Choosing the right place to hang ceiling fans
You might have given a lot more time to selecting the ceiling fan than required. After all, it is pretty essential, and an equally crucial step is to find the right place to hang the ceiling fan. A good space helps you gain the most out of the fan with improved efficiency and fast performance.
The following points must be kept in mind while looking for the space to hang the ceiling fan to:
- Try hanging the fan 8 to 9 feet above the floor for optimal airflow.
- The fan blades should be at the height of about 7 feet from the ground. If you have selected a tilted ceiling, you need a longer downrod.
- Between the ceiling and the blades of the ceiling fan, there should be a gap of 8 to 10 inches.
- The fan blades should be at a distance from the cabinets, posts, doors, and walls. The space should be 18 inches.
- Check the surrounding space of the fan for any signs of cracks and damage.
Tools required to install a ceiling fan
You must have some essential tools if you want to install the ceiling fan yourself. The list of tools is:
- Screwdriver
- Ladder
- Wood scrap
- Hammer
- Crescent wrench
- Keyhole saw
Installing the ceiling fan
Once you have selected the fan you will install in your home, the next thing you need is to know the installation process. There are situations when you need to do everything by yourself. The process is divided into many steps;
Before beginning the work, you must know about your space. The fans require to be anchored with an electric box designed to hold a heavy fixture. It can have the wirings and the heavyweight of the fan. Make sure that the switch is connected to the fan.
You can also go for a quick and easy installation ceiling fan that only requires assembling its parts. Check the walls for any plumbing or electrical wiring that might be coming in the way. Make sure that the electric box you are using is fan-rated. Without the correct box, a fan cannot be installed properly. If you are installing the fan at an entirely new place where one did not exist before, you might want to take the help of an expert like an electrician or someone else.
Check the existing junction thoroughly to make sure that it is friendly for ceiling fans. You should see an inscription on the electrical box for the same. The box material is metal. The next thing you need to do is to turn off the power or turn off all or any switch you may have on the walls.
After you have turned off the power, place electrical tape on the switches and the breaker box to prevent anyone from touching them or turning the power back on while you are working on the circuit.
- Mounting the junction box
The next step comes mounting the junction box. Insert the fan brace in the hole and onto the ceiling. The mounting bracket must be secured with the package. The manufacturer’s instructions should be followed in the process. Next, thread the wires into the mounting bracket. Many fans have a slide-on rack; you can leave the mounting bolts step and slide the fan bracket over the screws if yours have. But what if your lover doesn’t have a slide-on fan bracket? No worries; you can place the frame on the bolts and fasten it with the provided nuts.
Before installing the downrod, you must check the height of the ceiling and angle. Steeped or sloped roofs require a special downrod.
Using a mounting tabletop, fix the canopy into the downrod and run the main wires across it. Insert cotter pins and clevis to connect it to the fan base. The bulb-shaped fitting is attached at the top of the download.
If the mounting bracket has a hook, it can hold the ceiling fan while you start the wiring process. But, if there is no hook, take the help of a friend to have the fan for you and start working on the wiring system.
You need to connect the wires of the fan to the central wiring system of the house. Some fans have additional cables, so ensure to follow the manual that came with it. To secure the fan wires, you have to use the nuts with the fan kit.
Don’t forget to match the wires. It means black should go with the black wire, white with white, and continue like this. The green insulated or copper wire is connected to the ground wire in most cases. Once you are done with all the wire connections, push them through the junction box. If the cables cannot get into the box, you can cut them with wire cutters. It will also avoid the vibration between the canopy and wires when the fan is switched on. Finally, clip the top on the ceilings and fasten the screws.
- Attaching blades and bulbs
Once the canopy is done, the blades are the next step. Using the hardware, attach the blade bracket to the fan’s blades. Before tightening the screws, connect all of them to the fan bracket. Some fans come with quick-install blades that are easier to fix. They make all the work a lot easier.
If you have fans without quick-install solutions, you must screw the fan blades into the blade arms. The side blade must face downwards.
And after you have completed all these steps, you can turn the power on. Turn the fan on and enjoy the swift breeze.
Troubleshooting
Once you are done installing the fan, some troubles might come your way. The most common problems are the following:
- Not working at all speeds
It is one of the most common problems many faces and arises because of the blown capacitor. If the capacitor gets burnt, the motor utilizes only a fraction of electricity, resulting in the fan working at only one speed.
At times, you can fix the minor issues yourself, but you might need to replace the fans in other cases. There are instances when the fan doesn’t spin at all. Here are the steps you can follow in such a situation:
-
- If there is an issue with the circuit, reset it.
- Check if the canopy is loosely held; if not, screw the nuts tight.
- Check for the wire connections. You might have made some mistakes in doing that. Take help of the electrician if needed.
- In remote control fans, there might be a battery runout problem.
- Check the power in the wall switch.
If the problem persists, you have to contact the ceiling fan manufacturer to get the problem solved as soon as possible.
The ceiling fan can often shake for several reasons, like loose screws, bent blades, or dusty blades. So, see for these problems and fix them if you can.
If you aren’t comfortable installing the fans yourself or are afraid of going something wrong, then you can avail yourself of the services of ceiling fans installation Atlanta service companies. They can make the whole process smooth and easy.
● Noisy fan
One of the many frequent problems in the ceiling fans is the noisy sounds it makes after some time. Gentle whooshing is no problem, but if increased, it can be annoying and a serious problem.
a) If the problem arises immediately after the installation, wait for some time to get it adjusted.
b) Oil the fan accordingly.
c) Ensure the blades aren’t damaged.