the difference bettween wet rated and damp rated?
 

i put some outdoor ceiling fans on my deck last year, but they didn't come with light kits. the light kits seem kinda costly. i lucked into one at a thrift store that's working fine, and looking at a couple at a local hardware store but they say damp rated.

the fans are fully exposed to weather so if there's a real difference in the ratings i guess i shouldn't take chances. but i'm thinking of times when i've seen a outside door light with just a bare bulb, and the light i found at the thrift store seems ok. truthfully i don't know what, if any, rating it might have. it was made in a way that looked like it would be hard for water to get in. i did try to make sure it was sealed though, and put a rubber washer where the switch mounts just in case. it's been through a few good rains already.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y29...Picture190.jpg

think i can use the damp rated ones or keep looking? thanks.

If that were under a porch it would be a damp location. What you have there is unquestionably a wet location.

Who made that setup anyway? Pretty creative.

i hope what i got works. i went to a different store and picked up what looks really close to the same thing i looked at at the other store, but the guy said they would work. the two i got are both on a switch and one is also running through a gfi (one fan is somewhat more protected but still exposed under an upper deck level). so if he's wrong hopefully i have backup.

i made the brackets. i may have seen something like it i think, but for speakers. i was really just wanting light on my deck, but found out about wet location ceiling fans, found a deal on a few, and made brackets strong enough to hold them.

wow!!!
 

Is that your fan set up? Do you use it? Cause I dont think its to safe....

i put it up last spring/summer, so it's been through one winter already (took the blades off and tied a garbage bag over it). in what way are you thinking it's unsafe?