Outdoor ceiling fans come in a variety of designs and styles to suit your personal wants and cooling needs. There are two real choices you must make whenever purchasing an outdoor ceiling fan and those are the lighting and cooling options that the fan can offer you. First off there are several ceiling fans that will run on the basic four bulbs to help add a little light to your outdoor area for those evening barbeques, but if you are looking for something different you won’t be dissapointed. You have the option of purchasing bulbs that will shine brighter at the cost of extra electricy, or you have bulbs that will shine lower or the same amount as a normal bulb while utilizing the same amount of electricty. Those bulbs that run on lower watts will be better for the environment and reduce your electricty bill, but will produce a lighter tint of light. The other option you have is the amount of air the fan produces. Like with the bulbs you can purchase a fan decked out to produce extra cooling at the cost of electricty, or a fan that runs slower with less electricty. It all depends on your personal outlook on your impact on the environment and the amount of cooling and lighter you wish to achieve.

Misters on the other side of the outdoor cooling spectrum are great for cooling off during the day when the sun is at its hottest. What a mister does is produce a continuous fine spray of water from a connected source such as a water hose. Compared to an outdoor ceiling fan misters provide about the same if not more cooling effect of an outdoor fan but without running up the utility bill. Misters do not provide the lighting options that outdoor ceiling fans do, but there are some models out there that can have lighting fictures running all along the top of the mister. Unlike with outdoor ceiling fans misters do not soley depend on electricty that can run up your bill and damage the environment more with those high lit light bulbs. The only thing you have to worry about with misters is your water usage. With most models you can change the settings to put out a finer mist that will use less water, or more of a spray that uses more water. Either way will provide you with a constant flow of water that cools you off when sitting out in your patio area.

So overall outdoor ceiling fans and misters are both great ways to cool off and add a little style to your outdoor area during those hot summer days. Deciding between the two is up to you and your personal needs. If you are looking for more of a way to cool off then go with the mister, but if you are looking for a way to add some style, light, and cool yourself off then check out the outdoor ceiling fan. Altogether though they are both great additions to your outdoor or patio area.

The first step is determining what type of ceiling fan you need for your outdoor application. Outdoor fans are categorized by the type of water or moisture exposure they are likely to encounter.

DAMP RATED FANS:
Damp rated fans are designed to withstand damp locations such as under a covered patio, porch or over an indoor swimming pool. Any location where humidity might be elevated, even just temporarily, requires a damp-rated fixture. Damp-rated fans cannot be used where they will be exposed directly to the elements, especially rain.

WET RATED FANS:
Wet rated fans are designed to be exposed directly to the elements, such as uncovered patios, gazebos, overhangs or other locations where the fan is exposed to direct rain.

CHOOSING YOUR FAN:
Once you’ve determined the type of fan you need, its time to take some measurements. There are 2 primary measurements that must be taken into consideration before going shopping: Headroom and Width.

Headroom: Keeping in mind that most rooms have a ceiling 8 ft high, measure the distance from the floor to where you intend to mount the ceiling fan.
+ If you have 8 ft a standard installation will suffice.
+ If you have more than 8 ft you might consider installing a downrod to bring the fan closer to the floor, and, if the ceiling is angled, an angle mounting system.
+ If there is less than 8 ft clearance you will definitely need to limit your choices to flush-mounted, low-profile fans.

Width: Measure the distance from the mounting location on the ceiling and the closest wall surface. This is the maximum diameter fan that can be installed in that location. Be sure to subtract at least 2″ from your measurement to make sure you have enough room. Also check the manufacturer’s recommendations as some brands may require additional clearance.

Controls:
Damp and wet-rated ceiling fans are available with the full range of control options found on indoor-rated fans. Wired remotes and wireless remotes that control the fan, lights or both are available for outdoor-rated fixtures. Make sure that any remote control accessories you select are compatible with your fan and are designed for the installation location.

Power:
Before shopping for your fan be sure you understand the power requirement where you plan on installing the fan.
+ If electrical wiring needs to be installed its a good idea to add enough wires to allow for direct control over the fan and lighting. Wireless remotes can add $100 or more to the installation costs, they require batteries which wear out and the fixtures aren’t quite as attractive as those for wired controls.
+ If there is an existing light you can instal the fan using the existing wiring to turn the fan ON/OFF and control fan speed. If you plan on adding a lighting kit you’ll need to purchase a remote unit that also controls lighting wirelessly.
+ If wiring access is easy your electrician may suggest adding separate control wiring for the lighting. This is a great choice if access is unobstructed and the contractor won’t charge to much to add the extra wires.