Been wanting to install one of those ceiling fan/light combos in my
small bedroom for a while but have some question.

1. Will the wires that currently go to the light fixture be all I need
to connect the fan/light assembly?
2. What is going to hold all that weight?
3. In the summer, if you want to make the room cooler, should the fan
suck up or blow down the air?

thanks people,

Bob Brown wrote:
Been wanting to install one of those ceiling fan/light combos in my
small bedroom for a while but have some question.

1. Will the wires that currently go to the light fixture be all I need
to connect the fan/light assembly?
Yes, though you don't mention if there is wall switch for this fixture-
highly desirable, many also have remotes. If doing this yourself, read
wiring instructions carefully, turn off power, TEST that it is indeed
off with some type of known good circuit tester, figure out how you're
going to support fan weight while wiring it- eg, with bent coat hanger
or piece of heavy wire.
2. What is going to hold all that weight?
Elec box in ceiling must have fan brace/ proper support. You may need
to add to/ replace existing box.
3. In the summer, if you want to make the room cooler, should the fan
suck up or blow down the air?
Down summer, up winter- the directions will tell you. There is
generally a reverse switch on the housing.

thanks people,

Bob Brown wrote:
Been wanting to install one of those ceiling fan/light combos in my
small bedroom for a while but have some question.

1. Will the wires that currently go to the light fixture be all I need
to connect the fan/light assembly?

Maybe. Depends on the fan and the way the current fixture is wired.
Most likely you will be able to get the fan to work but will not be
able to control the fan & light separately without a special switch.
The fan control switch may not be able to *just replace* the existing
switch depending on the current wiring.

2. What is going to hold all that weight?

A special electrical box designed for fans. Even though the holes will
line up do not just attach the fan to the existing box. The Borgs sell
a special kit with an expanding brace and electrical box for installing
fans. They can even be used when you can't get access from above.

3. In the summer, if you want to make the room cooler, should the fan
suck up or blow down the air?

Depends on who you ask.


thanks people,

There are several options. If you want to replace the existing light
with a fan only and have it work from the same single location switch,
you can do that. If you want a fan plus light, then you have several
choices:

1 - Run another cable from the switch location to the fan, though that
can be difficult.

2 - Get a wireless remote, bypass the switch and use it to run the
fan/light

3 - Get one of the fans that will work both the fan and light off a
single pair. Can't remember if it is Hunter or Casablanca, but one of
them makes a series called Intelli? something that does this.

To support the fan, you either need a metal box nailed to a joist of
similar support or else one of the expanding type box/hanger gizmos
that are made for old work where you don't have access from above.

Regarding fan direction, its supposed to blow down in summer, so you
feel more of the breeze in the room. In winter, it's supposed to blow
up, so that it moves warm air up, across the ceiling, and down along
the walls. However, I think the winter idea is dubious, at best.
Never use mine in winter at all.

wrote:

Regarding fan direction, its supposed to blow down in summer, so you
feel more of the breeze in the room. In winter, it's supposed to blow
up, so that it moves warm air up, across the ceiling, and down along
the walls. However, I think the winter idea is dubious, at best.
Never use mine in winter at all.

Yeah, my "experiments" came to the same conclusion.

Bob Brown, 6/28/2006, 10:29:01 AM,
wrote:

Been wanting to install one of those ceiling fan/light combos in my
small bedroom for a while but have some question.

1. Will the wires that currently go to the light fixture be all I need
to connect the fan/light assembly?
2. What is going to hold all that weight?
3. In the summer, if you want to make the room cooler, should the fan
suck up or blow down the air?

thanks people,

Along with what everyone else said I will add that instead of using one
of those expandable braces you can get a 2X4 and cut it to fit between
the joists. Attach the electrical box to the middle of the wide side
with screws and cut out the ceiling to fit the shape of the box. Then
you can screw the 2X4 to the joists at the proper level you need to
have the box level with the surface of the ceiling. This will have to
be done from the attic of course.

On 28 Jun 2006 18:15:09 GMT, "badgolferman"
wrote:

Bob Brown, 6/28/2006, 10:29:01 AM,
wrote:

Been wanting to install one of those ceiling fan/light combos in my
small bedroom for a while but have some question.

1. Will the wires that currently go to the light fixture be all I need
to connect the fan/light assembly?
2. What is going to hold all that weight?
3. In the summer, if you want to make the room cooler, should the fan
suck up or blow down the air?

thanks people,

Along with what everyone else said I will add that instead of using one
of those expandable braces you can get a 2X4 and cut it to fit between
the joists. Attach the electrical box to the middle of the wide side
with screws and cut out the ceiling to fit the shape of the box. Then
you can screw the 2X4 to the joists at the proper level you need to
have the box level with the surface of the ceiling. This will have to
be done from the attic of course.


Thanks to everyone who replied, great ideas/help.

..


Thanks to everyone who replied, great ideas/help.

We just put in five fan/light combos in our new house. Two have hand
held remotes and now I wish we'd done them all. Do yourself a favor and
get a remote. If the fan doesn't come with one, you can purchase one
for $25 - $30. It will let you run your fan at three speeds, plus it
comes with a dimmer for the lights. I'm going back to get one for my
office fan next week.

maximovies wrote:
.


Thanks to everyone who replied, great ideas/help.

We just put in five fan/light combos in our new house. Two have hand
held remotes and now I wish we'd done them all. Do yourself a favor and
get a remote. If the fan doesn't come with one, you can purchase one
for $25 - $30. It will let you run your fan at three speeds, plus it
comes with a dimmer for the lights. I'm going back to get one for my
office fan next week.

I lucked out and when I was going to buy a genyooine Hunter remote for
my genyoowine Hunter fan, I saw in Home Depot one of their Hampton Bay
fan remotes, which had TV/VCR/Cable universal remote builtin, which I
hadn't seen before while I was windowshopping and planning the project.
Even more impressive when you think that the fan remote is RF and the
TV remote is IR. And the buttons glow in the dark.