Learn how the pros handle a complex ceiling fan installation
Maybe your living room or bedroom has felt a bit stuffy lately, but there’s no existing fan to provide some relief. You can learn how to install a ceiling fan without existing wiring by doing the prep work yourself and hiring an electrician to run the wiring. Don’t let a lack of wiring keep you from finding a ceiling fan that suits your needs and saving yourself some of the project's cost.
You’ll want the fan near the center of the room to efficiently circulate air around the space, and make sure there’s enough space on all sides of the fan for the blades to move around without any obstructions, like fire sprinklers or other light fixtures on the ceiling. You can use a tape measure to locate the exact center of the room.
Once you have a general idea of where the fan should go, it’s time to grab a ladder and the stud finder to pick a precise location. The ceiling fan and its brace box have to be supported by joists, so use the stud finder to find either one or two joists, depending on where you’d like the fan to be. The electrician will need to secure the box to either one joist or two, so locate these based on where the joists are in reference to the center of the room. Use a pencil to mark the spot.
Unless you already have recessed lighting installed in your living space, you’re probably adding a ceiling fan light kit, which includes a new ceiling fan unit with an attached lighting fixture. If that’s the case, you’ll need to find where to install two switches: one for the fan and one for the light. This can be handy when you aren’t tall enough to reach the pull chains or don’t like their look. Again, break out the stud finder and use it along the wall in an area where light switches would be most convenient, like near the door to the room. Use the stud finder and mark two studs, and the electrician can install the switches and new wiring between the studs.
Don’t start drilling, wiring, or installing the ceiling fan without turning off the electricity first. Turn off the electricity on the circuit breaker to which the new electrical work will connect. If you aren’t sure how to do this, the electrician can handle it. Don’t start work without turning off the electricity first, as this can be a serious electrocution and fire hazard.
You’ve marked the location for the fan in step one, and now it’s time to take it further by outlining the location for the electrical box. If you have one joist, this is a simple step. If you’re installing the fan between two joists, you’ll need a brace and saddle to support the box and ceiling fan.
For a fan that will attach to just one joist, use the markings you made in step one and align the electrical box to this marking. Then, use a pencil to trace the electrical box on the ceiling (or outline the template provided with your electrical box). Use a drywall saw to cut a hole along the outline.
For a fan that will attach between two joists, make sure you’ve marked where the two joists are, then outline the electrical box or electrical box template in the center of these two joists. Use a drywall saw to cut along the outline and create an opening.
It’s crucial for an electrician to install new wires for the new ceiling fan and its switches. Do not attempt to handle the electrical wiring yourself, as this could result in serious injury. Your electrician will run the wiring using fish tape to pull it to the fan.
If you’re installing the fan on a single joist, you can nail the electrical box to the joist following the manufacturer’s instructions. For two joists, you’ll also need to install a brace and saddle to hold the weight of the fan. To install the electrical box between the two joists, attach the electrical box to the fan brace. Then insert the brace into the ceiling opening. Attach the brace to each joist following the manufacturer’s instructions, and place the saddle over the brace. The new wiring will run through the saddle.
Follow the instructions included with the new ceiling fan to mount it to the electrical box. You can either have an electrician connect the ceiling fan wires or do it yourself by knowing which wires to connect when installing a ceiling fan. The typical connections are:
A black wire to a black wire
A white wire to a white wire
A blue or gray wire to a red wire
A green wire to a green wire or copper wire
Then attach the switch plate over the new fan and light switches.
Once the electrician installs the wiring and connects the ceiling fan to the power supply, the electrician or you can turn the circuit breaker back on and flip the switch to test the ceiling fan. The fan and lights should turn on and off with the new switches you’ve installed.
The cost to install a ceiling fan ranges from $145 to $355, with the average person paying around $250. Unfortunately, if you’re not working with existing wiring, the installation will most likely cost around $2,000, as your electrician will likely have a big job on his hands, which includes opening up walls, running wires, installing boxes, and hooking up your junction box.
You can save on labor costs by DIYing, but if you’re installing a fan where no wiring exists, you’ll likely have to hire an electrician to do some, if not all, of the installation or risk violating local codes.
Hiring an electrician costs about $150 for the first hour, then $50 to $100 for each additional hour of work. A pro can safely wire your home and ensure that the outlet box is strong enough to support the added weight of a ceiling fan. Once the wiring is in place, you may install the new ceiling fan to save some money or let the electrician finish the job and give you a sturdy, reliable new fan.
Yes, you can install a ceiling fan where a standard light fixture is, and you might not need to add new wiring. However, you’ll need to ensure the electrical box supporting the light is strong enough to support a ceiling fan, as it will be heavier than the existing light fixture.
The outlet box or outlet box system should list whether or not it's suited for supporting ceiling fans and will note the maximum weight it can hold.
No, a ceiling fan doesn’t have to be wired to a switch, but it’s often more convenient. You can use the included pull chain if your ceiling isn’t too high or install a remote module later, as they are a cheap, easy-to-install option that’ll let you control both the fan and light fixture.
To convert a ceiling fan to wireless, you’ll need to install a canopy module to access the lighting and fan controls. Many options are available, all of which help you control specific elements of your ceiling fan, so you have plenty of choices depending on your needs.
