Ceiling Fan Installation
By: Nexstar Staff
Updated: February 3, 2012
What you'll need
adjustable ceiling fan brace
screwdriver
wire nuts
Eye protection
Wire cutters (if you're removing a chandelier or other light)
Air circulation in your home is very important but sometimes the air vents alone aren't enough to get the air moving around.
Installation
Usually ceiling fans are mounted in the center of a room to maximize air circulation. Before you install a ceiling fan it's important that you have at least an 8 foot high ceiling so that there is enough clearance for the blades so they don't hit you in the head.
If you're mounting the fan in the center of the room there is usually an existing light already in place.
You can utilize the electrical power of the existing light to power your new fan and its light.
If this is the case, turn off the power to the existing light fixture and then remove it from the ceiling.
Then remove the electrical box that holds the wiring for the light fixture.
This will reveal a hole up into the attic where you will install your ceiling fan.
Now the traditional way to install and brace a ceiling fan is to go up into the attic and put a two by four piece of lumber between the roof joists then the fan is mounted to this piece of lumber.
However, an equally effective way to brace the fan without having to go up into the attic and fight the heat and insulation is to use an adjustable brace.
An adjustable brace slides up through the hole in the ceiling so you never have to go into the attic.
The brace has footings that sit level on the ceiling drywall. Then you can turn the handle on the brace and it expands out to mount between the ceiling joists.
Little metal cleats on each footing screw into the wood of the joists and hold it firmly in place.
Once the brace is in place, slide the fan hanger (which comes with the Hunter fan unit) over the brace handle and tighten it down.
The electrical box then slides back up through the hole and screws into the fan hanger.
Now you have a secure brace on which to mount your fan.
The Hunter fan comes with a mounting plate and this attaches to the electrical box and brace with screws and nuts.
Once the mounting plate is in place, Hunter has also come up with a good way to hold the fan for you so you can use both hands to wire it in place.
You can simply hang the fan from the mounting bracket as you wire it.
With the fan hanging from the bracket, you can use the existing electrical wires to wire the fan.
Match the wires up by color: black goes to black, white to white and green, the ground wire, goes to green. Then marry the wires together using wire nuts.
Once the wiring's complete, use a screwdriver to screw the fan into place.
Next you are ready to install the fan blades.
Hunter offers fan blades with most of its units that are reversible.
They have a light side and a dark side to give you the flexibility to match the fan blade to the color of the room where you're installing it.
The fan blade installation is easy, just a couple of screws to hold it into the rotating wheel of the fan.
Then follow the directions to attach the light canopy, again using just a couple of screws.
And to make it easy, Hunter has a plug in system of wiring here. All you do is plug in the pre-wired plug from the fan motor into the light canopy and you have power.
Now you'll have a nice new fan that will not only make your room look nicer, but it will circulate the air better in your home and help lower your utility bills by as much as 40 percent in the summer.
adjustable ceiling fan brace
screwdriver
wire nuts
Eye protection
Wire cutters (if you're removing a chandelier or other light)
Air circulation in your home is very important but sometimes the air vents alone aren't enough to get the air moving around.
Installation
Usually ceiling fans are mounted in the center of a room to maximize air circulation. Before you install a ceiling fan it's important that you have at least an 8 foot high ceiling so that there is enough clearance for the blades so they don't hit you in the head.
If you're mounting the fan in the center of the room there is usually an existing light already in place.
You can utilize the electrical power of the existing light to power your new fan and its light.
If this is the case, turn off the power to the existing light fixture and then remove it from the ceiling.
Then remove the electrical box that holds the wiring for the light fixture.
This will reveal a hole up into the attic where you will install your ceiling fan.
Now the traditional way to install and brace a ceiling fan is to go up into the attic and put a two by four piece of lumber between the roof joists then the fan is mounted to this piece of lumber.
However, an equally effective way to brace the fan without having to go up into the attic and fight the heat and insulation is to use an adjustable brace.
An adjustable brace slides up through the hole in the ceiling so you never have to go into the attic.
The brace has footings that sit level on the ceiling drywall. Then you can turn the handle on the brace and it expands out to mount between the ceiling joists.
Little metal cleats on each footing screw into the wood of the joists and hold it firmly in place.
Once the brace is in place, slide the fan hanger (which comes with the Hunter fan unit) over the brace handle and tighten it down.
The electrical box then slides back up through the hole and screws into the fan hanger.
Now you have a secure brace on which to mount your fan.
The Hunter fan comes with a mounting plate and this attaches to the electrical box and brace with screws and nuts.
Once the mounting plate is in place, Hunter has also come up with a good way to hold the fan for you so you can use both hands to wire it in place.
You can simply hang the fan from the mounting bracket as you wire it.
With the fan hanging from the bracket, you can use the existing electrical wires to wire the fan.
Match the wires up by color: black goes to black, white to white and green, the ground wire, goes to green. Then marry the wires together using wire nuts.
Once the wiring's complete, use a screwdriver to screw the fan into place.
Next you are ready to install the fan blades.
Hunter offers fan blades with most of its units that are reversible.
They have a light side and a dark side to give you the flexibility to match the fan blade to the color of the room where you're installing it.
The fan blade installation is easy, just a couple of screws to hold it into the rotating wheel of the fan.
Then follow the directions to attach the light canopy, again using just a couple of screws.
And to make it easy, Hunter has a plug in system of wiring here. All you do is plug in the pre-wired plug from the fan motor into the light canopy and you have power.
Now you'll have a nice new fan that will not only make your room look nicer, but it will circulate the air better in your home and help lower your utility bills by as much as 40 percent in the summer.
