Install A Ceiling Fan Electrical Box

Cut along the line with a drywall saw.

Install a ceiling fan electrical box.

Inspect your current electrical box to ensure your project won t involve installing a ceiling fan box. The box shown has a slot that the cable slides through. Hold a 1 2 inch thick pancake box against the ceiling centered on a joist and trace around it with a pencil. In most cases an electrician installs a rough in electrical box before hanging any type of ceiling fixture.

Do not rely on a wall switch to protect you from electrical shock. Disconnect the cable from the box. It can be made of metal or plastic it s usually round and it attaches to a ceiling. Hold a vacuum cleaner wand next to the saw to catch the dust.

If the box has a cable clamp remove the locknut. Feed the electrical cable coming from the ceiling through the knockout hole in the pancake box. Pry out the box s mounting nails and pull the box down from the ceiling. The family handyman editor in chief gary wentz will show you how to remove an old light and install a ceiling fan brace so you can properly install a new c.

Turn off electrical power to the fan at the electrical panel and use an appropriate testing device to ensure no power is present at the light fixture before you begin work. Attach new electrical box.