Install a ceiling fan yourself.
Ceiling fans are an excellent way to keep a room cool in summer and warm in winter, saving money on your heating and cooling bills. A decorative ceiling medallion surrounding the top finishes the job with an added touch of elegance. Choose a ceiling fan that is well-proportioned to the size of the room, and doesn't overwhelm it. Choose a medallion that fits the style of your woodwork and also the style of the fan for an overall harmonious effect.
Instructions
1. Turn off the power to the existing overhead light fixture at the breaker box. Remove the shade and bulb from the fixture. Unscrew the bracket that holds the fixture to the ceiling, and disconnect the wires by unscrewing the plastic wire connectors.
2. Pry the old electrical box from the joists in the ceiling. You may be able to unscrew it, but likely a metal pry bar will do the trick.
3. Trace the outline of the new pancake box on the ceiling under a joist, and drill through the line with a drill. Insert the blade of a drywall saw and cut out the outline. Insert the new electrical box through the hole and press it against the joist. Secure it to the joist with the screws provided with the ceiling fan.
4. Feed the cables from the ceiling through the hole in the pancake box, wrap the copper grounding wire around its ground screw and tighten it down with a screwdriver.
5. Take a break and prepare the medallion. Apply a thin bead of construction adhesive to the back of it, feed the wires through the hole in the center and press it firmly against the ceiling, holding it for 30 seconds. Secure the medallion with finishing nails driven into the joist with a hammer. Countersink them 1/16 inch. Apply spackle over the nail holes.
6. Thread the two remaining wires through the ceiling plate provided with the ceiling fan. Raise the plate to the ceiling and secure it to the box with the screws provided.
7. Move to the floor and assemble the remaining fan parts, threading the wires on the motor through the canopy. Thread the wires through the pipe rod and secure the rod with its locking screw. Tighten it down with a wrench.
8. Attach one side of the canopy to the corresponding side of the ceiling plate. This will hold the weight of the assembly while you connect the wires. Connect the two green wires to the copper wire from the ceiling cable with twist-on connectors. Connect the white wires together and the black wires together the same way. If the wires from your ceiling are configured differently, stop and call an electrician.
9. Tuck the wires in, and bring the canopy assembly flush with the ceiling plate and secure it with the mounting screws provided. Install the fan blades with the screws provided. Plug the light fixture into the motor housing if there is one, install the bulbs and shade, and turn on the power to the ceiling fan at the breaker box.
Tags: screws provided, ceiling plate, secure with, through hole, wires through, with ceiling