As part of our nursery project for Little Man, we needed to install a ceiling fan. When we built our house we knew that we wanted ceiling fans in each room but we didn’t want to pay the inflated price for the ceiling fans that our builder offered. We had the builder pre-wire and brace for a ceiling fan in Little Man’s room so all we needed to do was purchase a ceiling fan and install it. We’ve done this for almost every room in our home. The fan for Little Man’s room was super easy to install and turned out awesome. Today, we are going to show you the 6 easy steps to install a ceiling fan.
Tools and Supplies
- Ceiling Fan
- Ladder
- Drill
- Wire Nuts
- Wire Stripers
- Voltage Tester
Step 1 – Turn Off the Power
The first step to installing a ceiling fan is to turn off the power. If you already have a light fixture where you are going to install your ceiling fan, I’ve always found it easiest to turn the light on and then go down and turn off the breakers until the light turns off. A helpful tip is to enlist a friend that you can FaceTime so you can quickly learn if the light is on or off in the room. Unfortunately, our breakers don’t seem to be labeled the best so we always have to try out a couple before we get the correct one.
Step 2 – Remove Previous Light Fixture
Next, it’s time to remove the previous light fixture. The previous light fixture in Little Man’s room was a flush mount dome light fixture. To remove this kind of lights fixture, first unscrew the bolt holding the dome in place and remove the dome. Next, unscrew the light bulbs and set them aside to be used in other light fixtures throughout your home. Finally, remove the base plate for the light fixture. To remove the base plate you might need to use a flat head screw driver to loosen it from the ceiling. The last step is to disconnect the wires from the light fixture by unscrewing the wire nuts and removing the wires. It’s always best to test the wires first with a voltage tester to make sure that no electricity is flowing.
Step 3 – Install the Ceiling Fan Bracket
The next step is to install the ceiling fan bracket that will hold the ceiling fan. Thread the wires from the electrical box through the bracket so that they will be accessible in the next step. Secure the bracket to the electrical box by using the machine screws provided by the ceiling fan manufacturer.
Step 4 – Wire the Ceiling Fan
Next, thread the wires from the ceiling fan motor through the down rod of the ceiling fan. Usually ceiling fan manufacturers provide a lot of extra wire in case you have an extra high ceiling. In this case, the down rod is short so the excess wire can be cut off. Using the wire stripers cut the excess wire off, leaving about 8 inches. Next, strip the wires so that they can be connected to the electrical wires.
Next, lift the ceiling fan motor up to the ceiling. I like to balance the motor on the top of my Little Giant Ladder while I connect the wires. Usually, there isn’t enough space for my hands to fit once the fan is suspended on the bracket. In this case there are 4 colors from the ceiling (red, black, white, copper) and 4 colors from the ceiling fan motor (blue, black, white, green). In our case red goes with black, black went with blue, white with white, and copper with green.
It might take some experimenting to figure out which wire (red or black) corresponds to what switch on the wall. Another option is to just wire them up not caring what switch does the fan and the light and then switch the switches if you get them wrong (I always seem to have the worst luck and end up going this route since I don’t ever want to undo the fan).
Once all of the wires are connected, push all of the wires up into the electrical box and then install the ceiling fan cover.
Step 5 – Finish Installing the Ceiling Fan
Next, it’s time to put the finishing touches on the ceiling fan. First, install the ceiling fan blades using the supplied screws. Next, install the light fixture portion of your ceiling fan (if your ceiling fan has one) by connecting the wires, the cover plate, and then installing light bulbs. Once the bulbs are installed cover the lights with the supplied cover (usually twisted into place). Lastly, install the light and fan speed pulls.
Step 6 – Turn On the Power
The last step is to return to your breaker box and turn the power back on. Return to the room and make sure that both the fan and the lights work. If they don’t, you’ll need to turn the power off and check the wire nuts to make sure they are properly connected. Also, if your switches ended up in the wrong order you can shut the power off, switch the places of the light switches, and then turn the power on so that they are in the correct position.
And that’s it! Super easy to install a ceiling fan if your outlet box is already prepared for a ceiling fan. I don’t know what we would do without ceiling fans in our bedrooms, they really make all the difference when trying to sleep!
