Ceiling Fan O' Doom

[garbsmj]

So I come home and it looks like it's going to be Ceiling Fan (and every other fan we have) day as they're expecting a hot, sticky day with a nice little thunderstorm at the end. Garbette has a sheepish look on her face and says, "Mom, before you go into the kitchen, let me explain..."

Well, the ceiling fan is tied and wrapped several times with twine. Apparently in my absence, said fan started to fall.

I need to replace it but darling Garbette says we need an electrician. It's just a fan + lights - how hard can this be? Sure, I'm too short to get maimed by it, but I do have a ladder. I have replaced light fixtures before and I know to turn the power off before attempting this.

Any thoughts? Can ceiling fans just fall on their own or what?

[DaveA]

Any thoughts? Can ceiling fans just fall on their own or what?

yes, if they come loose from the mountings. If you have any wobbly this will increase the loosing of the mounts and will sooner or later fall.

[John Gray]

I think that, like Sir Isaac Newton, you may well discover gravity...

[viking33]

Any thoughts? Can ceiling fans just fall on their own or what?

Sure. Like anything else, they can loosen up and play "helicopter." Did you notice any wobbling of the fixture as it spun, before this?
So far as replacing it... it's no big deal to change out as long as you have some help to support it before you fasten it up.

[Goshute]

I need to replace it but darling Garbette says we need an electrician. It's just a fan + lights - how hard can this be? Sure, I'm too short to get maimed by it, but I do have a ladder. I have replaced light fixtures before and I know to turn the power off before attempting this.

Any thoughts? Can ceiling fans just fall on their own or what?

Because they carry the weight of the fan or light fixture, ceiling fan mounting boxes have to be attached to the ceiling joists and must have the structural strength to carry that weight. (A standard electrical outlet is not intended to be weight bearing.) It might be that the fan has just come loose from the mounting box and can be fixed, but you should exmine the mounting box for integrity for both (i) secure attachment to the joist(s), and (ii) integrity of the fan mounting points on the mounting box. If the mounting box is pulling away from the joists or if the attachment points are compromised (such stripped screw threads) you have a problem that will need a handyman (unless you do this kind of work), one that you can trust. You won't need an electrician.

Generally you will need two people to mess with the fan - one to hold the weight and the other to undo the mounting screws. And as you have pointed out, first switch the circuit breaker off for the zone that the fan runs on. Or you could try it by yourself for a few hours and cuss a lot, and finally call for help, as I did a couple of years ago.

[ChrisGreaves]

Can ceiling fans just fall on their own or what?

I've replaced 5-blade fan-and-light fixtures by myself.
Most important IMHO is to make sure there's no electricity flowing.
I turn on the fan briefly, yank the fuse, turn on the fan again. If it won't go that's step 1 complete.
Step 2 is to use one of those little current-lamp testers to make a second check. We only get one shot at this life.

I remove every thing I can in advance (blades, lamp globe, lamp shade etc), and then start unscrewing the motor unit.

Modern fans come with a chain that hooks onto the joist-thingy, so the fan motor (heavy!) dangles while you undo the 2- or 3- wires.
Older fans don't, but don't complain to me about that. As advised in earlier responses: Address your complaints to Sir Isaac (the manufacturer of the 50-year old fan⁽¹⁾ having gone out of business yesterday).

A digital camera is handy to photograph the various steps along the way, also the wiring scheme - the red goes here, the yellow goes here etc.

Installation of the new fan is the reverse of the de-installation of de old.

Your most likely problem will be that the brackets for fixing to the joist bracket don't line up.

That said, I'd always rather have a second person handy to mop up blood, dial 9-1-1, serve tea and cookies etc. Better safe than sorry.

⁽¹⁾ Insert jokes about "This 64-year old poster is one of my biggest fans" here

[BobH]

Hanging a ceiling fan is easy but requires a bit of knowledge.

As Goshute said, the weight of the fan motor and blades are too great for the same electrical box one would use for a light fixture. If the existing fan was installed on a lightweight fixture box, you must correct that condition first. The rest is just wiring and fixture hanging.

If you find that there is only a regular fixture box installed, there is a sturdy device available that contains a brace to fit between joists with a wiring box attached. The ends of the brace have spurs that will dig into the joists. The brace is made in two parts with a screw shaft in the center. You rotate the ends to expand or contract the length of the brace. The wiring box can be move up and down the brace bar and fastened down with a screw when positioned correctly. This brace if a godsend when you can't get into the space above because you can push it through the existing opening then expand it to fit. It can be a bit fussy to get the height right for the wiring box to fit flush with the ceiling, but it is easily done with a bit of patience. Ceiling Fan Brace

If I can do it, (almost) anyone can.

[Goshute]

As Goshute said, the weight of the fan motor and blades are too great for the same electrical box one would use for a light fixture.
If I can do it, (almost) anyone can.

Actually I didn't exactly say that and you explained it much better. Some light fixture outlets are designed for chandeliers and are strong enough for a ceiling fan, others are not.

[Sundog]

Old fans with cast-iron blade attachments (the thingies that the motor end of the fan blades screw onto) can become fatigued (metal fatigue that is, not just tired of turning). To avoid breaking a blade attachment off and possibly marring the ceiling or your head , support the fan by the motor, and refrain from exerting much if any force on the blades. If you are simply re-affixing the existing fan, gently wiggle each blade up and down, then watch and listen for metal cracking at the attachment.

A broken blade attachment may or may not be replaceable, depending on the fan .

Many ceiling fans have an inconspicuous slide switch in their housing to reverse the fan rotation direction. Some switches are marked W (= Winter) and S (= Summer); others are not marked. Your fan should rotate counterclockwise in summer for cooling, and clockwise in winter for heating. These rotation directions are when viewed from BELOW , looking UP at your fan. Slide the switch to get the desired rotation .

Hope this comes in time to help.

[HansV]

looking UP at your fan.

I would never look down on my fan - if I had one...

[Sundog]

Thank goodness for that! (I am one of your fans...)

[garbsmj]

Thanks everybody for all their advice. I'm looking into do this soon as, for example, today we have a heat advisory and the little fans just ain't cuttin' it. I guess if you guys can figure it out, so can I, eh? I'll have emergency chocky bar nearby just in case....

I'll let you know how it goes.

[Hey Jude]

Do you have a hard hat

GOOD LUCK