Ceiling fans suspend from the hanger bracket by a hanger ball, or downrod.
Ceiling fans assist the furnace and air conditioner by circulating and mixing the air. Keeping a ceiling fan running can actually save you money in energy costs. When you purchase a new ceiling fan, it comes in a box and you need to assemble all the parts. One of these parts is a hanger ball. The , or downrod, supports the ceiling fan in the electrical box's mounting box. A 3/4-inch hanger ball is the most common size. Purchase your replacement 3/4-inch directly from your ceiling fan's manufacturer or visit your local hardware store.
Instructions
1. Turn off power to the ceiling fan, from the main breaker. Unscrew the screws that secure the canopy cover to the ceiling fan's hanger bracket. Lower the canopy to expose the wiring connections. Hold a circuit tester up to the wires to check that no power is being supplied to them.
2. Wrap a piece of masking tape around each wire and label it so you will know which wires pair together when you reinstall the ceiling fan. Unscrew each wire nut and separate the wires.
3. Grasp the hanger ball's rod and lift it up so it no longer rests on the hanger bracket. Pull the 3/4-inch hanger ball out of the hanger bracket and lower the ceiling fan to the ground.
4. Loosen the two set screws holding the 3/4-inch hanger ball in the motor assembly. Use pliers to pull the cotter pin off the connecting pin, located next to the set screws. A cotter pin resembles a bobby pin, looped at one end and open at the other. Pull the pin out of the hole and lift the hanger ball's rod out. Remove the canopy cover.
5. Place the canopy cover on the new 3/4-inch hanger rod and thread the ceiling fan's electrical wires through. Insert the rod end into the motor assembly. Line up the assembly's holes with the hanger ball's holes and push the connecting pin through. Use a pliers to clip the cotter pin on the end to hold it in place. Tighten the two set screws.
6. Lift the hanger ball back into the mounting bracket. Rotate the hanger ball until the notch lines up with the mounting bracket's ridge and lower the hanger ball so it rests on the bracket.
7. Reconnect the wiring connections, using the masking tape labels as a guide to tell you which wires to pair together. Slide the canopy cover up and line up the cover's screw holes with the hanger bracket's screw holes. Replace the screws you removed in Step 1 to hold the cover in place. Restore electrical power.
Tags: hanger ball, hanger ball, 4-inch hanger, hanger bracket, 4-inch hanger ball