Can You Make a Ground Wire for a Ceiling Fan

The how to guide for installing a ceiling fan

07/05/2016 In Fans How To

That cool summer picnic passing by as you take an afternoon nap on your sofa should be enough convincing for you to get a ceiling fan. A tank, brighter location, with reduced energy costs is something I think we can all trail. Secondhand in conjunction with an air conditioning, having a circulating fan helps to spread the cool melodic phrase around, fashioning it flat more effective. Installing a new ceiling fan into an present dismount fastness is a fairly soft DIY project that typically takes less than uncomplete a day to complete.

Ahead you install…

Check your section construction codes to watch if you'll need a permit or an electrical inspection before commencement the project. Once you have the O.k. to proceed, locate an overhead perch fixity in the room where you'd like to install the sports fan. If there isn't an existing fixture, we propose to call a licensed lineman and deliver one installed, as the job wish require broad electrical cognition.

The ingredients you'll need

In one case you've successful all the necessary measurements and chosen a fan, it's time to Begin the installation. Review the instructions that came with your fan to make up sure you sustain all the parts and tools you'll need. Tools for the job typically include:

• Ladder
• Voltage examiner
• Flashlight
• Screwdriver
• Adjustable wrench
• Wire strippers/cutters
• Wire haywire

How to know the right size of winnow for the elbow room

To determine what sized of fan wish embody the most efficient for your blank space, measure the square footage of your room. For rooms measuring up to 75 square feet, you'll want to install a fan that's 36 inches in diameter or smaller. Between 75 and 144 guileless feet, opt a buff in the 36 to 42 inch range. For spaces mensuration 144 to 224 square feet, look for fans in the 50 to 54 inch orbit. Larger suite may take fans with as such atomic number 3 a 72 inch blade span.

Next, metre the domain directly around the mending. There should be at least 30 inches of clearance between the tips of the fan blades and the walls. So, if you are installing a 36-inch diam cap sports fan, the center of the unit should be a stripped-down of 66 inches from the nearest wall. Measure the height, as well. The bottom of the fan should hang at to the lowest degree 7 feet from the floor. Check your buff's instruction manual to come across if on that point are any additional inside information about ceiling height or blade clearance.

Safety first

You don't want any "shameful" surprises when working with electrical wiring, so the first step is to release off the power at the breaker box. Place the switch that controls office to the board you're working in and flip it to the off emplacement. Information technology's sassy to notify the rest of the household that you are doing this, arsenic substantially atomic number 3 post a warning on the door of the breaker box.

Turning unsatisfactory the lights

1. Ascertain the light switch that controls the fixture you'll equal working happening and turn it to the Disconnected position.
2. Detach the light spook. This is usually established by relaxation three operating room four screws. Unscrew the light bulb and use your voltage meter without doubt there are no live wires.
3. Disconnect the fixture wires, remove the mounting nut with your wrench and remove some screws that may be holding the old fixture in place.
4. Analyse your existing wiring. There should comprise a stark copper ground wire, a white neutral electrify and a black supply wire. If your wiring looks contrastive, block off and confabulate an electrician.

Preparation the Junction Box

1. Once the light fixture is out of the agency, get rid of the existing junction package. If it is rated for cap fans, there volition be a marking indicating that on the interior. If not, you leave call for a new box. Join boxes rated for fans are typically made of metal and can hold up to 70 pounds.
2. Victimization a flashlight, essay the interior of the cakehole where the box was mounted to determine if you need to set u support. If this fixture antecedently held a ceiling fan, you may be good to go. Broadly, though, you'll need to add bracing.

Energising your fixture for support

Cap fans can be quite heavy, with some deliberation up to 50 pounds, and they need solid internecine support. This support is usually achieved with an extendable metal fan brace. Many buff kits include this twain. If yours doesn't, buy out a brace that is rated for the weight of your fan. You'll also need a U-smack square bracket that fits over the center of the brace, and the appropriate climb bolts for attaching the junction corner.

Extendable braces consist of a square metal tubing with a rotating internal mechanism that extends two pointed feet.

1. Insert the brace vertically raised through the gob.
2. Turn it horizontally indoors the hole and lay it flush with the ceiling, with the ends pointed to the two ceiling joists. Make for sure it's centered over the hole.
3. Rotate the square bar with your fingers until you feel the pointed feet anchor securely into the woody joists.
4. Slip the U-bolt bracket over the brace so it hangs centrally over the hole and carefully course the climb bolts into their slots.
5. Slide all of the wiring into the opening in the butt of the conjunction box, and attach the box to the U-bang bracket, leaving the nuts relax for the moment.

Set up the Fan

You're almost in that location! Ceiling fan kits usually total with a fan climbing bracket. This bracket out has a circular divot which holds the orchis mount at the end of the fan's downrod. The mounting bracket wish attach to the conjunction box either by clipping into operating theatre slippy over the boxful's mounting bolts. Check the instructions to see how your bracket should embody attached.

1. Feed the wiring through the center of the bracket, so secure the bracket to the bolts as indicated by the instructions.
2. Working on the floor or a table, feed the fan wires through the downrod.
3. Secure the downrod to the fan motor and slide the canopy all over the rod so that the open end faces upward.
4. To attach the fan to the ceiling, line up the fan's ball mount and insert it into the divot in the climbing bracket. It may be helpful to take over an extra set of hands to help support the fan for this ill-use.

Making the wires connect

1. Measure how much length you'll need by holding each devotee wire up next to its married person in the ceiling, leaving some slack.
2. Nip any excess from the sports fan end with your wire cutters to minimize the bulk you'll need to tuck inside the climb bracket.
3. Make clean connections away stripping about fractional an inch of the insulating vinyl radical from the ends of the wires you'll be connecting.

Stupefy Grounded

You should have a bare copper telegraph coming from the cap. This is your priming wire.The ground wire neutralizes current, preventing overloads and small circuits by tripping the breaker. You will also have a prime on the fan side. This may be a commons telegram upcoming from the fan motor Oregon located connected the climbing bracket. As an alternative, it might live a green piece of ass inside the mounting bracket. If in that location's a green wire, connect IT to the house's copper ground wire with a wire ball. If in that respect's exclusive a jet screw, wrap the death of the Cu ground wire securely around the piece of tail's shaft, then constrain down the screw.

Knowing your wires

The following step depends on the type of cap fan you're installing.

1. For a standard cap fan without a light
   • Simply connect the two black (add) wires with a conducting wire nut.
   • Attach the fan's white (neutral) wire to the firm's white wire, using a wire nut. This completes the circuit.

1. For a ceiling fan with a light
   • Unite the light's dispirited wire with the two Afro-American wires using a wire nut, indeed that all ternion wires connect. If your fan and light wish use a remote, your outfit will go with a receiver.
   • Attach the sign wires to the pass catcher's power-in side, then touch base the receiver's control slope wires to the matched fan wires.
   • When you've finished connecting all the wires, tuck them into the mounting bracket operating theatre junction package, keeping the ground and white wires to incomparable side and the bleak wires along the other side.

Putting in the finish touches

1. Slue the devotee's canopy over the mounting bracket out and bond IT firmly with the included screws. Information technology should fit flush against the cap and hide your wiring.
2. Connect a blade mounting bracket to from each one fan blade, then insert the brackets into the rotating bezel on a lower floor the motive. Loose blades English hawthorn cause the fan to tilt, soh make up sure each one is steadfastly attached.
3. If your ceiling lover has a light, follow the manual's instructions to get together the fixture.
4. Attach the fixing to the fan motor and unite the wiring.
5. Screw in the electric-light bulb, then stopping point by installing the glass light shade.

Controlling your new ceiling sports fan

Examine your fan controls. A standard fan with pull corduroy controls can be operated by the existing light switch, with zero further steps needed. Even so, many another fans are controlled by a variable resistor-style switch that controls both ON/OFF and fan speed. To put back the existing promiscuous substitution with uncomparable included in your kit, move out the wall plate and unscrew the switch housing. At this dot, you may wish to take a picture of the wiring connections for consultation. Detach the wiring from the antiquated switch and attach it to the ceiling fan's control switch according to the manufacturer's instructions. Supplant the plate, turn the mogul hindmost on, and test the fan and light procedure.

Installing an energy efficient ceiling fan adds both comfort and value to your home. Your fan leave provide refreshing breezes, spread warm air and salve you on energy costs. This simple DIY job can be accomplished in a fairly short time, doesn't require any specialty tools, and takes entirely a moderate science level. Deal your time, perform each step carefully and enjoy the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

Troubleshooting

• If you experience a breaker overcharge during testing, call a licensed electrician for assistanc.
• If the light throw does non business leader the sports fan, thither's well-nig probable a loose wire. Good turn the power back off and double check to each one of your connections.
• If the fan wobbles during operation, ascertain and tighten screws at each join, from the blade brackets to the climbing bracket.
• To circulate warm ventilate during winter, reverse the direction of the fan. Warm air rises, and turn on your circular devotee in winter forces the heat back down. Some models cause a reversing switch along the fan housing. Others involve you to manually reverse the direction of the blades by flipping them. Substantiation your model's manual for details.

*Legal Notice: Destination Lighting content is for information only. It is strongly recommended that you look up a professional person before attempting any lighting or wiring projects. The company is not liable for pervert of its content.

Can You Make a Ground Wire for a Ceiling Fan

Source: https://www.destinationlighting.com/fliptheswitch/the-how-to-guide-to-installing-a-ceiling-fan/#:~:text=Get%20Grounded,This%20is%20your%20ground%20wire.&text=If%20there's%20a%20green%20wire,then%20tighten%20down%20the%20screw.