Ceiling Fans: How to Install Properly

You will be astonished to learn how quickly a ceiling fan can cool off a room. It is just as amazing to discover that cooling fans are used to direct heat around your room during colder seasons. This is why ceiling fans are so popular and used as a standard feature in many homes these days.

Once you settled on the color, style, and size of your ceiling fan, the actual installation process is relatively easy to achieve. That is if you possess some necessary handyman skills.

To install your newly bought ceiling fan fixture, follow the steps as set out in this article.

1 - Switch off the power at the circuit panel or fuse box

Once you unbox the ceiling fan kit, you will most likely come across a pair of wires. Some of these are wired to circuits other than the wires, linked to the fixture you are currently working on. Practice safety by making use of a circuit tester or by switching off the power to your apartment or home before installing the ceiling fan. This way, you can be sure the wires in the box are not live. Remove the light bulb and cover from the fixture before unscrewing the nuts or screws that hold the base of the fixture in place.

2 - Lower the base and remove the wire nuts or electrical tape

Most wires would feature either two or three colors; namely - black, white, and green, Disconnect these wires from the ceiling box and remove them.

Next, you'll need to loosen the cable clamp screw that is in place to secure the incoming cable. Once done, remove the box itself. Be sure to work from the top down if possible. If you can't work from above, then remove any fasteners such as screws and nails that are attached to the framing.

3 - Follow the guidelines from the manufacturer to set up the ceiling box and adjustable hanger bar

Most hanger bars can be installed by driving them through the ceiling hole that got left behind by your old electrical box. Once the hanger bar has gone through, be sure to turn it clockwise until it is lined up with the ceiling joists. The bar will expand until it interlocks with the ceiling joists.

You will notice that the hanger bar ends feature sharp steel pins that are designed to burrow right into the wood joists once the bar expands. The ceiling box will be secured to the hanger bar to lock it into position and serve as a secure base for your cooling fan.

4 - Put the fan together in line with the manufacturer's instructions

Cooling fans to be installed on a ceiling are heavy and will have to be appropriately supported before connecting the wires. Most brands offer a way to easily suspend the fan below the ceiling box while you can attach the wiring. If this is not the case, enlist the assistance of a helper to hold the fan assembly so you can connect the wires.

The wiring setup seems to vary from fan to fan as it depends on whether the fans feature a speed control or are equipped with a light. Overall, the way a cooling fan is set up doesn't differ that much from installing a traditional light fixture.

With regards to the wiring, you can utilize wire nuts for attaching the colored or black wire of the fan, and the white wire would match the wires inside the ceiling box. If you find a green wire, then you can connect it to the bare or green wire in the box itself.

5 - Finish the attachment procedure of your fan assembly

The final step would only take a few screws to complete the fan assembly. Ensure you set up the fan blades and trim following the guidelines of the manufacturer. Once done, you can switch the power back on and test your installation.

How to Practice safety precautions during ceiling fan assembly

As most fan assemblies weigh anywhere from 50 to 70 pounds, you need to take the necessary precautions for your own safety. Especially if you consider the number of fan blades and mass of the motor. Thinking about the heaviness of the entire cooling unit couples with fan blades, when you fit the newly bought fan into an existing fixture within your ceiling, you need to be sure there is sufficient support to prevent the fan from wobbling. Also, the connection needs to be secure to avoid having to deal with a dangerous scenario where the fan assembly does not meet electrical codes.

Resources— The Spruce, Dummies

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