How to Install a Ceiling Fan (using existing wiring)

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When we first started brainstorming and prepping for the porch we knew we wanted to add ceiling fans. Since we don’t have high ceilings we needed to make sure that whatever ceiling fan we chose would fit the space well and not injure anyone.

As I mentioned in the previous post my husband and I are not professionals but we have had our fair share of electrical work. We are comfortable with changing out light fixtures, ceiling fans, switches etc. but if you are not, I do encourage you to hire a professional. We are very lucky that Harvey’s father is a licensed electrician and general contractor, so if we do need help he’s our guy.

Below are the steps we did to add the ceiling fan to the porch. It’s a fairly easy project and shouldn’t take you long.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Gloves
• Safety glasses
• Wire cutters/wire stripper
• ceiling fan
  • Prominence Home Alvina (similar to mine)
  • Hunter Crestfield Fan
• No contact voltage checker

BEFORE INSTALLING THE CEILING FAN

To avoid electric shock, PLEASE turn off the main power breaker before touching any wires. Invest in a non contact voltage tester. My husband has one and they are great for detecting any “HOT” spots!

You will need a ceiling fan box that is capable of holding a ceiling fan safely. Usually these include a metal bracket and have a rating greater than a typical ceiling box.

Make sure your ceiling is high enough to accommodate your fan. You may need to adjust the height of the fan if your ceiling is too low. We have low ceilings so we opted for fans that are “flush mount” to give us the head room we need and provide the illusion of height.

Also make sure your ceiling fan is the right width. There are many sizes to chose from so make sure it fits the size of the room.

Always read the directions before you start any project, even if you’ve installed fans before. This is especially important when working with electrical work. Every fan and light fixture works differently.

Normally the ceiling fan bracket gets installed to the ceiling box with the provided bolts. With the bracket installed you can normally hang the ceiling fan motor on to the bracket giving you easier access to the wires.

Always attach blades to the motor housing after the motor housing has been installed.

The wires should be spread apart with the grounded conductor so try to separate the grounding conductor on one side of the outlet box and the wires on the other side.

INSTALLING THE CEILING FAN

Again making sure the power is OFF.

Refer to the diagram provided by the ceiling fan manufacturer. Installation could be different with each ceiling fan. For our install, we were lucky to simply power the fan tying black to black, white to white and ground, in pairs. With your wire striper, peel back approximately 1.5″ to expose the copper wire and twist the two of the same color wire together until you create a small spiral. Now you can take your wire nut and twist it over the spiral until its tight and cover any exposed copper. This applies to the two insulated wires. Just as you did, twist the copper wire together create a spiral and attach a wire nut at the end until tight. After you make all your connections, the twisted wires should be turned upward and pushed carefully up into ceiling box.

Once all wires are secure, install the housing to the ceiling fan base securing it with screws. Attach the ceiling fan base cover as per the instruction. Add the blades to the ceiling fan motor, take care not to bend or twist the ceiling fan blades or it will cause an imbalance.

Lastly if your ceiling fan comes with lights. You can install your light kit. Usually the light kits have two wires that plug connect into the ceiling fan motor. The ceiling fan light kit can then be attached to the ceiling fan, usually with two or three screws. If you have any glass or light bulbs you can now add them to finish the installation of your fan.

I know this may be a lot and it can be a bit confusing. We made a quick video tutorial on youtube to help you visually with step by step instructions. You can also follow on instagram where we share how we installed the ceiling fan there as well.

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