In summer, ceiling fans create cooling breezes, which reduce the strain on air conditioners. In winter, they circulate heated air to keep the room warm. Installing a ceiling fan is relatively simple, especially if the space above is accessible from an attic.
However, even when it isn't, the job is still quite doable. Here, we'll show how to replace an old light fixture with a new ceiling fan and light, in a room with no attic above. The advantage of this approach is that you don't have to run new wiring. The fan connects to the existing cable from the old light.
Step blade span down a bit for rooms with low ceilings, and go wider if the ceilings are high. Another good rule of thumb is to remember that blade spans of less than 36 inches are ideal for spaces smaller than 75 square feet, such as baths and breakfast nooks. Spans of 36 to 42 inches work in rooms of up to square feet, like a dining room. Larger living rooms and bedrooms can handle to inch blades. Make sure that the cubic feet of air that the fan moves per minute cfm , measured at high speed, is near the top of its class.
Some inch fans, for instance, rate as low as 2, cfm, while others reach 7, High-cfm fans not only provide a better breeze, they usually have robust motors that will last longer and run more quietly. Steer clear of hanging the fan too close to any lights, as rotating blades under a bulb will create an annoying flicker. Tip : If you're going to paint the medallion, do it before installing the ceiling plate. Tip: The pipe's threads have a factory-applied coating. Don't remove this coating; it keeps the pipe from unscrewing.
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By Joseph Truini. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. Alamy The popularity of ceiling fans continues to grow as more and more homeowners discover dramatic, year-round energy savings. Remove the Existing Light Fixture Make sure electricity to circuit is turned off and carefully remove the glass shade or globe from the old light fixture. Unscrew the retaining nut or screws that hold the fixture to the ceiling.
Lower the fixture and disconnect the wires by twisting off the plastic connectors from the ends of the wires. If it's nailed to a joist, pry it free with a flat bar. If it's suspended from a bar, you may have to take off a metal plate to unscrew the box; then pry the bar from the joists.
Cut along the line with a drywall saw. Tip : Hold a vacuum cleaner wand next to the saw to catch the dust. Attach New Electrical Box Feed the electrical cable coming from the ceiling through the knockout hole in the pancake box. Be sure there's a cable connector attached to the knockout hole. Keep reading to learn how to install a new ceiling box! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.
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Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Turn the electricity off at the circuit breaker box. When working with electricity or wiring, you should always cut power to the area before you touch anything else.
Locate the circuit breaker box in your home and turn off the power to the room or area your fan will be installed in.
If you have multiple breaker boxes, turn off power at the sub-breaker box and the main box before beginning work. Remove any screws holding the old fixture in place. Use a ladder or step-ladder to safely climb up towards the roof to give you access the fixtures. Hold the fixture in place with one hand as you remove any screws securing it to the roof. Once they have been taken out, the old fixture should be able to detach from the ceiling.
You will need to run wiring through your walls, which is very difficult to do and can be very dangerous if done wrong. If you cannot hold the fixture in place while you remove the screws, get somebody else to help. This will reduce the chance of the fixture falling from the ceiling and make it easier to unscrew.
Disconnect the wires from the old electrical fixture. Locate the point where the wires from the fixture are held to the wires coming from the ceiling with plastic connectors. Ensure the fixture is supported by something other than the wires and begin unscrewing and removing each plastic connector. Once disconnected, lower the fixture from your ceiling and discard it or store it somewhere safe for future use.
If the wiring is different than you anticipated, stop immediately and call a professional to help. Always make sure something is supporting any fixtures you remove or install as you work on them. Don't let the fixture be held up only by wires, as this may damage them.
Ask a friend to help if you need them. Remove the old ceiling box. The ceiling box is a circular metal fitting that other fixtures attach to. Look for any screws or nails holding the old ceiling box in place and remove them. Push the circuit box further into the ceiling, or attempt to pry it out to remove it.
If you can access the space above the ceiling box and get a better look at it, it may be easier to remove. If not, use a flashlight to look at it from below and work out the easiest way to remove it. If you're unsure, remove it and replace it with a new ceiling box that has a weight rating above the weight of your ceiling fan.
Ask at your local hardware store or look online to find one that will be strong enough. If you're unsure whether or not your ceiling box will be able to hold your fan, look inside it for any markings or model numbers that will help identify it. Look online or ask at your local hardware store to make sure that the weight rating for your box is more than the weight of your fan.
Some ceiling boxes will have cable clamps that secure the wiring in place. If you notice a metal fixture tightly holding the wiring, look for a screw on the fixture's side. Loosen this screw and slip the cable clamp over the end of the wiring to remove it.
Part 2. Purchase a fan box with a hanger bar if the fixture is between two ceiling joists. A hanger bar is an extendable rod that will hold taut between two ceiling joists and give you something to attach the fan to. Purchase a fan box with a hanger bar from your local electrical store and use this if your fan will be installed between two ceiling joists.
If you don't see a long piece of wood directly above the hole, it is likely your ceiling box is being installed between two joists. Locate the studs in your ceiling to be sure. Choose a screw-fastening fan box if you have access to a single ceiling joist. If the opening in your ceiling is directly below some wooden framing, use a fan box that can be screwed directly into the framing. Purchase a fan box without a hanger bar from your local hardware or electronics store. If you can easily screw something into the joist, use a screw-fastening fan box.
Cut around the hole to make sure it is the right size. A fan rated ceiling box may be bigger or slightly thicker than a standard ceiling box. Hold the fan box up to the hole and trace around it with a pencil.
Use a drywall saw to cut away excess ceiling until the fan box will fit in. Keep the saw as shallow as possible to prevent hitting anything unintended. Feed the cables through the new electrical box.
Lift the new ceiling box towards and into the ceiling. As you do so, thread the wiring coming from the ceiling through the central hole in the ceiling box. Push it over the wires until it sits on the face of the fan box, and tighten the screws on the cable clamp to hold the wires in place. Secure the fan-rated ceiling box in place. If you have a fan box that attaches directly to a ceiling joist, hold the box against the joist and use the provided screws to fasten it in place.
If you need a hanger bar, position the bar between the two joists. Use an adjustable wrench to rotate the bar and extend it, rotating until the bar is held securely in place between the two joists.
Attach the ceiling plate or bracket. The ceiling plate or fan bracket is the fixture that your fan will be suspended from. Hold the ceiling plate up to the fan box and pull all of the wires through the hole in its center.
Use the provided screws to tightly secure the ceiling plate in place. The method for attaching ceiling plates and brackets may vary, but it needs to be done correctly to keep the fan attached to the ceiling. If you have a ceiling medallion or any molding to go around the fitting, attach it now. This will be a decorative piece that surrounds the fitting and is secured to the roof. Use a small amount of urethane-based adhesive to hold it to the roof, before securing it in place with four finishing nails.
For a better-finished appearance, cover the nail holes with caulk or spackle. Part 3. Purchase a fan kit. This will contain all of the parts you need to assemble and mount a new ceiling fan.
Fan kits should be available from your local hardware store, as well as online. Make sure to buy a fan that fits the size of the room where it will be installed. Attach the downrod to the fan body. The downrod is the long metal pipe that is used to distance the fan from the ceiling. Keeping the body of the fan on the ground, thread the wires attached to the fan through the downrod. Sit the downrod in place on the top of the fan body.
Tighten the locking screws around the base of the downrod until it is securely attached to the fan body. Some fans may have multiple locking screws to hold the downrod in place. Make sure you tighten all of them to prevent the downrod and the fan body from disconnecting when mounting the fan. There are a few factors that can change the required length for your downrod. If your roof is angled, you will need to use a downrod to prevent the fan blades from hitting the roof.
If your ceilings are taller than 8 feet 2. These will have a much shorter downrod, or may not have a downrod at all, allowing them to sit as close to the ceiling as possible. Lift the fan up to the ceiling. Use a ladder or step-ladder to carefully lift the fan assembly up towards the ceiling. Most fans will have some method to suspend them just below the ceiling while you connect the wiring. If your fan does not, ask someone else to hold the fan in place as you do so. Make sure your ladder is secure and that you can stand on it safely with a friend if you need to.
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