A Comprehensive Guide to Ceiling Fans

A Comprehensive Guide to Ceiling Fans

Australian weather is as extreme as it is unpredictable. Whether it's the drought season, or the infamous summers, Aussies are constantly challenged to find ways to make the most of the weather conditions. Still, as the summer looms, most of us will be thinking about ways to keep cool in the Australian heat. 

But summer isn’t a time to be cooped up at home, rather, it’s a good time to go out and enjoy the outdoors (safe and socially distanced of course). Whether you’re renovating, gardening, or entertaining your friends in your backyard, summer is the best time to take in the beautiful outdoors. 

Image from: Crismatec

In our very humble opinion, one of the best ways to go about this is to have outdoor ceiling fans installed. Whether you have an outdoor veranda or patio, an outdoor ceiling fan is the best way to cool down an outdoor space by circulating air, while giving your outdoor space a glam makeover look. Plus, they’re pretty cost effective too, because a space can be effectively cooled for less energy than if you’re using an air-conditioner. 

Today, we’re looking at why you should choose to have a ceiling fan for your outdoor space, and tell you everything there is to know about these nifty little devices. 

Before we start, remember to check out our store for the best lighting needs for your home.  You can also check out our selection of chandeliers to brighten up your home here.

Differences between indoor and outdoor ceiling fans

The main difference between indoor and outdoor fans is something called the tropical rating. What this means is that essentially, outdoor fans need to be able to survive against the weather and environmental conditions. In Australia, this often means that you’re looking for a fan that is tropical-rated between stand up against the weather and environmental conditions. 

Image from: Lit Living

In Australia, if you’re looking for a good outdoor fan, you need a fan that is tropical, or IP55-rated, like the DARWIN 3-Blade Timber Ceiling Fan. This is especially true if you live in a coastal area. You should also make sure that your fan blades should be made from non-rust ABS for a longer lasting outdoor fan. 

Perfect spots for outdoor ceiling fans

The beauty of an outdoor ceiling fan is that you can install them in any outdoor location. Whether you’re planning to put it in the garage, patio, or veranda, any outdoor space that you would need to ventilate for better airflow or cooling is a perfect place to put an outdoor ceiling fan.

Image from: New York Magazine

 1. Verandas and Patios

Outdoor ceiling fans are great for making sure that you’re able to regulate airflow in the evenings. They are useful in cooling down your space during the afternoon as air movement from the fans reduces humidity and heat. The DARWIN 3-Blade Timber Ceiling Fan is a fantastic fit for this space. Make sure that you don’t expose the fan to excessive weather conditions for a much longer lasting and durable usage. 

2. Outdoor Spaces and Sunrooms

If you have an outdoor space that needs the benefit of air movement, a ceiling fan makes a perfect addition to your space. These rooms usually have large windows to embrace the natural sunlight without exposing you to the elements. However, this also means that heat can enter quickly and it can get uncomfortable fast. With a ceiling fan like the SAN DIEGO 3-Blade Modern Ceiling Fan, you’ll be able to help to circulate the air and regulate temperature in the room better.

3. Garages

Garages are often multipurpose rooms, holding car spaces as well as storage areas, workout areas and working areas. So in this case, it makes sense to cool down your garage in the heat of summer. Having a ceiling fan like the HAWAII 3-Blade Modern Ceiling Fan in your garage will help to reduce the amount of humidity that might affect your belongings in storage in the garage, or keep the space cooler and more comfortable for you as you workout or tinker with your tools. 

Image from: The Spruce

Color and style

Ceiling fans are no longer just seen as functional appliances. Long gone are the bulky fans that adorned living rooms. Now, ceiling fans are sleeker and fit in well with most interiors and exterior spaces. In fact, more and more people are now looking at the ceiling fan for its aesthetic appeal and how it can be used to complement the decor and interior and exterior design. 

Image from: Lumens Lighting

In the past, ceiling fans only had 2 main choices of colors; silver or white. But nowadays, you’re spoiled for choice with ceiling fans coming in lots of different colors; from crisp whites and creams to varying timber hues, brushed chromes, black, charcoal and if you’re adventurous, you can go for the really bright colors to further spruce up your overall space. Of course, it helps to also think about where you’re placing your ceiling fan. For outdoor spaces, you may want to consider darker colors, like the DARWIN 3-Blade Timber Ceiling Fan so that it doesn’t look too weathered after a short while. 

Energy efficiency

A typical air conditioner might use 2000 or 3000 watts as opposed to a ceiling fan that uses only about 20 to 30 watts, so ceiling fans are a great way of saving energy and keeping cool at the same time. The best way to further optimize your ceiling fans is to ensure that the fans are located so they’re providing air flow to the areas where the occupants will actually be, like in the living room, around the dining table, at the outdoor patio etc. 

Plus, the amount of blades isn’t what counts; it’s the overall size and speed that needs to be considered, plus the size of the space and the climate. For example, a ceiling fan like the HAWAII 3-Blade Modern Ceiling Fan can cover a larger living space, and is more popular in places with lower humidity such as outback Victoria. However, the FLORIDA 6-Blade Aluminium Ceiling Fan is a higher velocity fan, which is great for places with high humidity and high temperature climates such as North Queensland.

It’s good to be able to understand that the number of fans isn’t important in this case, rather, it should be pivotal to know the spread of airflow of each individual fan to target your whole space. 

Conclusion

The ceiling fans of the past may have gotten some pretty bad design rap, but as summer rapidly approaches, you may want to consider installing one in your home. Whether it is indoor or outdoor, ceiling fans now have the shapes, sizes and colours to suit a myriad of home styles. 

If you already have a modern ceiling fan in your house, hopefully, this article has helped you understand your ceiling fan even more. If you don’t already have a ceiling fan, hopefully, it has helped point out the things you need to consider when buying one. There’s no better time to invest in a ceiling fan than now. 

What did you think about our article? We’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comment section below! If you haven’t already done so, take a look at 7pandas lighting store for all your lighting needs at the most affordable prices. And visit our collection page for Ceiling Fans Melbourne. We also ship & supply nationwide Australia.

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