How To Choose an Outdoor Ceiling Fan and Installation Service

A ceiling fan can be a great way to make your patio deck more inviting on hot days, or for cafes to attract more patrons for their outdoor seating. However, outdoor ceiling fans are not the same as indoor fans. They’re built for the purpose and need to be carefully selected for your climate and needs.

RD Matthews Electrical Contracting has extensive experience providing outdoor ceiling fan installation services, and we can help you find the perfect outdoor fan for your needs!

Why You Need an Outdoor Fan

Why not just install an indoor ceiling fan outside? Because indoor models lack any kind of weatherproofing. This is absolutely necessary for an outdoor electrical device since, otherwise, the first rainstorm would ruin it – and potentially cause a fire as well. Even high levels of humidity could cause problems with a regular ceiling fan, not to mention the possibility of dirt and debris clogging it up or fouling the motor.

Buying and installing a purpose-built outdoor fan is essential for safety.

Choosing The Right Sized Outdoor Ceiling Fan

Fan sizes are simple enough: they’re measured by the diameter of the circle formed when the fan is spinning. Or, in other words, the longest distance between the tips of opposing fan blades. The size you want will depend on how large your patio or seating area is.

In most cases, one of these four size ranges will be right:

• 29″-36″ = 0-75 square feet
• 36″-42″ = 75-144 square feet
• 43″-50″ = 144-225 square feet
• 50″-54″ = 225-400 square feet

Also, bigger isn’t necessarily better. A fan that is too large for the space can make the area feel too small, or potentially even take up headroom. In addition, huge fans create a large downdraft that many find unpleasant.

You might even consider installing multiple smaller fans for a large space, rather than one huge fan, especially if there isn’t much headroom.

Choosing A Style

Outdoor ceiling fans also typically come in a variety of styles, so they can fit with more design layouts. Besides standard metal blades you could, for example, have a fan with leaf-shaped blades – perfect for a naturalistic look or beachside property. Or pick a whitewashed fan for a more traditional midcentury Americana vibe.

Get Ceiling Fan Installation and More Whatever type of fan you want, RD Matthews Electrical Contracting can help you select it, and provide expert ceiling fan installation services. Contact us to learn more!

• outdoor ceiling fan installation services