| There are so many styles of ceiling fans to | | | | want to save the cut out piece of rock to use as |
| choose from out there. We have one in our dining | | | | a filler in place of the old box. |
| room. We do not have Air Conditioning and we | | | | Next, remove the old box. This can be done with |
| have about a dozen days a year that it is very | | | | a metal hacksaw blade to cut the nails holding the |
| nice to have the ceiling fan for air circulation. | | | | old box to the joist. CAUTION, you do not want |
| I was talking with one of my clients whose new | | | | to go deep and cut or damage the wire to the |
| house we are trimming out right now and the | | | | box which is stapled close by. Once the box is |
| topic came around to the ceiling fan/light | | | | loose, remove the wire from it. Pull the wire |
| combination that is going into the family room. He | | | | through the ceiling, insert it into the pancake box |
| told me of his neighbor across the street who | | | | and anchor the box to the joist. The mounting |
| had installed a ceiling fan by just replacing a light | | | | ears of the box need to be in line with the joist. |
| fixture on the ceiling. After about a week while it | | | | Use 10x2" screws to anchor the box. |
| was running they saw the fan fall from the ceiling. | | | | Now find a paint stir stick or something similar to |
| No one was hurt, luckily. | | | | go into the ceiling hole. Run it parallel to the joist |
| I reassured him that the fan going into the new | | | | centered on the existing hole. Attach it to the |
| house was solidly anchored onto a truss joist in | | | | ceiling with two 6x1' or 6x1 ¼" sheetrock |
| the ceiling. When I am done you will be able to | | | | screws. Next, fit the cutout piece of rock to the |
| hang on that fan and it will not move in the | | | | hole. Once it is properly sized, get some caulking |
| slightest from its anchor point. | | | | to go around the edge of the piece and on the |
| If you want to install a ceiling fan in your house | | | | stick, press it into place and use another rock |
| then, I suggest that you make sure that it is | | | | screw to anchor it to the stick. Wah Lah, hole |
| securely anchored to a joist or ceiling beam. Most | | | | gone, use caulking as necessary. |
| ceiling light fixtures today are hung on plastic | | | | I mount the fan mount base to the pancake box |
| boxes that are nailed onto a joist with two nails. | | | | using the 8x32 screws AND I use a 10x2" screw |
| These are defined in The National Electric Code | | | | at each end of the mount, anchoring it securely |
| (NEC) 314.27(A) as able to suspend fixtures | | | | to the joist. The fan will now be securely |
| weighing less than 6 lb. | | | | anchored to the ceiling. Install fan. |
| For ceiling fans there are two specifications, these | | | | If it turns out that your light is on a span mount |
| are in NEC 314.27(D), specialty boxes marked for | | | | between joists, then this entails a bit more of a |
| up to 35 lb of fan, and those that can support 70 | | | | challenge. Start by removing the screws holding |
| lb of fan. These boxes usually straddle a joist or | | | | the box to its span bar. Box comes out smoothly. |
| beam, or it has a very serious anchoring | | | | If there is attic access above this, go up there |
| mechanism that spans between two joist/beams | | | | and remove the span bar and replace it with a |
| and suspends the fan between the joists. | | | | 2x4 that you nail between the joists, put a |
| Ceiling fan mounting base sizes range from the | | | | pancake or fan saddle box on the 2x4, pull in the |
| rather common of about 4" diameter to 8". You | | | | wire and install the fan. |
| have now reached a decision point. If you have a | | | | When you do not have attic access, then the real |
| fan with the small base, mounting it on the joist | | | | fun begins. You will need to go to the supply store |
| without changing the box will mean that the box | | | | and get a span mount for a ceiling fan. You get to |
| will be exposed and possibly the wiring too. With | | | | do all of the work through the 3 ½" hole |
| the 8" base you can anchor it onto the joist and | | | | where the original light box was. Reaching in to |
| still cover the box. | | | | remove the span bar nails or staples can take a |
| I would consider using a 3/0 pancake box (metal) | | | | while. Once that is done then insert the new |
| or a special fan box that straddles the joist. Find | | | | heavy duty span bar and make sure that it is |
| the edge of the joist (next to the existing box), | | | | perpendicular to the joists AND is at the right |
| the joist is usually a 2x something so it is 1 | | | | height for the new box to be flush with the ceiling. |
| ½ inch wide, therefore the center is | | | | Turn the center section of the span bar to |
| ¾" from the edge. I then place the 3/0 | | | | expand it solidly into the joists. Mount the box and |
| pancake on the ceiling and draw an outline of the | | | | then mount the fan. |
| new box on the sheetrock. If you have a hole | | | | We have finally reached the point where we can |
| saw that size you can use it, otherwise use a | | | | turn on the fan/light. Enjoy! |
| razor knife to cut the rock away from the joist. I | | | | |