Fitting a ceiling fan is more involved than sticking a fan on a stand, but the fixing is the part that decides whether it stays up there.
Short answer: the wiring is usually the easy bit. The fixing is where the thinking goes.
The weather has turned warm and there is not a pedestal fan to be had. Nobody has stock and nobody knows when the next lot is landing.
So rather than wait, we ordered a remote control ceiling fan on next day delivery and put it up where the old ceiling light was.
In this house the lighting point was a straight switch connection with no loop back at the rose, so the connections were straightforward.
Everything else came down to getting a fixing that will hold a moving load over somebody’s bed, night after night.
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👇 20″ Ceiling Fan with Light
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
A ceiling fan is a moving load, not a static one. Whatever you fix to has to take the weight and the vibration for years, not just hold it while you let go.
Concrete ceilings, common in flats, take an expanding concrete fixing. Some packs include them, otherwise the right plug will do the job.
On a timber ceiling, do not rely on the screws in the box. Go longer and drive up into something solid behind. Backing the fixing with timber is worth the fiddle.
Check the ceiling point before you order. A straight switch connection is simple. A loop in at the rose means more terminals to sort out.
The hanging chain or hook on the bracket is the feature you appreciate on the day. It takes the weight while you make off the connections instead of holding a fan above your head.
Isolate at the consumer unit and prove it dead before you touch anything. If you are not confident with the electrics, get someone in for that part.
WATCH NEXT
CHAPTERS
00:00 No fans in the shops
00:27 Features and the old ceiling light
01:12 Getting a proper fixing
01:42 Hanging it and finishing up
Have you fitted one of these, and did your ceiling give you any trouble? Let us know in the comments.
#CeilingFan #DIY #HomeElectrics #SkillBuilder
