Industrial wall fan misting on covered porch - not UL507 rated plugged into GFI

**OveMarkstrom** · 06-10-2011, 03:12 PM

Hi,
I'm located in Phoenix, AZ.
I bought an industrial fan to which I'm attaching a misting ring on the front grill, so the fan will blow mist over the covered porch area.
The fan will be plugged into a GFI outlet outside on the covered porch. After the fact I realized that the fan is not rated for outdoors (UL507).

Is this risky, or will plugging into a GFI be OK?

Thanks,
Ove

**jwelectric** · 06-11-2011, 06:57 AM

Any electrical equipment installed outdoors needs to be rated for the environment or it will not last long.

Having spent time in Flagstaff which is a lot cooler than where you live I can understand what you are attempting to undertake but without some serious consideration it is a waste of time and energy.

The size of the water droplets of the mist and the amount of water pressure that is pushing them is vital to the effectiveness of the cooling process. To be very effective the water droplets would need to be very small and cover the entire area with a high amount of pressure.

It would be a lot more economical to install patio ceiling fans to blow air down than what you are proposing to do with the water vapor and a lot more cost effective.
To even circulate the water across the roof from an underground storage tank would be more effective than the misting with the use of a fan. The amount of electrical energy being used for the circulating pump could even be less than the fan would draw.

**LLigetfa** · 06-11-2011, 07:17 AM

I won't speak to the electrical safety aspect. From a general durability aspect, using a device in a moist environment that it was not designed for could impact its longevity.

Misting systems are sometimes deployed without fans as well. Misting systems can deposit a mineral "dust" from hard water and are best supplied with RO water. There exist also, "swamp coolers" that wick and evaporate water rather than mist but I'm sure you already know about them.

hj · 06-11-2011, 08:58 AM

OUTDOORS in Phoenix, is NOT like outdoors in Seattle. And since it is also inside a porch the chances of it being rained on is very close to ZERO. I use the same setup inside my daughter's chicken coop. The fans fail because of feathers NOT moisture. Misting fans "cool" the air using evaporation, ceiling fans do NOT cool anything, they just move the air around.

**LLigetfa** · 06-11-2011, 09:07 AM

Originally Posted by hj

...ceiling fans do NOT cool anything, they just move the air around.

I wish you would convince my wife of that. She leaves fans running when there is nobody home and insists that it is cooling the house. The fans actually generate more heat. The only time they cool is when they evaporate moisture from your skin or other source.

hj · 06-11-2011, 09:16 AM

quote; I wish you would convince my wife of that

Good luck convincing a woman of anything that she does not already believe. put a thermometer in the room and turn the fans off. Then after an hour or so turn them one and show her that there is no difference. If there is a difference it would only be because they are moving cooler air from somewhere else into the room, in which case close the door and repeat the test.

**OveMarkstrom** · 06-11-2011, 09:53 AM

Thanks all for replying.

HJ -that's exactly right.
My neighbor has this exact set-up on his porch and it's amazing how much it cools it down. It makes sitting outside in 110 degrees totally doable.

My concern is related to level of safety of the fan being plugged into a GFCI outlet.
For instance if I accidentally spray the fan with the garden hose or something klutzy like that, will it even matter if the fan is rated for outdoors or not...the GFCI would trip regardless is my assumption.

hj · 06-11-2011, 06:36 PM

If you did that, even if the GFCI did not trip the circuit breaker probably would. IF you spray the fan with water, EVERYTHING in front of it, including your wife, will be soaked with water. In that case a tripped GFCI or breaker may be the least of your problems.

**jadnashua** · 06-11-2011, 08:24 PM

Water itself isn't that great of a conductor...depends on the minerals and chemicals in it.

**OveMarkstrom** · 06-11-2011, 08:24 PM

Ha ha - true, I'll be sure to install a WGFCI (Wife-CFCI)

**jwelectric** · 06-12-2011, 04:16 AM

I have reread the original post and still read it as saying the mist was to be sprayed over the roof area. If this was a mistake on my part please forgive my ignorance.

**DonL** · 06-13-2011, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by OveMarkstrom

Hi,
I'm located in Phoenix, AZ.
I bought an industrial fan to which I'm attaching a misting ring on the front grill, so the fan will blow mist over the covered porch area.
The fan will be plugged into a GFI outlet outside on the covered porch. After the fact I realized that the fan is not rated for outdoors (UL507).

Is this risky, or will plugging into a GFI be OK?

Thanks,
Ove

Ove, When you say "risky" , and you are talking about safety, or the GFI tripping,
Then that would depend on the type of Motor that your industrial fan has.

Most induction motors have a fair amount of insulation, And should not be a problem.

It will work fine if you don't use a motor that has armature brush's.

Good Luck on your project.

DonL

hj · 06-13-2011, 07:31 AM

It is a misting FAN. The mist is introduced into the air stream as it leaves the fan. It is for a localized area, and has NOTHING to do with a roof top cooling or evaporation system. When he said "OVER the enclosed porch area" he meant INTO, INSIDE, or through, (take your pick), the area.

**OveMarkstrom** · 06-13-2011, 11:51 PM

DonL,
Is there a way to know if the motor has armature brushes? (Is there a giveway in the description of the fan)

The Air King 9025 is a 24-Inch wall mount oscillating (90 degree oscillation) fan. The motor is 3-speed, 1/4 HP, 120V, 1 phase, totally enclosed, ball bearing, permanently lubricated with a permanent split capacitor. CFM is 5130, 4490, 3670 (High, Medium, Low). RPM is 1060, 925, 745 (High, Medium, Low). Amps 2.4, 1.9, 1-1/2 (High, Medium, Low). Watts 252, 199, 157 (High, Medium, Low). Rear mounted pull cord switch. A black, 10-foot, 3-conductor SJT type power cord. Blade, guard and mounts are powder coated steel. ETL and OSHA compliant. Tested in accordance with AMCA standard 230.99.

Thanks,
Ove

**DonL** · 06-14-2011, 03:00 AM

Ove,

The Permanent-split capacitor motor does not have brushes and should work just fine.

From the description it sounds like a nice fan, and would be safe around water on a GFI.

Enjoy your day.

DonL