How to Install an Outdoor Ceiling Fan without an Electrical Light Fixture
A ceiling fan installed under a roof of a screened porch, a backyard patio or a deck can provide cooling air movement during the heat of summer. To install a self-powered ceiling fan -- one that doesn't use any electricity from the home -- use a solar-powered model. A solar-powered ceiling fan is similar in design to a solar-powered attic fan, and can be acquired from some home and garden stores. To install the fan, you will need only tools that are common to most homes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Solar-powered ceiling fan
- Ladder
- Wood screws
- Phillips screwdriver/Electric screwdriver, Phillips-head tip
- Duct tape
- Ruler
- Wire strippers
Instructions
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1
Purchase a solar-powered ceiling fan from a home-and-garden supply store. Choose a model that has a separate solar panel. The solar panel should not be built into the fan because the panel must be mounted where it can collect sunlight.
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2
Place a ladder in the area where you want to install the ceiling fan. Place the ceiling fan against the underside of the roof. Screw wood screws through the holes in the brackets on both sides of the fan and into the roof with wood screws, using a Phillips-head screwdriver. The work will go faster if you use an electric screwdriver.
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3
Extend the electric wires attached to the ceiling fan to the edge of the roof. Tape the wires to the edge of the roof temporarily with a strip of duct tape.
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4
Place the ladder against the edge of the roof. Mount the solar panel near the edge the roof, in a place where it can get full exposure to the sun.. Use wood screws and a Phillips screwdriver to mount it.
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Loosen the two screws on the edge of the solar panel with the Phillips screwdriver or a Phillips jeweler's screwdriver, depending on the model of the panel. Strip one-half inch of insulation off the ends of the two wires that are taped to the edge of the roof, using a wire stripper. Remove the duct tape.
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Wind the exposed end of one wire each around a screw that is on the solar panel. Tighten the screws. The sun will now strike the solar panel and power the ceiling fan without any electrical cost to you.
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Tips & Warnings
Some solar-powered fans already have the wires attached to the solar panel, making the installation simple.
A solar-powered attic fan may be cheaper to buy, and allow for more choices, than a solar powered ceiling fan.
