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#1
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
Folks,
It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I don't have the handy attic to get at it from. I took off the cover from the existing light/fan, and I see the box, which is about the same size as the hole cut in the wallboard ceiling. I just do not see how I can get the box out without ripping apart the ceiling. I would really like to be able to do this without messing with the ceiling wall if I can. What to do? Has anyone done this and what was your strategy? Thanks for any help here, Tomes |
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#2
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
In article . net,
Tomes wrote: Folks, It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I don't have the handy attic to get at it from. I took off the cover from the existing light/fan, and I see the box, which is about the same size as the hole cut in the wallboard ceiling. I just do not see how I can get the box out without ripping apart the ceiling. I would really like to be able to do this without messing with the ceiling wall if I can. Why do you think you need to get the box out of the ceiling? You should be able to just remove the screws holding it onto the box. This should allow the fan/light to drop down enough that you can get to the wireing. Disconnect it, remove, install new one in the reverse of removal. -- Rich Greenberg N Ft Myers, FL, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 239 543 1353 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red, Shasta & Casey (RIP), Red & Zero, Siberians Owner:Chinook-L Retired at the beach Asst Owner:Sibernet-L |
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#3
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
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#5
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"John A. Weeks III" ...
Rich Greenberg: Tomes : Folks, It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I don't have the handy attic to get at it from. I took off the cover from the existing light/fan, and I see the box, which is about the same size as the hole cut in the wallboard ceiling. I just do not see how I can get the box out without ripping apart the ceiling. I would really like to be able to do this without messing with the ceiling wall if I can. Why do you think you need to get the box out of the ceiling? You should be able to just remove the screws holding it onto the box. This should allow the fan/light to drop down enough that you can get to the wireing. Disconnect it, remove, install new one in the reverse of removal. One issue to consider is if the box was reinforced for a ceiling fan. If there was a fan there before, and it was installed up to code, then you should be good to go. In that case, Rich's advice is a good as gold...you should be able to make the swap- a-roo without any cutting into the ceiling. So the advice here is to just replace the guts inside the box and not use the new box that comes with the new assembly. Hmmm. I am thinking that the new stuff really wants to use the new box as it is already all put together and all. I'll take another look at the stuff and consider this. Thanks for a thought that I had not considered yet. Tomes |
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#6
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"krw" ...
Tomes... Folks, It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I don't have the handy attic to get at it from. I took off the cover from the existing light/fan, and I see the box, which is about the same size as the hole cut in the wallboard ceiling. I just do not see how I can get the box out without ripping apart the ceiling. I would really like to be able to do this without messing with the ceiling wall if I can. What to do? Has anyone done this and what was your strategy? Sure, I've done it. You start by ripping the ceiling out. ;-) I ended up having to take about a 12"x12" piece out because the power entered at the opposite end of the new fan, so had to make the hole portable. ;-) I also had to knock a 6"x6" hole near the wall so I could get at the wall vent (where the problem started). That's the nice thing about sheetrock. It's easy to patch, particularly small holes like this. My last resort. Thanks for sharing the experience, much appreciated Keith. Tomes |
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#7
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
In article . net,
Tomes wrote: So the advice here is to just replace the guts inside the box and not use the new box that comes with the new assembly. Hmmm. I am thinking that the new stuff really wants to use the new box as it is already all put together and all. I'll take another look at the stuff and consider this. Thanks for a thought that I had not considered yet. The reason it comes complete with a box is to allow for the same fan/light package to be used in both new and replacement installations. -- Rich Greenberg N Ft Myers, FL, USA richgr atsign panix.com + 1 239 543 1353 Eastern time. N6LRT I speak for myself & my dogs only. VM'er since CP-67 Canines:Val, Red, Shasta & Casey (RIP), Red & Zero, Siberians Owner:Chinook-L Retired at the beach Asst Owner:Sibernet-L |
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#8
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
Rich Greenberg wrote:
In article . net, Tomes wrote: Folks, It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I Why do you think you need to get the box out of the ceiling? You should be able to just remove the screws holding it onto the box. This should allow the fan/light to drop down enough that you can get to the wireing. Disconnect it, remove, install new one in the reverse of removal. Note he's talking about a bathroom fan/light unit. I would assume this is the sort of fan that is *inside* the ceiling, not hanging down as you seem to be thinking. The whole unit is an approximately 12" X 12" metal box mounted behind the wallboard with a plastic or metal faceplate with vent slots and a lens for the light. I would start by cutting the wallboard around the old unit to get maybe a 1/4" clearance all around. Make sure the power is off, then unscrew the mounting screws or use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding it to the rafters. Then pull it out. If the new unit is the same size the new faceplate should cover the 1/4" gap around the edges. I did this is an old bathroom once. On the other hand, cutting out to the full width between rafters and a few inches on either side gives you an easy patch job with the rafters being available to attach the new wallboard to. I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Bill Ranck Blacksburg, Va. |
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#9
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
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#10
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"krw" ...
... Rich Greenberg : snip I would start by cutting the wallboard around the old unit to get maybe a 1/4" clearance all around. Make sure the power is off, then unscrew the mounting screws or use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding it to the rafters. Then pull it out. If the new unit is the same size the new faceplate should cover the 1/4" gap around the edges. I did this is an old bathroom once. Take a Dremmel tool to the nail heads if they can't be pulled from inside the box. On the other hand, cutting out to the full width between rafters and a few inches on either side gives you an easy patch job with the rafters being available to attach the new wallboard to. Yes, or one can just put some 1x's behind the wallboard patch. I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. Thanks guys. Yep, this is the type of fixture I am talking about. Getting the nails out was my big concern here. Using the dremel or a thin bladed say to cut the nails is what I will try. It ought to just drop down then - or actually slide sideways first to disconnect the duct. Hmmm - I might need to cut a bit for the duct flange? Bummer that then. Thanks a heap! Tomes |
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#11
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"Rich Greenberg" ...
Tomes : So the advice here is to just replace the guts inside the box and not use the new box that comes with the new assembly. Hmmm. I am thinking that the new stuff really wants to use the new box as it is already all put together and all. I'll take another look at the stuff and consider this. Thanks for a thought that I had not considered yet. The reason it comes complete with a box is to allow for the same fan/light package to be used in both new and replacement installations. I see our disconnect here. You are envisioning a light/fan that is in a regular room. I mean one that is in the bathroom with an exhaust fan. Thanks anyway, Rich, much appreciated. Tomes |
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#12
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
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#13
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
In article . net,
says... "krw" ... ... Rich Greenberg : snip I would start by cutting the wallboard around the old unit to get maybe a 1/4" clearance all around. Make sure the power is off, then unscrew the mounting screws or use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding it to the rafters. Then pull it out. If the new unit is the same size the new faceplate should cover the 1/4" gap around the edges. I did this is an old bathroom once. Take a Dremmel tool to the nail heads if they can't be pulled from inside the box. On the other hand, cutting out to the full width between rafters and a few inches on either side gives you an easy patch job with the rafters being available to attach the new wallboard to. Yes, or one can just put some 1x's behind the wallboard patch. I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. Thanks guys. Yep, this is the type of fixture I am talking about. Getting the nails out was my big concern here. Using the dremel or a thin bladed say to cut the nails is what I will try. It ought to just drop down then - or actually slide sideways first to disconnect the duct. Hmmm - I might need to cut a bit for the duct flange? Bummer that then. Shouldn't have to. You should be able to just turn it in the ceiling cavity and pull it through. If I hadn't had to move the electric line I might have gotten away without cutting sheetrock, though as I said I had to cut a 6"x6" hole by the wall anyway. -- Keith |
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#14
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
In article , says...
In article , says... Rich Greenberg wrote: I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. The one I was able to replace was really quite old, 20 years or more at a guess, and I was surprised to find them still available at my local hardware. Come to think of it, that local hardware store may have supplied the original. If it's anything like my fav hardware store in NY, the replacement was likely on the shelf when the original was installed. ;-) -- Keith |
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#15
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"krw" et...
... ... Rich Greenberg : I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. The one I was able to replace was really quite old, 20 years or more at a guess, and I was surprised to find them still available at my local hardware. Come to think of it, that local hardware store may have supplied the original. If it's anything like my fav hardware store in NY, the replacement was likely on the shelf when the original was installed. ;-) I used to have one of these hardware stores near me. I would just go hang out there and browse around for hours, talking with the folks. Then the guy retired and sold it out to some other guy who sterilized it into an ACE pretty looking worthless waste of space. It closed about a year later. So sad. Tomes |
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#16
Posted to misc.consumers.house
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"krw" ...
Tomes... "krw" ... ... Rich Greenberg : snip I would start by cutting the wallboard around the old unit to get maybe a 1/4" clearance all around. Make sure the power is off, then unscrew the mounting screws or use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding it to the rafters. Then pull it out. If the new unit is the same size the new faceplate should cover the 1/4" gap around the edges. I did this is an old bathroom once. Take a Dremmel tool to the nail heads if they can't be pulled from inside the box. On the other hand, cutting out to the full width between rafters and a few inches on either side gives you an easy patch job with the rafters being available to attach the new wallboard to. Yes, or one can just put some 1x's behind the wallboard patch. I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. Thanks guys. Yep, this is the type of fixture I am talking about. Getting the nails out was my big concern here. Using the dremel or a thin bladed say to cut the nails is what I will try. It ought to just drop down then - or actually slide sideways first to disconnect the duct. Hmmm - I might need to cut a bit for the duct flange? Bummer that then. Shouldn't have to. You should be able to just turn it in the ceiling cavity and pull it through. If I hadn't had to move the electric line I might have gotten away without cutting sheetrock, though as I said I had to cut a 6"x6" hole by the wall anyway. Cool, thanks. We will see how this goes this weekend. Tomes |
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#17
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
On Jul 9, 4:23 pm, "Tomes" wrote:
Folks, It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I don't have the handy attic to get at it from. I took off the cover from the existing light/fan, and I see the box, which is about the same size as the hole cut in the wallboard ceiling. I just do not see how I can get the box out without ripping apart the ceiling. I would really like to be able to do this without messing with the ceiling wall if I can. What to do? Has anyone done this and what was your strategy? Thanks for any help here, Tomes Not too long ago, home equity loans were almost non-existent. Homestead laws and banking regulations made it difficult for lenders to make a loan against a family home. With the relaxing of underwriting requirements and changes in the law, more lenders are offering loans against accumulated home equity. There's a lot of choices out there when it comes to these loans, as well as a lot of confusion. I've started a new blog called "What you need to know about home equity loans - a consumer guide" on blogger at http://home-equity-loan-information.blogspot.com/. I'd appreciate some feedback and I hope it will be of some benefit to those contemplating a home equity loan. |
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#18
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"GoodRead" ...
"Tomes" : Folks, It was easy for me to replace the ceiling fan/light in the upstairs bathroom as I could attack if from the attic, where everything was right there and open for me. I now would like to do the same with the ceiling fan/light in the downstairs bathroom (1st floor), but my problem is that I don't have the handy attic to get at it from. I took off the cover from the existing light/fan, and I see the box, which is about the same size as the hole cut in the wallboard ceiling. I just do not see how I can get the box out without ripping apart the ceiling. I would really like to be able to do this without messing with the ceiling wall if I can. What to do? Has anyone done this and what was your strategy? Thanks for any help here, Tomes Not too long ago, home equity loans were almost non-existent. Homestead laws and banking regulations made it difficult for lenders to make a loan against a family home. With the relaxing of underwriting requirements and changes in the law, more lenders are offering loans against accumulated home equity. There's a lot of choices out there when it comes to these loans, as well as a lot of confusion. I've started a new blog called "What you need to know about home equity loans - a consumer guide" on blogger at spam site snipped I'd appreciate some feedback and I hope it will be of some benefit to those contemplating a home equity loan. Well that sure helps me out with my issue..... Tomes |
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#19
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
"Tomes" ...
"krw" ... Tomes... "krw" ... ... I would start by cutting the wallboard around the old unit to get maybe a 1/4" clearance all around. Make sure the power is off, then unscrew the mounting screws or use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding it to the rafters. Then pull it out. If the new unit is the same size the new faceplate should cover the 1/4" gap around the edges. I did this is an old bathroom once. Take a Dremmel tool to the nail heads if they can't be pulled from inside the box. On the other hand, cutting out to the full width between rafters and a few inches on either side gives you an easy patch job with the rafters being available to attach the new wallboard to. Yes, or one can just put some 1x's behind the wallboard patch. I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. Thanks guys. Yep, this is the type of fixture I am talking about. Getting the nails out was my big concern here. Using the dremel or a thin bladed say to cut the nails is what I will try. It ought to just drop down then - or actually slide sideways first to disconnect the duct. Hmmm - I might need to cut a bit for the duct flange? Bummer that then. Shouldn't have to. You should be able to just turn it in the ceiling cavity and pull it through. If I hadn't had to move the electric line I might have gotten away without cutting sheetrock, though as I said I had to cut a 6"x6" hole by the wall anyway. Cool, thanks. We will see how this goes this weekend. Tomes OK folks, I thought that I would close this story as I finished the job today and it turned out to be easy once I knew the trick. Maybe someone else can use this experience. I replaced the old box with the new box and the ceiling never knew anything happened. Getting the old box out entailed using a hacksaw that had a pistol grip (something I picked up in a garage sale long ago and finally had the perfect use for). It enabled that thin blade to get up between the box and the wall that it was nailed onto. I sawed off the 4 nails which were on the tabs outside of the box (and unapproachable any other way) that way. Box got loose. Then just moving it around up there was all it took to remove the duct and the wires. Then it angled out of the hole. Installing the new box was then easy enough, as it too angled up into the hole with no new cutting required. It came with holes in the sidewall of the box so a couple of screws through those holes is now holding it in place really well. Light looks good up there now, brighter and the fan sucks better too. The ceiling is unmolested. All is well in that part of the world. Tomes |
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#20
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Replacing Bathroom Ceiling Fan/light on bottom floor
On Jul 20, 12:54 am, "Tomes" wrote:
"Tomes" ... "krw" ... Tomes... "krw" ... ... I would start by cutting the wallboard around the old unit to get maybe a 1/4" clearance all around. Make sure the power is off, then unscrew the mounting screws or use a reciprocating saw to cut the nails holding it to the rafters. Then pull it out. If the new unit is the same size the new faceplate should cover the 1/4" gap around the edges. I did this is an old bathroom once. Take a Dremmel tool to the nail heads if they can't be pulled from inside the box. On the other hand, cutting out to the full width between rafters and a few inches on either side gives you an easy patch job with the rafters being available to attach the new wallboard to. Yes, or one can just put some 1x's behind the wallboard patch. I've also replaced the guts of an old fan unit with the new one, but it has to be the same make and model to work. Which might be hard to come by several years later. Thanks guys. Yep, this is the type of fixture I am talking about. Getting the nails out was my big concern here. Using the dremel or a thin bladed say to cut the nails is what I will try. It ought to just drop down then - or actually slide sideways first to disconnect the duct. Hmmm - I might need to cut a bit for the duct flange? Bummer that then. Shouldn't have to. You should be able to just turn it in the ceiling cavity and pull it through. If I hadn't had to move the electric line I might have gotten away without cutting sheetrock, though as I said I had to cut a 6"x6" hole by the wall anyway. Cool, thanks. We will see how this goes this weekend. Tomes OK folks, I thought that I would close this story as I finished the job today and it turned out to be easy once I knew the trick. Maybe someone else can use this experience. I replaced the old box with the new box and the ceiling never knew anything happened. Getting the old box out entailed using a hacksaw that had a pistol grip (something I picked up in a garage sale long ago and finally had the perfect use for). It enabled that thin blade to get up between the box and the wall that it was nailed onto. I sawed off the 4 nails which were on the tabs outside of the box (and unapproachable any other way) that way. Box got loose. Then just moving it around up there was all it took to remove the duct and the wires. Then it angled out of the hole. Installing the new box was then easy enough, as it too angled up into the hole with no new cutting required. It came with holes in the sidewall of the box so a couple of screws through those holes is now holding it in place really well. Light looks good up there now, brighter and the fan sucks better too. The ceiling is unmolested. All is well in that part of the world. Tomes- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - But why would you install a ceiling fan on the floor? (^_^) |
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