A ceiling fan can be a great option when you are wanting to keep your home cool and incorporate a stylish light fixture at the same time. If you have an outdated ceiling fan that you would to replace, or if you want to install a new one altogether, ceiling fan installation isn’t too tricky. You can use the same wiring and simply swap one fixture for the other. Read on for tips on how to install or replace a ceiling fan. *This post contains affiliate links and/or sponsored content.
How To Install or Replace a Ceiling Fan
Cut Power to the Room Where You Will Be Installing The Ceiling Fan
A kitchen ceiling fan can be a huge boon when you’re working over a hot stove. In addition to cooling down kitchen, a ceiling fan is a stylish choice for lighting over an island.
The first step in ceiling fan installation is to go to the breaker box and cut power the power. Of course, many homes have the refrigerator on its own circuit, so you can shut off power to the rest of the kitchen while keeping your fridge powered. Test to make sure that the power to your ceiling fan or light fixture is really off. Try turning on the fixture.
How to Color Code Your Circuit Breaker Box~First Home Love Life
Remove the Old Fixture or Ceiling Fan
Loosen the screws on either side of the metal canopy over the mounting bracket. If you have a ball-and-socket fan, you can lower the canopy to expose the ball-and-socket connection in the mounting bracket. If you have a flush-mounted fan, you may need to remove the light assembly to expose the screws that fasten the fan motor to the ceiling.
10 Tips to Install a Ceiling Fan by Yourself~The DIY Playbook
Once you’ve opened the light kit or the metal canopy, the wires that connect your fan to your home’s power supply will be exposed. Retest them with a voltage tester to make sure power is really cut to the fan. Then disconnect the wires, remove any hardware attaching the fan motor to the mounting brackets, and take down the old fan. Removing a light fixture is even simpler. Pull off the glass globe or cover and loosen the mounting nut that holds the fixture to the ceiling. Pull the fixture down, test the wires for voltage and then disconnect them.
Install the New Ceiling Fan
Your new fan should wire up the same way the old one did — connect the black wire in the fan to the one in the ceiling, the white wire to the white wire, and the green or brass ground wire to the green or brass ground wire. The hot and neutral wires (black and white) should be secured together with wire nuts. The ground wires should be twisted together and then wrapped around the ground screw in the electrical box.
If you’re replacing a fan with another fan, you should already have the supporting brace and fan-rated electrical box you need. Replace the electrical box if it looks rusty or otherwise worn. If you’re replacing a light fixture, you will need to either install a supporting brace between the joists to support the weight of the fan, or secure your fan directly to a joist.
You can use an expanding metal brace or, if you have access to the joists from above, as through an attic, you can install a 2×4 brace. If you want to move the ceiling hole over slightly in order to center your fan directly on the joist, you can use a ceiling medallion to cover the old light fixture hole.
How to Add Ceiling Medallions~Heathered Nest
Whether you install a supporting brace or choose to fasten your fan directly to the joist, make sure you use a fan-rated electrical box. Pancake electrical boxes are common. These can support the weight of your fan, which may be 50 pounds or more.
Legrand – Pass & Seymour 83300 Retrofit Reiker Fan Brace with 16-Cubic-Inch Electrical Box
The electrical box should go inside the ceiling, while the fan’s mounting bracket should go on top of the drywall and connect to the electrical box. Most ceiling fans you can buy come with the mounting bracket, but you may need to buy the electrical box separately.
Crystal Ceiling Fan Chandelier~Amazon
Wire up your fan motor assembly, and then attach the light fixture and wire it up the same way. Consult your fan’s installation instructions if necessary. Finally, attach the fan blades and any light coverings. Once everything is assembled, you should be ready to restore power and test the new fan.
10 Pretty and Stylish Ceiling Fans~Driven by Decor
PalarLight Crystal Ceiling Fan 5 Wood Blade Remote Control~Amazon
Installing or replacing a kitchen ceiling fan isn’t that difficult/ It’s just a matter of switching out the old fixture or fan for the new. With just a couple of hours of work, you, too, can enjoy a refreshing breeze in the kitchen or any other room in the house.
Do you have a ceiling fan in your home that needs to be replaced, or are you considered one of the beautiful and stylish ceiling fans on the market today to update a light fixture in your home? I love hearing from you, dear readers!
Thanks for visiting today!
Amber
No Comments