How to add a ceiling fan

[Ralph Barhorst]

It has been very hot here for the last several days and our air conditioner was down. We have a fan in the living room but not in the bedroom. It was very difficult to sleep.

We do have a ceiling light in the bedroom and I want to replace it with a ceiling fan and light. I would imagine that the electrical box that holds the current light would not be strong enough to support the weight of a fan.

Is there some way to add a support without wrecking the ceiling? Also, I cannot get into the attic to add a support.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Art Mulder]

Ralph,

When I installed ceiling fans in my bedrooms, I crawled into the attic,
and fastend a 2x4 (or 2x6, I forget) between the joists, so the flat/broad surface faced the ceiling. I then screwed a junction box to that and mounted the fan. Works great.

For an existing celing light, the thing to find out, is if the box is just fastened on it's side to a joist/truss, or if it is fastened through it's back (top) to a board. If it is the latter, then you should be fine.

If not, I've seen kits in the store which come with expandable metal braces, that you are supposed to be able to feed up through the hole and then use to span the space between the joists/trusses. I have never used them, so I don't know how well they work.

Worst comes to worse... my neighbour put in a hole to mount a ceiling fan, but cut the whole in the wrong spot by about 3 inches. Rather than having to patch and repaint the ceiling, he went out to the building center and bought a lightweight trim piece. I don't know what you call it, but they are anwhere from 12-18" in diameter, made out of light wood or foam, and they go over/around the junction box hole. It looks like a fancy bit of plaster work.

Hope this is some help
...art

[Don Baer]

Several years ago I installed one in my den. It has vaulted cellings and it was impossible to get up in the attic. I got a thing from the blue borg that solved the problem. It is a turn buckle double bolt thingey with two metal cleat on the ends that have spikes comming out both ends. I cut the hole in the celing the diameter of the octaginal electrical box. pushed the bolt thingy up through the hole and turned the turnbuckle until the cleats dug intot he 2x4 refters, fastened on the box to the bolt thingey and was ready to mount the fan. It's been there for several years and works fine. It's even survived a few California earthquakes..:D

http://images.lowes.com/general/f/fig2.gif

It looks like this.

[Lee Schierer]

Ralph,

For an existing celing light, the thing to find out, is if the box is just fastened on it's side to a joist/truss, or if it is fastened through it's back (top) to a board. If it is the latter, then you should be fine.


Just be sure the box is attached with adequately sized screws not roofing nails.

[John Scarpa]

Ralph,

Like Don said. I just got a wire run up to my family room vaulted ceiling last night as I took advantage of ungoing wiring in the adjacent shop space. I'll place a box like Don did from the borg up there in the next day or so. I think they have a few choices now on the types of "remodel" mounting boxes for this application. One fits between centers and the other allows you to mount adjacent to a joist by lagging into it. I haven't used the latter type myslef. Good luck!

[Art Mulder]

Just be sure the box is attached with adequately sized screws not roofing nails.

Hmm, There's a story there, I know there must be! :D:D

[Bruce Page]

I did what Don did. Works great. There are a few variations, be sure to get one that has the spikes that dig into the rafters.

[Mark Rios]

Ralph, Home Depot (and I imagine Lowes) has a kit EXACTLY for what you want to do. It is a ceiliing fan installation kit.

You take out the original box, being careful not to damage the existing wiring (you have turned off the breaker right?). Then you insert the supplied bar (that unscrews and expands to get longer) through the hole in your ceiling and turn it by hand to extend it. Sort of like a shower curtain rod. The pointy spikes on the ends of the expanding rod dig into the ceiling joists and voila....you have your support. Then you attach the supplied special metal ceiling fan box and continue with the fan installation. Very slick, simple and only costs around $15. You only need this kit and your fan. Everything is included. It is very, very sturdy and will support just about any fan you can throw at it. BTW, put a big drop cloth all over the floor under the fixture before you start to catch all the dusty and fluffy stuff that will fall during the install.

Here is a description and picture of it:

http://www.farreys.com/ceiling_fans/westinghouse/fan_accessories.html

These are the exact kits that HD sells. The top two are the same except that one has a deeper box (I recommend these two, not the bottom one). That's the only difference. You will see what I mean when you see it at the store.

I used these exact brace kits on the 6 fans that I just installed in a customers house. I had to go into the attic to run some wire but it was actually easier to install the brace from the bottom because it was easier to line up the brace with the hole from the bottom.

This kit will solve all your trouble (of supporting your fan, that is. :D ). I PROMISE.

[Jerry Olexa]

Don and others are giving you all good advice. But a simple solution IMHO would be to open up the existing light and box. Pull the wires down (out of the way) w power off of course :) . Then examine with a flashlight and see how its currently fastened. If into a joist w screws, you might be alright as is. then pull on it aggressively and check if it could hold the weight of a fan.For insurance you could add a "meaty" screw or two. (drill a hole if you have to. Ceiling fans are amazingly quiet and vibration free and relatively light weight. Of course, you always have the option of an expandable brace you insert from below availble at the Borgs. It'll work with a little inspection and effort. G'Luck..

[Ralph Barhorst]

Thank you everyone for your help. I will be going to Home Depot and getting one of these. I see that they are adjustable up to 24" and I need that.

My house was built in 1995 and I took video of it after is was wired. I looked at the video yesterday and I found that the rafters are 24" apart.

I appreciate all of the help.

Ralph

[Lee Schierer]

Hmm, There's a story there, I know there must be! :D:D

No story, just that some of the boxes in my house are fastened that way. I always use screws or long nails, not roofing nails like were used in my house.