Ceiling fan and light fixture installation in Denver
The fixture is the easy part. The box behind it, the way it is supported, and the switching are what make the install hold up.
A ceiling fan hangs on a box listed and marked for fan support, which is a different rating than a standard fixture box carries. Where a fan replaces a light, that box usually gets swapped for a braced fan box anchored to the framing, and that is the step that opens up a ceiling when there is no attic above to work from. Heavy fixtures follow the same idea with their own weight limits, and past a certain weight the fixture gets supported independently of the box.
Switching is the other half of the job. A fan with a light kit often calls for separate control of the motor and the lamp, which means either another conductor in the wall or a control that works over the wiring already there. Recessed cans and wafer-style fixtures raise their own questions about insulation contact rating and dimmer compatibility.
can I hang a ceiling fan from an existing light box?
Not unless that box is listed for fan support and marked as such. A standard fixture box is built to hold a static light, while a fan adds constant vibration and a moving load that will work an unrated box loose over time.
how high should a ceiling fan hang?
Blades have to clear the floor by at least seven feet, and a fan moves air better with some room above it, so eight to nine feet of blade height is a common target. Sloped and vaulted ceilings need a downrod sized to the pitch and a canopy rated for the angle.
why does my new LED fixture flicker on a dimmer?
Usually the dimmer is an older type built for incandescent loads and the LED driver does not present enough load for it to work with. Matching the dimmer to the driver, or using a fixture and control listed as compatible with each other, clears it up.
Based in Golden and on site across the Denver metro, from Lakewood, Wheat Ridge, and Arvada to the foothills.