The key to cooling and brightening your home
Ceiling fan light kits get the air moving in your home without leaving you in the dark. But buying one for your home can be a big project—and there’s nothing we love more! Let’s break down what ceiling fan light kits include, how they work, and what you can expect for cost and installation.
A ceiling fan light kit is for you if you are looking for an easy way to cool and light a room in your home. Ceiling fan light kits have three major elements: fan blades, a lighting element, and a motor that controls the fan blades.
Ceiling fan light kits often replace a pre-existing light fixture, eliminating the need for any major rewiring. Ceiling fan light kits can be installed in areas with no wiring, but this may mean hiring an electrician or a contractor to direct power to the area and add an electrical box.
The biggest benefit of a ceiling fan light kit is the comfort it brings by rapidly cooling a room or open space. Installing ceiling fan light kits can also help you save money on your utility bill by using less power than your AC system.
Tip: You can save more money and use less energy by purchasing CDL or LED bulbs for your ceiling light fan kit. These bulbs produce 80% less heat than traditional bulbs and last a lot longer. Pick these up at any local hardware store.
While ceiling fan light kits are available in a wealth of styles (industrial, modern, the list goes on), they come in just three different types:
These are clusters of globes, in groups of two or more—like leaves on a branch. The globes are pointed in either an up or down position.
This type of lighting kit has the bulb in the base of the fan fixture. These are also known as shade kits.
As the name indicates, upright kits are lighting features that sit on top of the fan unit. The lights in this type of kit point up towards the ceiling.
The cost of a ceiling light fan kit ranges from $50 to $1,400. The price range indicates just how many different options there are for ceiling light fan kits in terms of styles, materials, and features. These include bells and whistles like smart kits that can be programmed and controlled remotely and high-end materials for luxury brand fan units. All that said, the typical homeowner spends less than $250 on the unit alone.
Wiring dictates the cost of the average ceiling fan light installation. If you already have the wiring for the kit in place (often in the form of an old lighting feature), the average cost to have a ceiling light fan installed is $300.
In cases where there is no pre-existing wiring in place for your ceiling fan light kit, it’s a little bit different. That price can go as high as $2,000, depending on the level of work required. Consult an electrician or a contractor in your area for an estimate before you get to work.
While these ceiling fan light kits are designed for easy installation, you still need to be comfortable working with a live power supply to do the job. Because there is electricity involved, you may want to leave this job to the professionals. Should you choose to tackle the installation task yourself, follow the guidelines included with your kit. Installation instructions generally follow these steps:
Turn off your power supply.
Remove the screws that cover the bottom of the housing (or outside of the fan)—put the screws somewhere safe, you’ll need them soon.
Under the housing, you’ll see wires; connect those wires to the wires in your pre-existing feature.
Don’t know which wires connect to which? Easy, just make sure the wire colors match.
Replace the screws.
Attach the lighting fixture to the fan fixture.
Step back and test by turning on the power supply.
