Checking In With Chelsea

DIY ideas, crafts, and tips for your home

subscribe and never miss a thing!

Receive Free Email Updates

  • About
  • Videos
  • Projects
    • Indoor Projects
    • Outdoor Projects
    • Craft Projects
  • House Tour

DIY Ceiling Fan Installation

September 1, 2019 By Chelsea Lipford Wolf 3 Comments

Video Playback Not Supported

How to Change a Light into a Ceiling Fan

Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan in Bedroom

You don’t need to hire an electrician to change out your old bedroom light fixture for a stylish ceiling fan! I’ll show you how to do it yourself!

Remove Old Fixture

For some situations, just turning off the light switch will kill the power to your light fixture. But there are some wiring situations where this is not the case. So the best bet is to turn off the power at the source – the circuit breaker!

After unscrewing whatever is holding your old fixture in place and lowering it from the ceiling, you’ll see all of the wire connections. For this particular scenario in the video above, power was running through this room into other parts of the house so there were A LOT of wires. I took a picture so I could make the same connections when I installed the fan. And I totally recommend you do the same if you have the same situation!

Carefully remove the wire nut connecting the black wire from the light fixture and use an inexpensive voltage detector to triple check there is no power coming to it. You can find them for less than $20 and the peace of mind is worth that and more!

Once that’s behind you, unscrew any remaining wire nuts and the old fixture should be free!

Update Outlet Box

The most important part of updating a light for a ceiling fan is having the proper box in your ceiling. You don’t want a heavy fan attached to just anything in the ceiling!

First, you’ll want to make sure you have a box that specifies it’s approved to support the weight of a fan. It’ll say something like ‘Approved for Fan Support’. If you already have one in your ceiling, great!

If not, you’ll want to remove the existing box and see what’s behind it. If it’s attached to a 2×4 or ceiling joist, you’ll just need to get a new box and attach it in the same way. In the case of this video, there was a metal bar suspended between and attached to 2 ceiling joists. So I was able to simply replace the metal box itself.

If you just have a box stuck in the ceiling, you’ll want to get a ceiling fan support box with brace kit* (under $20). It slides into the hole in your ceiling and you tighten it down so the teeth go into the ceiling joists, securing it without going into the attic!

Once you have the proper support in place, you’re ready to assemble and install your fan!

Select Your Fan

There are so many fan options to choose from that it can became overwhelming! What I like to do in many different aspects of life to make it simpler is to find a brand I love and can trust the quality of and stick with it. It eliminates a lot of the overwhelm and decision fatigue! For example, if I know a certain clothing company always has clothes that fit me well, I’m going to buy from them when I need new clothes. The same is true of home improvement products like lighting! (I’m sure you saw where that analogy was going!)

That’s why I partnered with Kichler Lighting for this ceiling fan installation! They’ve got pretty, stylish and high-quality fans, so choosing a fan from them is a breeze! (Love me some puns!😃) And if there’s anything in your life you want to be high-quality, it’s a spinning fan above your sleeping head!

**This episode is sponsored by Kichler Lighting. However, the opinions expressed are honest and 100% my own!**

Besides the look and style of a fan, there is also size to consider. A basic rule of thumb is based on the square footage of your room:

  • 90 sq. ft or less=up to 42″ blade sweep
  • 90 to 100 sq. ft=44″-48″ blade sweep
  • 100 to 150 sq. ft=50″-54″ blade sweep
  • 150 to 300 sq. ft=56ā€-70ā€ blade sweep or multiple fans

And just for reference, the one installed in this video is 42″!

Wire and Install

Besides the added steps of the fixture assembly and fan blade installation, installing a ceiling fan is just like a light fixture. All you do is put the wires together and screw on a wire nut! If you’re replacing a light fixture with a fan, you probably only have one light switch in your room. So just like I did in the video above, you’ll take the black AND blue wire from the fan and connect it to the black wire coming from your house.

To do that, you twist the ends of the wires together, then screw a wire nut included with your fan onto the ends of the wires. Then connect the white wires in the same way. Lastly, take the third wire (usually green or copper) from your ceiling fan, twist it around the green screw on the mounting bracket and tighten with a screwdriver.

I won’t go into all the details on installing the fan because each fan is different and the directions were really easy to follow with nice diagrams! But I will say the mounting bracket that came with this fan is life-changing. The last time I installed a fan, it was a 2-person job. One person was needed just to hold the fan while the other person did the wiring. So I was relieved to see that once this bracket was attached to the outlet box in the ceiling, you slid the fan rod into place and twisted to securely hold it in position without sweating!

So this truly is a project anyone can take on! Let me know in the comments if you HAVE to have a ceiling fan like me!

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea

*This post may contain affiliate links*

Subscribe for Free Updates!

Stay up-to-date on Chelsea's latest projects, tips, useful resources and more.

Previous Post
Stain and Install Bathroom Vanity
Next Post
Easy Way to Update a Painted Fireplace

Related Content

Brick Retaining Wall How to Waterproof and PaintWaterproofing Vertical Masonry WallSitting on Back Steps After Finally Sealing BricksStripping Paint from BricksSimple Board and Batten Fireplace UpdateDIY Double Batten Accent WallCompleted Wire Shelf Pantry UpgradeWire Shelf Pantry Makeover

Comments

  1. Christi Prescott says

    September 2, 2019 at 4:38 pm

    You made that look so easy!! Love my Checking in with Chelsea time, as we learn so many amazing how to projects!! Thank you!!

    Reply
  2. Jimmy Burchell says

    September 3, 2019 at 9:05 am

    Great Job

    Reply
  3. Cadi says

    October 26, 2019 at 10:19 am

    Thank you for the information. I’m usually hesitant about attempting electrical work. Your information included details, explanation and good visuals.

    Reply

Please Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome!

I’m Chelsea. DIY
enthusiast who loves
sharing my victories
and mishaps!
Learn more
here.

CHECK IN WITH CHELSEA ON INSTAGRAM

Thank Heaven for little girls!šŸ’•The best part of Thank Heaven for little girls!šŸ’•The best part of having daughters is getting to dress them up in clothes from my baby hood.šŸ˜šŸ„°Not sure where Clara got her dark hair but it’s a fun change to have a baby with actual hair this time around! Doesn’t she look like a little baby doll?!
.
.
#newbornlife #changingtable #babygirl #thankheavenforlittlegirls #mommasgirl #allpinkallthetime
Welcome home Baby Clara! We love you so much alrea Welcome home Baby Clara! We love you so much already!šŸ’•
.
.
#welcomehome #familyofsix #babygirl #happybirthday #3girls1boy
Monogrammed washcloths and clear hooks was an inex Monogrammed washcloths and clear hooks was an inexpensive fix to a constant headache in my kids’ bathroom!🤯 As with many organization projects, hanging it on a wall makes all of the ugly go away!šŸ‘šŸ»
What simple fixes have you done around your house lately?Washcloths used hereāž”ļø https://amzn.to/3bd9Gpv
Clear hooks hereāž”ļø goto.target.com/zaGZ5x
She’s a Brick. House. Who went through mighty mi She’s a Brick. House. Who went through mighty mighty changes to get here!šŸ‘šŸ»Peeling paint was our nemesis on this project, but we eliminated it with persistence and determination. šŸ‘ŠšŸ»
.
.
We took it a step further by waterproofing these bricks to PREVENT paint from peeling in the future. A fresh coat of matching house paint and it’s like it was always meant to be🄰
.
.
All the details are in my latest blog post which is linked in my profile now! I know it’s not a project on everyone’s list but save it if you have a painted brick house or retaining walls around!
.
.
#brickhouse #paintedbrick #bricksteps #homemaintenance #homerepair #diyrepair #diyhouse #diyhouseprojects #diypainting #ironhandrails #wroughtiron #wroughtironwork
Still pregnant over herešŸ™ƒJust finished up these Still pregnant over herešŸ™ƒJust finished up these concrete spheres and will have a video to share soon! I first discovered them visiting my sisters in Mountain Brook, AL. They seem to be used to keep people from parking in the yard along the street. But I think they are so neat just as yard decorations! What other purposes could they serve?
.
.
#rainymonday #39weekspregnant #yardwork #paintedbrick #exteriorrenovation #cedarshakes #cornerhouse #lawndecor #yarddesign #yarddecor #yarddecorations
For my 4th baby, clothes become nursery decor. Bud For my 4th baby, clothes become nursery decor. Budget-friendly and practical. But how stinking sweet?! Most of these my sisters and I wore as babes 30 years ago😳Still trying to figure out the origin of the sweet blue dress though.šŸ¤”
.
.
What have you reused or repurposed as wall decor in a nursery or other space? I just love personal touches like this!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Indoor Projects Outdoor Projects Craft Projects
Facebook Pagelike Widget
  • Contact
  • FAQs
  • Advertise with Chelsea
  • Media
  • Today’s Homeowner

Search This Site

Receive Free Updates Via Email

Copyright © 2022 Checking in With Chelsea • All Rights Reserved