Installing a new ceiling fan

[cmkim11]

Hi
I want to install a new ceiling fan in my living room. The living room opened to kitchen and there are several lamps attached to the ceiling 10 feet awat from the spot where I want to install the fan. There are some out lets on the wall as well. I wondering if how I can connect electrical line to the fan. Any advice? Thanks.

 

[JoeD]

Cable needs to be fished to the spot of the fan, the switches and a power source. Then it needs to be connected.

 

[cmkim11]

That is my question. How do I fish the cable to the spot?

 

[CallMeVilla]

Yes, the previous response was not very helpful.

Identify the location of your fan. I would recommend a fan bar between the ceiling joists to hold the weight and vibration. GE makes good ones often available at Home depot. Before installing the bar, you need to fish the Romex from the switch to the box location. If the ceiling joists are parallel to the box, you can bring the Romex through the wall using a fish tape or fish sticks. You might have to cut drywall and/or drill through fire blocks in the wall. Leave 8" of Romex sticking out of the switch box for later connection. Fish the wire using the tape or sticks up through the bay area between the vertical studs. Drill through the top plate (3/4" bit) to fish the Romex toward the ceiling box. If you have to cut into the ceiling, be prepared for it. It's ONLY DRYWALL.

It could be that the joists are perpendicular to your wire run. In this case, you have to drill through each joist to fish your wire. This also means cutting drywall to gain access to the joists.

Once you have the Romex fished from the switch to the ceiling box, just follow directions and do the connection. Fan manufacturers are very helpful if you call their 1-800 line. You can also purchase a book or get one from the library and how to do basic electrical.

Best of luck!

 

[JoeD]

That is my question. How do I fish the cable to the spot?

Well that depends entirely on how you house is built. If you are lucky the joists run the direction your cable needs to go and can just run the cable down the joist cavity. If the cable needs to cross the joists the then you need a lot of holes or an alternate route for the cable. Then at the wall you will need some holes to get the cable from the ceiling into the wall. Hopefully there are no obstructions in the wall and the cable will go down to the switch location.

Then you need to find a source of power, a receptacle that can tapped for power. Not all receptacles are allowed to be tapped. You can't take power from one f the receptacles on the kitchen counter for example.

Every instal is different. It's pretty hard give details without being on site and sometimes things change as hole are cut and things are discovered you didn't expect.

 

[cmkim11]

Thanks both of you. That is helpful.

 

[CallMeVilla]

Just reviewed our answers and wanted to be more precise. Forgive me for being too elementary . . . I do not know how advanced you are.

To use a fish tape, you have to get access to the wall cavity and the ceiling bay between the joists. If you can get to the wall cavity from above (attic) then drill a 3/4" hole through the center of the double top plate of the wall. After turning off the power to the wall area, pull the switch out of its box and create a hole in the box for the new wire. Run your fish tape down to the switch location and out the hole for later connection.

Trim the Romex so that only the ground (bare) wire is left with about 3" of lead. Loop that lead into the fish tape loop and wrap electrical tape down the fish tap from about 2" above the loop and 2" below. Make sure it is tight and smooth. Make sure there are no kinks in the Romex for 15' or so. Now pull the wire through the box and hole in the double plate and into the attic.

Cut the Romex off the end of the fish tape. Pull enough wire to reach the new ceiling box for the fan. Push at least 8" of wire into the box for the fan connection. You can now proceed with the connections at both ends and the fan installation.

Hope that is a better explanation.

 

[cmkim11]

CallMevilla, That is great answer. Looks like not that easy but I will try sometime later.