The recessed-style ceiling fan mounts conveniently next to a fairly low, flat, horizontal ceiling where it’s out of the way and provides a comforting breeze into the room. It comes in various diameters, from around 28 to 60 inches, depending on the size of the room being installed, and can typically cost anywhere from $30 to $300.
It generally has three fan motor speeds, which are reversible. Except for the tools and possibly other parts needed to install them, your self-assembly kits come with everything else. In many cases, the fan, which will have its own lighting, will replace a ceiling light.
Safety.
Electricity must be turned off at the site where the fan will be installed. If the fan is replacing a light fixture, turn off the fuse or circuit breaker in addition to placing the wall switch in the off position. Stand on a sturdy wide bunk stool or ladder during installation; don’t bend over or get in a crooked position while you’re there. Also, wear safety glasses or goggles. Also, if additional auxiliary household wiring is needed, please obtain professional advice or help first.
Tools needed.
- instructions (electricity)
- glasses or glasses
- stool/ladder
- phillips screwdrivers
- curve
- electric tape
- knife or scissors
- AC tester light
- wire cutter/stripper
- tape measure (optional)
- power drill and additional screws to secure the junction box, if needed
Installation steps (after carefully reading the fan installation instructions).
1. Remove the ceiling light. With the power off, slowly remove the shade, light bulbs, and screws from the electrical junction box in the ceiling. Let the skeleton accessory hang there. Using the light tester, make sure the wire connections to this fixture are cool (the test light will stay off). Cut the wires, leaving 3-5″ of tail to connect to the ceiling fan motor assembly. If the house is older, there may only be two wires, one black and one white.
Tip: Also check the firmness of the electrical box on the ceiling. If it’s not securely fastened to the ceiling, add two extra screws to the top, which may require drilling two holes in the box for them. The ceiling fan is heavier than the lamp. It also wobbles slightly during operation.
two. Install the mounting bracket. After cleanly stripping the ends (½ to ¾”) of the tail wires at the junction box, install the mounting bracket to the box with the two 5/32″ screws provided. Let the tail wires hang out of the bracket.
3. Hang the motor assembly from the bracket.. Insert the upper motor hanger into the center mount of the mount. Insert the plastic locking clip that holds it in place.
Note: The hanging motor assembly is supposed to rotate slightly.
Four. connect the wiring. Generally, the motor assembly has two wires called hot, a black one for the motor and a blue or dull colored one for the lights that connect under it. Overlap the stripped ends of these two wires (engine and lights) together with the stripped end of the black ceiling wire in the box, and connect with the provided wire nut. Connect the white mounting wire to the white ceiling wire in the same way.
Then, to prevent these connections from loosening while the fan is running, tape the wide bottom ends of these nuts to your wires with electrical tape. Also, connect the green wire from the fan (support frame ground wire) to the electrical box if the box is also grounded with a third bare or green wire. Otherwise, if the electrical box is not grounded, consult a professional about this green wire connection. Some will say leave it that way, that is, do nothing with it. Could others suggest more wiring?
5. Install the flush mount engine cover. Install the engine cover to the far ends of the mounting bracket with the small screws provided. Covers/hides the sides of the engine and the wiring box and roof.
6. Assemble the fan blades (4 to 6) and mount them. After choosing your preferred upper or lower reversible blade color scheme, attach the blades to their end brackets using the screws and washers provided. Then mount the blades to the bottom of the fan motor with the bolts, lock washers, and cushion gaskets provided.
Note: These latter parts are sometimes partially pre-installed on the motor to keep them separate from the rest of the kit hardware.
Tip: To prevent the motor from getting too uneven during this step, install the blades one at a time, facing each other, to begin with.
7. Install the lighting kit. Attach the fan lighting assembly to the small round center housing unit just below the fan blades via the quick cable connectors and small screws provided. Install glass shades, bulbs, and pull chain extenders in the order listed.
Note: A housing cover is provided if the light kit is not desired for any reason.
8. Try the fan and lights.. After turning the electricity back on, turn on the wall switch. Set the pull chain switches as desired. Often the fan lighting is set to be turned on by the wall switch, while the fan itself is controlled only by the pull chain switch, initially set to the off position.
Note: The ceiling fan has a reversible motor switch that allows the current to go up or down as preferred. For more information on installing ceiling fans, check out the following sites.