Replacing a Ceiling Fan

OK, so I know you can just read the directions that come in the box for replacing a ceiling fan, but after replacing a few in our new home, I thought I’d share some tips that we learned through this process.  It’s fairly easy to do, however for some reason my husband and I always run into (small) problems. The photos in this collage are from when we replaced my daughter’s fan in her room.

Removing the Old Fan:

• Never use a metal ladder while working with electricity. Use wood or fiberglass (We didn’t run into any problems with this one… thank goodness… I just thought I’d add it anyway).
• Turn off the electricity for both the fan and the light before you start.
• Remove all the light bulbs before you remove the fan (If they still work, reuse them!).
• If there are light shades, remove those too.
• Use the buddy system. Ceiling fans are heavy!
• Consider removing the blades before removing the motor instead of removing the entire fan at once (Unless you are SUPER strong like I am… just kidding).
• When in doubt, call an electrician!

When assembling the new fan, account for all the parts and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

Installing the New Fan:

• If you have any issues with the support brace you can always install an expanding metal brace.
• If for some reason your fan doesn’t come with a mounting bracket, you can but a mounting kit separately.
• Make sure all screws are tightened to avoid any wobbling when the fan is on.

I hope this helped!