Paddle Fans

[wireddd]

Has anyone heard of a weatherproof paddle fan box? We have a situation that is over a deck but
under a gazebo with a regular decking floor.
The gazebo is at a second story height and they want to put a paddle fan underneath over the deck area.
Also has anyone been able to locate the new UL
approved raintite fittings for EMT? Most of our supply houses don't even know about the UL label
being cancelled on regular compression fittings
used outdoors.

 

[iwire]

Re: Paddle Fans

Go here they have both UL damp and UL wet location paddle fans from a few makers.

 

[wireddd]

Re: Paddle Fans

Thanks
Customer already has a weatherproof fan. I'm looking for a weatherproof box that is UL approved for hanging a paddle fan.

 

[rrrusty]

Re: Paddle Fans

About the RT fittings; Bridgeport has them (according to an ad); could an enclosure be built and then a fan rated box installed?

 

[iwire]

Re: Paddle Fans

Sorry I missed the box part, I thought you where looking for the fan.

 

[hurk27]

Re: Paddle Fans

First you don't need a fan rated box if it is not the sole support for the fan. Use a round weather proof mulberry box and run longer #10 wood or deck screws all the way into a structure member. Then the box will not be the support of the fan.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Re: Paddle Fans

I've not seen a product like what you are asking about.

This is an interesting question. I wonder if the solution is more in the finish deck details on the ceiling, rather than in the j-box above the fan?

Any light kit that has fishbowl globes run the risk of filling with water running down the inside of the fan, seems to me. The fan canopy at the j-box will help to collect runoff.

Perhaps the fan canopy would best be shielded from water by a mounting plate larger than the canopy, with drip edges, and by a flashing above the plate that also goes behind (above) the j-box?

 

[hurk27]

Re: Paddle Fans

Al most of these fans have a rubber boot that covers the mounting plate which in most of the ones I have installed are UL listed as a wiring box with the installed canopy. Any lights that come with these fans have to be UL listed for wet locations also. I did get a fan one day where the home owner picked up the wrong light fixture for it and asked me to install it anyway, but I told him it wouldn't fly with the inspector and that he had to get one that would be listed for this WP fan and listed for wet locations. So far I have not had ant problems with using 6" #10 deck screws to support the fan directly from the structure. The rubber boot seals each wire entering the canopy. as a extra measure I use the Ideal "DB" Twisters" Blue wire-nuts that have the dielectric grease in them. this will give me a better chance of not letting any moisture into the connections.

 

[al hildenbrand]

Re: Paddle Fans

So, in essence, the rubber boot acts as a flashing to prevent runoff water from wicking along wires into the paddlefan downrod?

 

[Guest]

Re: Paddle Fans

The outdoor fans I've used did not have a down rod.

They don't look very weatherproof, but they do appear to shed moisture with their self flashing construction (each piece is shingled down over the next).

I doubt if they'd last too long if they had water running on them frequently. I've only put them on covered porches/gazebos, etc. so they were protected from direct rain, but not from humidity and any resulting condensation.