Installing a ceiling fan is a great energy-saving option for your home. In the winter months, by turning a ceiling fan on clockwise, you'll be re-circulating the warmest air in your home along the ceiling and down the walls. In the summer months, by turning a fan on counter-clockwise, you'll provide a circulating breeze, and well-circulated air can make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler! Using a ceiling fan in these ways can help lower your heating bill up to 10 percent and your cooling bill by up to 40 percent.
So you've found the perfect ceiling fan to complement your area. Now what?
Before you start, please review the following list of safety precautions for the electrical work.
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- If you're at all unsure or worried about working with electricity, call in a professional electrician. It's serious stuff - less current than it takes to wire a 60-watt bulb can be lethal. Take your time and exercise caution.
- Look over a copy of the National Electric Code (NEC) - you'll be able to find one at your library - to make sure all wiring conforms to standards. Old or out-of-date wiring can be a fire hazard.
- Completely turn off the circuit before messing with any electrical wiring. Never trust the light switch to render your fixture "dead," as sometimes the power enters at the fixture rather than the switch.
- If possible, check the electric current with a high-voltage neon tester both before working with the wiring AND after.
- Now that you're following all of the safety precautions, it's time to install your new ceiling fan!
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First and foremost, if you have a light fixture or fan already that you'll be replacing, you need to take down that fixture. Follow these steps to safely remove your old fixture or fan.
- Turn off the power! Possibly the most important step, since you'd probably like to survive your fixture removal and not electrocute yourself, you're going to want to turn the power to the switch off from your circuit breaker. Before you begin removal of the old fixture, double-check that the power is completely off before starting by flipping the on/off switch to the fixture and/or using a high-voltage neon tester.
- Take down the lights. Now you'll want to remove the old fixture by first removing the mounting bolts holding it to the ceiling. It may be easier to remove light bulbs/globes before removing the bolts, and this will prevent damage to those items (assuming you don't drop them!) Make sure you hold on to the fixture after removing the bolts, as it'll still be wired to the electrical box.
- Disconnect the wires. Once the fixture is lowered, you can unscrew the wire nuts (if there are any), and disconnect the electrical wires. If the wires are not color-coded, remember to mark each wire with a piece of labeled masking tape for easy identification later.
- Check the electrical box. Make sure the electrical box is sturdy and well-anchored. This is especially important if you're removing a regular light fixture and installing a heavier fan. If not, you'll need to remove the old support brace from the electrical box and re-install with a heavier-duty support brace.
Follow these steps to install a fan where there wasn't a previous fixture.
- Find the room's center. Ceiling fans work the most efficiently in the center of the room. Snap diagonal chalk lines from the corners of the room to determine the exact center. If the center falls directly below a ceiling joist, move to either side a bit, so you'll be able to fasten the side of the junction box directly to the joist.
- Install the junction box. Cut a hole large enough for the junction box to be slipped in. (Make sure, however, that the hole is not bigger than your mounting plate or ceiling cover, or you'll be able to see the hole after the fan is installed.) If it's next to the joist, screw holes in its side and attach to the joist. Installation between joists can work as well - fasten the box to a 2x4-inch header nailed between the joists. Make sure your screws are fastened as tightly as possible, so as to avoid wobble, excess noise, and wear of your fan. Use only a metal junction box (not plastic!) to support a ceiling fan! Tip: The heaviest fixture that should be supported by an outlet or junction box is 35 pounds. If your fan weighs more than that, it'll have to be supported by the building structure. Your mounting must also be able to withstand a measure of vibration from the fan.
- Wire the junction box. Run your electrical wires into the junction box and tuck inside to keep them out of the way until you're ready to wire the fan itself.
Now that your junction box is installed and ready to go, the next step is to assemble the ceiling fan itself. Make sure you follow the precise manufacturer's instructions when assembling the fan, as assembly can vary from brand to brand. Depending on manufacturer's recommendations, you may want to attach the fan blades before you hang the fixture if your blades will be running less than a screwdriver's length below the ceiling. When attaching the blades to the motor, make sure the screws are tight but not too tight, as the tension can damage the threads or laminated blades. Tip: You're going to want to make sure that your fan hangs at least 7 feet above the floor, and that the blades spin at least 12 to 18 inches below the ceiling for optimal efficiency and safety.
Attach the fan to the ceiling
- Shimmy back up that ladder and install the hanger bracket and mounting ring over your junction box after pulling the wires through. Make sure you use lock washers, as they will help prevent fan vibration by disallowing the screws to loosen over time. Hang the motor unit from the hooks on the mounting bracket.
- Wire the fan. Connect the wires, following guidelines, connecting the grounding wire (green or bare copper) first. Then connect black or blue to black or blue, and white to white. Remember to cover the connections with wire nuts and secure them inside the canopy, which you may then secure to the mounting bracket.
- Attach the fan motor to the mounting bracket. After slipping up and securing the ceiling cover, you may secure the fan's motor to the mounting bracket using the provided screws. Again, you'll want to make sure the screws are secure so as to prevent vibration.
- Assemble your lighting kit (If applicable). Following the directions, assemble the lights to the bottom of your ceiling fan by removing the cap on the bottom of the housing bracket. Pull the labeled lighting wires through the adapter ring (one wire will be white (neutral) and one will be black, red, or blue (hot)), and install the ring. This ring works as a reducing ring. Lift the lamp and make the wiring connections (white to white and black, red, or blue to its corresponding color). Fasten the light kit to the fan with the provided screws.
Now that your fan is properly hung, you're going to want to check the power connections. Turn the power back on from the circuit breaker and try the fixture's on/off switch. Make sure the fan power cord and the light power cord on the fan are in the "on" position. Turn the fan on "high" to measure the speed and see if there is any vibration or wobble in your fan. (Not that we're worried; clearly, there won't be any large vibration or wobble at all, as you're now the ultimate ceiling fan-installation master!)
