A ceiling fan can be a welcome addition to any room. It allows for a more comfortable atmosphere during any season, whether it's hot or cold outside. It can help keep electric bills down in the summer and help disperse the warm air more evenly in the winter.
With recent products, it's become easier than ever to install a ceiling fan without having to hire an expensive electrician to do it. For those of you who still have reservations about installing one yourself, just check out this easy to follow guide to help you install a ceiling fan. Once you see how easy it is, you'll be outfitting each and every room in your house with a beautiful new ceiling fan. What you'll need: * Screwdrivers * Wire Strippers * Voltage Tester * Electrical Tape * Romex Connector * Drywall Saw * Adjustable Wrench * Wire Nuts * Ceiling Fan Hanger Bracket Kit * Drop Cloth * Ladder There are a lot of steps to follow, so don't get overwhelmed. For this tutorial, we're going to be replacing an existing ceiling light with a new ceiling fan with a light assembly attached. 1. The first step is to turn the circuit that supplies power to the light OFF. Make sure you got the right one by flipping the light switch off and on. Place the drop cloth on the floor so it can catch any debris that may fall from the ceiling. Be careful when walking on the drop cloth; sometimes it can get slippery when it's on carpeting. 2. Place the ladder where you can easily access the existing light fixture. Disassemble the existing light and remove it. Screw wire nuts on the wires hanging out of the ceiling. 3. Since the old light fixture wasn't heavy, it was probably held up by only the box and the strength of the surrounding drywall. Because a ceiling fan is equipped with a heavy motor, we will have to install a support system so it doesn't fall on our heads. That's where the ceiling fan hanger bracket comes in. 4. Remove the existing fixture box. Once that is done, you will have just the wires hanging from a hole in the ceiling. Depending on the type and size of the previous box, you may have to cut some additional drywall to allow for the new box to fit. Place the box that came with the hanger bracket up to the hole and trace with a pencil the perimeter of the box. Follow the pencil line and cut it with the drywall saw. 5. Now that you have the proper sized opening, place the hanging rod up through the hole and position it so that the triangles on its ends have a flat end laying directly on the drywall. The triangles on the ends have "teeth" on them that bite into the wooden studs when the bracket is extended, so make sure that the bracket is positioned between the studs with both triangles facing a stud. 6. Using your hand, twist the bracket so that it expands.You will eventually feel the resistance of the studs. Use the adjustable wrench to continue to expand the bracket until it is tight between the studs. Slide the Romex connector over the wires and secure it over the sheath. 7. Remove one of the knockouts on the junction box and fish the wires through the hole, securing it in place with a lock nut. In the bracket kit, find the "U" shaped bolt. Hang the bolt over the bracket and slide the box over the bolts through the pre-drilled holes. Use the included nuts to secure the box to the "U" shaped bolt. 8. Install the ceiling fan's round hanger bracket by screwing the bracket to the octagon box. Install the shaft with the half-ball hanger on top to the top of the ceiling fan. Make sure you place the canopy on the ceiling fan before installing the shaft and half-ball hanger. It won't fit over the half-ball if you forget and you'll have to take it apart to re-install it. 9. Lift the ceiling fan up and set the half-ball hanger in the round bracket. Wire nut the black ceiling fan wire to the black house wire. Wire nut the white wires together and the ground wires the same way. Wrap electrical tape around the wire nut where they meet the wire. Tuck the wires up into the junction box and screw the canopy to the round hanger bracket. 10. Assemble the ceiling fan blades to their mounting arms with the screws provided. Most blades offer two different shades to choose from. Just make sure you pay attention to which color you want to appear when looking at the fan so there are no mistakes made while assembling the blades. Install the blades to the ceiling fan, making sure to remove the plastic spin guards. 11. After the blades are installed, connect the light assembly to the ceiling fan by connecting the wiring harnesses. Screw the light assembly in place with the three screws provided. Make sure no wires are crimped between the fan's wiring box and the light assembly. 12. Install the decorative light shades over the sockets, holding them in place with the bolts provided. Don't over-tighten the bolts - it could cause the glass shades to crack. Install the proper sized light bulbs. 13. Clean up the mess and turn the circuit breaker back on. Pulling on the chain on the direct bottom of the fan turns the light on, and the chain on the top side of the fan controls the blade speed. For the most efficiency, set your fan to blow air downward in the summer and set it to pull air upward in the winter. Although installing your ceiling fan takes quite a few steps, none of them are very hard when taken individually. Just take one step at a time, and before you know it, you'll be relaxing in your comfortable room with a gentle breeze blowing across your brow. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
