How to Install a Ceiling Fan
When purchasing your fan you should take into account the size of the room and whether or not you will need to do any wiring. Most ceiling fans are designed to be mounted in place of a preexisting light fixture. If this is the case then you will probably not have to do any wiring. If you want to mount a fan where no preexisting fixture is in place, you should consult an electrician. Since wiring can be complicated, dangerous and must conform to legal safety codes, you should consult an electrician whenever you are in doubt as to the safety of your endeavor. For a small room, with a dimension of 12′ or less, you should buy a 36″ diameter fan. For a room between 12′ and 15′ you might do better with a 42″ fan and for anything larger than 15′ a 52″ fan works best. Perform measurements if you are not sure of your room’s dimensions. For maximum efficiency there should be no obstacle within 24″ of the tips of the fan blade.
To install your fan you will need a step ladder. Pliers, a flat-tip and Phillip’s-head screw driver, electrical tape, wire nuts, goggles and a dust mask for safety. You may also need light bulbs if your fan doubles as a light fixture. Ceiling medallions are collars mounted around a ceiling fan or light fixture to mask jagged holes in the plaster. You might consider purchasing a medallion for such cosmetic purposes. Be sure to read the step by step directions that come with your ceiling fan kit before you begin work.
The basic procedure in most cases is simple. First you should perform any preassembly of the ceiling fan that is necessary. Next, turn off the power to the light fixture from the circuit breaker. Make sure that everyone in the house knows what you are doing so that no one turns on the breaker while you are working. You should then unscrew the screws at the base of the light fixture and gently removed the fixture from the ceiling, exposing the wires beneath it. Unwrap these wires of any electrical tape. When the wires are exposed, test them with an electrical tester so that you know for sure no current is coming through the wire. When you have ascertained this fact, unscrew the wire nuts and simple remove the light fixture.
The next step in this procedure is installing the mounting bracket for your ceiling fan. The mounting bracket should come with its own screws. You may need to remove the mounting bracket from the previous fixture to do this. Follow the directions for this installation carefully as mistakes could lead to your fan falling from the ceiling. Once you have completed this operation you need to mate the ceiling wires with the appropriate wires in the fan. These wires are color coded for this purpose. Attach the black ceiling wire to the black or blue wire on the fan. Attach the white common wires and the green ground wires. Secure each connection with wire nuts and wrap with electrical tape. Once the connections have been made, shove the wires back into the electrical box and secure the fan to the mounting bracket. At this point you can attach the fan blades, screw in any light bulbs and come down off the ladder to see if it worked. If, after this procedure, the fan does not come on, be sure to contact the manufacturer and an electrician. Nonetheless, as long as you use common sense and sound safety practices, installing a ceiling is not a hard thing to do and can be accomplished quickly and without hiring a professional.
