How to Mount a Ceiling Fan on a Beam

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Things You'll Need

  • Drill

  • 3/4-inch spade bit

  • 3-inch wood screws

  • Dual NM wire cutter/to per

  • Orange wire connectors

If you have a solid wooden beam running along the ceiling in your room onto which you want to install a ceiling fan, take heart. It's not an impossible task. You can mount a ceiling fan directly onto the beam using the ceiling fan's "canopy." The canopy houses the electrical wiring as easily as an electrical box can. Make the proper electrical connections when mounting a ceiling fan on the beam, and it will be as safe as if you made those electrical connections in a junction box.

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Step 1

Drill a hole through the beam into the attic area using a ¾-inch spade bit at the location at which you want to install the ceiling fan. Thread your electrical cable from the attic down through the hole.

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Step 2

Put the ceiling fan together according to the manufacturer's instructions.

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Step 3

Place the fan brace over the bored hole in the beam and hold it in place as you thread the electrical cable from the attic through the opening in the brace. Using 3-inch wood screws, attach the brace to the brace.

Step 4

Strip about an inch of the the plastic outer coating off the end of the electrical cable that is now protruding from the hole and the brace using a dual NM wire cutter/stripper. This will expose the wiring inside. Strip ½ inch of insulation off the black wire and the white wire.

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Step 5

Wire the ceiling fan onto the electrical circuit. Locate the white wire from the ceiling fan motor and attach it to the white wire from the electrical cable by twisting an orange wire connector onto both wires. Locate the remaining two wires on the ceiling fan motor, a black wire and an additional wire for the fan's lighting if included. Connect those two wires to the black wire from the electrical cable using an orange wire connector. Connect the bare copper wire from the electrical cable with the green ground wire attached to the hanging bracket with an orange wire connector. Attach the fan to the hanging bracket according to the manufacturer's directions.

Warning

Test to verify that the electricity has been disconnected in the area that you are working to avoid electrical shock.

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