Before we get into today’s post, I have to share this beautiful dress that I saw while shopping at the Talbots website today. I saw it a few days ago, but didn’t get the opportunity to share it, and now it’s almost sold out. Since it’s been such a great seller, I bet they will get more in. You can see the sizes that are left here: Blue Eyelet shift Dress.
Do you have a porch with a ceiling fan? My screened porch has two that are now 16 years old. They’ve been showing some wear for the past several years, but I’ve just kept putting off replacing them.
The fans on my porch are outdoor fans that are damp/wet rated, so the blades have never shown any signs of drooping. That’s very important when purchasing fans for a porch or an area that will see a lot of humidity. You want to make sure the fans you purchase are designed to be used on porches or similar outdoor places.
The fans still work fine, but they look terrible, and the blades are starting to wobble a little. I think the wobble may be due to the cracking/breaking away of the caulk/rubber seal stuff that used to be around the screws that hold the blades to the arms.
Every spring, once pollen season has passed, I give the porch a good cleaning, including gently cleaning off the tops of the fan blades with a damp rag.
I’ve noticed over the past few years that the seals, which are sorta like rubber washers, that surround the screws that hold the blades to each of the fan arms have been deteriorating. They have started to break apart, so whenever I clean the tops of the blades, little pieces of the white seal/rubber washer fall away from the screws. I couldn’t get a good picture, but even in this terrible photo, you can see how the screws look like they are sticking up with nothing around them. No wonder the fans have started to wobble a little.
And there’s so much rust now! The rust part didn’t start until the fans were around 10-12 years old, but it has gotten much, much worse over the past 3-4 years. A really industrious person could probably sand off the rust and attempt to paint everything that has rusted, including the exterior housing of the fan, but it would be hard to paint everything without getting paint down inside the many vent holes that surround the motor.
Another reason it has taken me a while to replace the fans is that I really, really like the style of these fans, and for a while, I could not find them available anywhere. They are designed with two interchangeable blade designs: a wicker-look design and leaf-like design. One thing that makes it confusing when ordering them is that some sites show only the wicker side of the blade, which is the side I like to have visible, and some sites only show the leaf-design side, so I’ve spent a lot of time today verifying that it’s the same fan that I had installed on the porch in 2008. The fans have been ordered, along with two new downrods—the old ones are also rusted. Everything should be here in about 4-5 days. After that, I’ll need to call an electrician to have them installed.
Sixteen years was a pretty good run for these fans. I’m pretty pleased with how well these Hunter fans have lasted, which is the reason I’ve ordered the same brand/style again. My first ones were purchased from Lowe’s back in 2008. Today, I ordered them from here: Hunter Bayview 54-inch Outdoor Fan. They are also available HERE and HERE. Note: Some sites only show the leaf side of the blade, but I believe it’s still being made with the “wicker” look on the other side of the blade, as well.
Hopefully, Hunter is still making these at the same level or quality as in the past, and the new ones will last another 12+ years before they begin to show wear.
I have these exact same fans for my porch and I bought them because I saw them here on your blog many years ago when I found you while researching porches for the construction of my own porch!! I am glad to know they are still available. I use the wicker side of the paddle too because I was inspired by you and your porch and all the wonderful wicker furniture you have.
I live in Arizona and have ceiling fans in every room of my house and outside patio as well. Did not realize fans in humidity have different characteristics!
They are so wonderful for moving the air and here in Scottsdale, pretty much keep them on all the time. So glad you ordered new ones; the old ones looked pretty worn out!
I love your screened porch. It takes a lot of time and energy and $$ to stay on top of home repairs. You do an amazing job at that!
We have several Hunter Originals in our rentals. The Hunter Original is their top of the line, has a lifetime warranty and the motor has an oil reservoir. I have replaced the rubber grommets on several of the fan blades. You might want to explore just replacing the rubber grommets if you want to eke out a bit more life in you fans. The fan in our great room is an Original and is going on 28 years.
I’ll be glad when pollen season is over! I love your fans and if I ever have to replace my old Hunter Original fans, I’ll definitely be considering these! Our Hunter Original fans have lasted 46 years so far and are still going well, but they are not “pretty” fans by any means. We did have to replace one of the 3 Hunter Originals on our porch about 10 years ago and it was nice that the Hunter company still had Originals since their motors were guaranteed for life. We only had to send the serial number to get a replacement. Unfortunately for us, Originals cast iron fans that were made in the USA have not been manufactured since the early 2000s, so it’s good to know about future options!!
Wow, that’s amazing! Such a great warranty! I’m glad they replaced it! My original Hunter in my living room is still going strong and it’s around 35 years old.
Margaret, the fans that I purchased for the porch would not be very pretty inside. The blades are plastic or something like that, that’s why they don’t droop in the humidity. They are pretty for porches and gazebos, etc… but probably not so much inside a house.
Glad you got a great warranty – love the look. We have had screen porches on our last two homes and always had fans…now in an apartment with a screened in patio/porch we are amazed at how many neighbors do not have fans. Seems a shame…such a nice breeze! And you are correct…once the pollen is over they need a good cleaning!!!
Love your Screened Porch. I have a Hunter Fan on my screened porch too. I had one previously as well for outside use, it was there for 15 years and I replaced it with another Hunter fan and it has been there about 12 years now and still looks almost new. I’m glad they last a long time.