A few good tips can go a long way. Here are three quick tips on ceiling fans.
#1 Understand the difference between replacing and installing a ceiling fan. Replacing means you have an existing ceiling fan and want to change it out with a new one. Installing means you need new outlets, switches, boxes, wiring, and maybe a new circuit breaker involved with a new ceiling fan. Are these words irrelevant to you? No problem, just make you understand how to communicate in your own words these two important concepts if you ever hire this work out.
#2 Ceiling fans are heavy and have to be mounted on electrical outlets (boxes) that are rated to support that weight. Chances are, if an existing ceiling fan has remained operable on your ceiling for the last twenty years without falling down, you do have the right kind of box in your ceiling. If you are not sure, ask your local, reliable, electrician about it. Installing a ceiling fan box is extra work, but it is always the correct and safe choice for a new ceiling fan.
#3 Pay attention to your existing switch and remote control options when you select a new ceiling fan. It is an easy oversight when you fall in love with a new fan at the store and forget to check if it has the pull strings you wanted or the remote control you did not want. Also, check if the existing ceiling fan in your space has no switch on the wall...maybe it never did. That means turning off power to safely replace the ceiling fan will take you back to a circuit breaker.
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