Outdoor ceiling fans

[madrat]

Hi all,
We have just had 2 x outdoor ceiling fans installed under our pergola.
The problem is that it just isn't pushing out any air.
Thought maybe the lekkie had wired the summer/winter back to front, switched the 'seasons switch' over, no luck.
Lekkie unable to 'assist any further', indicated it was the fan, but a friend has had the same fan installed and 'pumps' the air out.
Any ideas what it could be before we spend out on another lekkie?
thanks

[Vernonv]

Does the fan spin at the same speed as your friends?

Are the blades as a different angle to your friends?

Are there any differences between his fan and yours?

[Ian Smith]

Madrat,
Geez ..not too much science to a ceiling fan.
They need to be mounted a foot or more away from the ceiling otherwise they tend to "stew in their own juice" Maybe your sparkie cut the suspension tube too short.

Is there a profile to the blades? - maybe they (the blades) are mounted upside down. If not, and assuming they are rotating as quickly as your mates, there's no obvious reason why they're not behaving as they should. How about a picture?


Ian

[NCArcher]

Check that the leading edge of the blade is the upper edge. For outdoor the fan should be pushing the air down. For indoor the blades can lift the air up to the fan and then circulate it back down the walls. It obviously cant do that in an outdoor situation.

[Sturdee]

Any ideas what it could be before we spend out on another lekkie?
thanks

I had the same problem at first, then I switched the switchon the unit to push the air down and the problem disappeared.


Peter.

[Ian Smith]

Sturdee, NCArcher,

The OP reckons he's mucked around with the "Seasons" switch on the unit so he's obviously had the fan spinning in both directions with apparently no result so it's got to be something else

Madrat,
You mentioned you had TWO fans installed - are they BOTH not operating correctly or at least as you expected?

Ian

[madrat]

Thanks all for the speedy responses.

Definitely changed the seasons - no luck.

Both fans don't work the way they should.

The fans are identical to my friends fan and installed by the same lekkie

However, our fans were installed without the extension bar which co-incides with Ian's advice of the requirement to be at least a foot away from the ceiling!

The extension bar would have been too long causing the fan to be too low, so he installed it flush against the pergola beam! (I thought he may have cut it to size, but I was wrong )

Hubby was going to re-do it himself and cut the extension bar down to lower the fan without being dangerously low, as he thought the same as Ian.

I will get some photos and post them tomorrow as I wouldn't mind if you guys would take a look at the blade positioning and see if it's all a*se about.
Really appreciate your speedy advice.

[Ian Smith]

Madrat,
Firstly apologies - I didn't realise you were a "she" - shows my age and bias I guess

Take a look at the following links. They both talk about a minimum of 12" clearance between the ceiling and the blades and I'm game to bet bits of my body that that's your problem

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/installceilingfan
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...eilingFan.html

Ian

[Smurf]

If it's turning quickly, turns the right way, the blades are around the right way and aren't warped or damaged then the only explanation I can think of is that it's too close to the roof.

The clearance is necessary as in order to push air down, the blades need to be sucking it in from above. They can't do that properly if there isn't enough space above in which case the fan won't work properly.

[madrat]

Madrat,
Firstly apologies - I didn't realise you were a "she" - shows my age and bias I guess

Hi Ian, no apologies necessary!! and thanks for your information.
I have included below a picture of how it was installed and I am guessing you ARE RIGHT!!. Guess you will be keeping your body bits
What do you think?

[Ian Smith]

Madrat,
I am no expert by any stretch but I reckon that pitch in the roof makes it even worse as the clearance near the blade tips must be pretty small.
Just place a standard room fan close to a wall and see how much its performance is degraded

Ian

[madrat]

Madrat,
Just place a standard room fan close to a wall and see how much its performance is degraded

Ian

I'll give it a go and see what happens and keep you posted.
You've been a legend with your advice. Can only but try eh?
Greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[juan]

Must be optical illusion or the way I am looking at the photo but it looks like all blades are not on the same pitch? The leading edge should be the high side of the blade to push air down.

cheers

[Barry_White]

Must be optical illusion or the way I am looking at the photo but it looks like all blades are not on the same pitch? The leading edge should be the high side of the blade to push air down.

cheers

Juan

I think it is an optical illusion on the pitch of the blades but also the fan has to be spinning anti-clockwise looking up at the blades.

[patty]

Well to me it is plainly obvious that the ceiling fan needs a rod drop on it by the looks of the pitch on the roof i would guess it must be nearly 3 mtrs to the bottom of the fan and you wonder why your not getting any airflow?you did mention your freind has the same fan installed by the same spark but does her pergola have the same pitched roof and the fan sitting so high up if no,its a no brainer get a rod drop!