Ceiling Fans....what they don't know.

Everyone is always asking me about ceiling fans. How serious is it? VERY serious! Yes, you could probably get a handyman to install it for less or a friend for free. But is it safe? Are you willing to risk your family, your house or your own safety for a measley $20.00 to $50.00 savings? Or even create costly wiring damage in the long run. If you ask me, it's not. I have seen fans hanging from a thread and customers telling me, never again! Then, having to pay me to install it again. I have seen poor fan installations causing wiring damage due to vibrations. What you should know is that a ceiling fan must be installed properly and usually by a licensed electrician. But be careful some electricians don't do such a good job. I have been installing fans since the craze of the early '80's, when the only popular fans were Casablanca and Hunter. These fans were very heavy and made out of cast iron. I learned to hang them on beams or 2x4 studs very well. I could sleep at night knowing they would not come down. Now a days they're kind of light and can be mounted on a well secure ceiling box.

Here is what you should know about ceiling fans.

First, make sure you tighten all screws and nuts when assembling a fan. If the fan is of regular weight say about 20lbs. then you can install it in a regular recessed, well secure ceiling box. If it's one of the old type of cast iron it could weigh up to 80lbs. then you need to install it on a wood beam or wood stud. If you have an old house with old wiring you probably have what's called a pancake box (shallow box) . Then you need to have the box replaced to a recessed one. This is why sometimes it's expensive to install a ceiling fan by a licensed electrician. They have to do it right, they're liable. A handyman or a friend is not. If it's just a matter of installing it on a good ceiling box it could cost about $65.00 - $75.00, if the box has to be replaced it could cost twice as much. I hope I was of some help to you. Now that you have some knowledge, the next time you have someone install a ceiling fan you'll know if it's done right and can sleep at night knowing it wont fall on you.