Safely Installing Ceiling Fans

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There are a lot of designs and different styles that you can choose from when it comes to the type of ceiling fan that you want in your home. I think most people try to have a nice one above their dining room table. Others have a few around the house to help cool things down in the summer. Whatever your personal preference is for the type of fan that you want, you have to make sure that it is properly installed.

Most people think that it is something that you just put and that is all there is to it. It really isn't. You have to make sure that it is properly secured and held in place. There are horror stories where people have had the fan put in and only to find that it fell just a week later. It can scare a lot of people, but the number one thing you have to do is make sure that things are properly anchored onto a truss joist.

Basically a truss joist is just a rather large ceiling beam. You might see a light fixture in the center of your ceiling and think that this is the perfect place to put your fan. What you might not be aware of is that the light isn't attached to the truss joint. It's just sitting above the ceiling in a plastic box that would be nailed to the truss.

Now you can get your own plastic box that is designed for actual ceiling fans. They can hold anywhere from 35-70 pounds, so this is something that you can look into. It basically straddles between two beams to provide the proper support.

The good news is that ceiling fans are held to a specific standard. You're either going to have one wit ha 4 inch diameter or 8 inches. Obviously you have your choice in the type of box you get. If you're getting the type of box that will straddle both sides of the beam, than you're probably in a better position for the 8 inch diameter type of fan. Everything will fit in perfectly for the size of it.

At this point all you really have to do is get the new box in place. If there is a smaller light box sitting there you'll have to remove it. This can be done by pulling out the nails or cutting through the nails. If you're going to be doing cutting, make sure that you don't cut any of the wires. You're going to need them.

Once you get the actual box in place, you'll have a nice little whole in your ceiling that the fan will attack to on the bottom. Hooking up the wires to it is relatively simple. And once you're done you just close up the cap on the fan and you're ready to go.

Westinghouse Contempra Light
Hunter Original Schoolhouse Globe