In this post, we will talk you through How To Install A Ceiling Fan Safely. Since ceiling fans are coming back in style in a big way, it is easy to see why people are searching for how to install them in their homes.
Ceiling fans allow you to save a ton of energy, reducing your greenhouse gas emissions and shrinking your carbon footprint. They can also significantly reduce your heating and cooling costs.
Installing a new ceiling fan can be a fun and rewarding DIY project that can add comfort and beauty to your home. However, before you start, it’s essential to prioritize safety. The below instructions will help you upgrade your own home with a ceiling fan.
How To Install A Ceiling Fan Safely
Here’s a step-by-step guide to installing a new ceiling fan safely and efficiently.
Prepare for the Job
The tools you’ll need for the installation will depend on the type of ceiling fan you’re installing. However, in general, you’ll likely need a screwdriver, pliers, wire stripper, voltage tester, wire connectors, pry bar, and ladder.
Turn Off The Power
Before doing any electrical work, it’s crucial to turn off the power to the circuit that controls the ceiling fan. Locate the circuit breaker box and switch off the corresponding breaker.
Make sure it is in the “off” position to ensure the power is off completely. This way, you won’t get shocked by touching live wires.
If you can’t tell which circuit is the correct one, you’ll need to map your home’s circuits before you can proceed. To make sure the electricity is really turned off, I recommend testing it to be sure by using a voltage tester.
Discarding the Old Light Or Fan
You’ll need to start the job by removing the old light fixture or fan from the spot where you intend to install your new chandelier ceiling fan.
To take down a light fixture, remove the bulb cover and unscrew the bulbs. You will then see all the screws in the body of the light fixture. Loosen these to pull down the light fixture and disconnect the wiring in the junction box.
To take down an old fan, remove the fan blades first to make the fan less unwieldy, then remove the light covers and bulbs so they don’t get broken (you don’t want to have to clean up broken glass). Then you can detach the fan canopy, disconnect the wiring, and take down the fan motor and mounting plate.
Put in a Fan-Rated Electrical Junction Box
It is important that you have in your ceiling, a fan-rated pancake electrical junction box. Only a fan-rated electrical box will be robust enough to hold up the heavy ceiling fan you are putting up. They can be pretty heavy!
Use your pry bar to pull the old junction box off the supporting beam (or unscrew it if it’s screwed on). Next, attach a fan-rated pancake electrical junction box to the supporting beam or ‘joist‘.
If there is no joist or supporting beam running right where you want to put your new ceiling fan, you’ll need to put in a metal fan brace.
This can be done by inserting it through the hole in the ceiling and expanding it so that the spikes on either end bite down into the joists (or supporting beams) to create a sturdy brace that can support the weight of the fan. Once you have the electrical junction box in place, attach the fan’s ceiling mounting plate to the junction box.
Hanging the Fan Motor & Wiring
With the fan brace and fan-rated electrical junction box in place, you can finally start to hang the fan. Follow the instructions that came with your new fan to assemble the fan motor. Make sure you have enough space to do this on your floor.
Don’t worry – you’ll usually just have to connect the downrod (or canopy, for hugger fans) to the top of the fan motor and then pull the wires up through the top.
Get up on your step ladder and hang the fan motor from the hook on the mounting plate. If there’s no hook on your mounting plate, you can probably hang the ball on the end of your downrod from the socket in the mounting plate and still have enough space to connect the wiring.
Electrical wiring is color-coded, so you’re going to connect the wires in your fan to the similarly colored wires in your ceiling.
Black connects to black, white to white, and so on. Ensure that the green or bare ground wire in your ceiling is wrapped around the ground screw in the junction box and that the screw has been turned a few times to secure the wiring connection.
If your fan has wires of any color besides black, white, and green or bare copper coming out of it, consult the wiring schematic to figure out what to do with them.
Use your wire stripper to remove some of the rubber coatings from the ends of your wires if need be. Then twist the bare ends together and secure the connections with plastic wiring caps. Tuck the wiring into the junction box. Secure the fan motor to the mounting plate, then screw the fan canopy in place.
Adding the Fan Blades
Attach the fan blades to the brackets and secure them with screws, making sure they’re evenly spaced. Attach the light kit to the fan, if applicable. Use a tape measure to make sure that all of your fan blades are similarly distanced from the floor.
Connecting the Fan Light Fixture
If your ceiling fan comes with a light fixture, you’ll connect it last. Wire the light fixture the same way you wired the fan motor, or consult the wiring schematic if the wires are different colors from the standard black, white, and green or bare.
Some fan light kits just plug into the motor housing. Once you have connected the wiring, you can attach the light fixture to the fan motor, and add the bulb covers and bulbs.
Once you’ve finished mounting the fan, turn on the power at the circuit breaker box. Test the fan and light to ensure they work correctly.
I hope, after reading this post, you now know How To Install A Ceiling Fan Safely. Are you doing any home renovations this year? What sort of things are you fixing or updating/replacing? I would love to know! Leave me a comment below!