view" according to realtors, which means when the leaves are off the trees, we can see a glimmer of brown Chesapeake Bay water through the woods from the top floor. In any event, our summers are hot and tend to be very humid; the fan motor and plastic blades have held up very well and work excellently. The only problem is with the extension pole from the vaulted ceiling; while not directly exposed to rain, condensation (dew) has caused it to rust through the paint along the entire length. I can't remember now if I bought the pole separately or if it came with the fan, but I'd recommend repainting with a thicker paint before installing it. I now try to avoid looking up when on the porch so I'm not reminded that I have to go up and sand, prime, and paint that pole.
Karl