With added features, like multi-speed motors and a wide array of lighting attachments and the option for larger fan blades, a contemporary ceiling fan can weigh in excess of 70 pounds. These heavier ceiling fans require a reinforced-type ceiling box to carry the increased weight. Installing a fan-rated ceiling box and brace is a simple procedure that will insure reliable support for your new fan.
Instructions
1. Turn the electrical power off to the ceiling fan location at the main breaker panel or fuse box.
2. Determine the desired position of the ceiling fan and mark the center point on the ceiling surface or the ceiling joists on either side. If an existing standard ceiling box is being replaced, disconnect the cable clamp holding the wiring and remove the box using a pry bar.
3. Measure the dimension from the face of the nearest ceiling joist to the center of the ceiling fan location, then adjust the fan-rated box on the fan brace from the fixed side by loosening the locking screw with a screwdriver. If the fan brace and box are being installed into an existing hole, set the ceiling box approximately 1 1/2 inches toward the fixed end of the brace to allow room to access the adjustment nut.
4. Turn the fan brace's connecting nut clockwise to shorten the brace rod, then position the brace and box between the ceiling joists, centered on the fan location marked in Step 2. Turn the adjusting nut counterclockwise using an adjustable wrench to extend the rod until it fits tight to the ceiling joists on both sides.
5. Feed the circuit wires through the wire opening in the ceiling box and allow to hang downward out of the box, then tighten the wire clamp to hold the wires in place.
6. Loosen the ceiling box adjustment screws in the base and adjust the box into alignment with the existing hole in the ceiling or the ceiling fan center point marked in Step 2. Re-tighten the adjustment screw to lock the ceiling box's location. The box is ready for the fan installation.
Tags: ceiling joists, ceiling location, center point, existing hole, , hole ceiling, marked Step