Over the years I have replaced quite a few ceiling lights with a ceiling fan/light. Since I tend to be frugal with my air conditioning dollars, fans are important for comfort in the hotter months.
Ceiling lights don’t require a whole lot of support, unless they have to be a chandelier so support is the biggest issue when replacing a standard ceiling fixture with a fan. It’s not just the weight of the fan, but the vibration and movement when it’s running.
I have had great luck using the Reiker 33000. It’s a really solid support that inserts through the standard opening for ceiling fixtures and then you turn it to extend it out to embed the feet into the rafters on either side of the hole. Once properly installed you can hang from the support, so it definitely will hold the weight of a fan.
After it’s properly installed all you need to do is install an electrical box, pulled the wires through and start the fan installation. This is, of course, all done with the breaker switch in the off position from the time you start to remove the old light fixture and until you have completed the fan install. No getting knocked off the ladder by an electrical zap.
My most recent conversion to a fan was the most problematic I’ve encountered. The flimsy support for the existing fixture was nailed in and required a trip into the attic to remove the old support. From that point forward the install could be completed from the room.
Fan selection
Fan from Lowe’s
Since I am most likely updating this house to sell I don’t want to invest in expensive fixtures so I decided to try the Harbor Breeze 52-in Armitage White Ceiling Fan with Light Kit from Lowe’s. It sells in my area for $38.88. It’s a cute fan when installed, but I have no idea how it will hold up with use. I will report on how it works after using it for a few months.
The installation instructions were excellent and the fan installed easily. The wiring diagrams were very straight forward.
I like how the light looks and so far the fan itself runs very quietly.
As long as you are comfortable with electrical wiring, this conversion is something any homeowner can do on their own.
The DIY Network has a good how-to video: How to Brace a Ceiling Fan
FYI — this is what the living originally looked like:
This light fixture was moved to the kitchen where it belonged in the first place. A hanging light in the middle of the living room?
