How To Install Ceiling Fan Without Existing Wiring

When we moved into our new house a few weeks ago, one of the very first things nosotros wanted to change was the lighting state of affairs in the bedrooms. All the bedrooms had no overhead lighting. Instead, they all had an outlet on a switch so y'all could plug a lamp in.

Nosotros actually wanted overhead lighting so that we could do a fan and lite combo to keep the rooms cooler in the summertime.

After doing a lot of research and consulting with an electrician, nosotros learned we could install the fan box and run the wire to the light switch ourselves. (It was actually pretty piece of cake and only took us a day to do this in all iv bedrooms).

After we did that, nosotros would only need an electrician at the end to wire the light switch and accept the outlet off the light switch. Thus, saving usa a lot of money on the project by dramatically reducing the amount of labor we were paying for.

In this guide, you will learn how to install a ceiling calorie-free (and fan) and get the wires from the calorie-free to your low-cal switch. Afterward that, call your electrician to wire the light switch, savour the money savings and the room's new ambiance.

Overview of the Process:

The whole process can exist broken down into v parts:

Install a braced fan box (Yous)
Run a wire from the fan box to the switch (You lot)
Install the ceiling fan/lite fixture (You or an Electrician)
Wire the switch (Electrician)
Take the outlet off the switch (Electrician)

Now, you could hire an electrician to do all these steps only that will exist very pricey. However, doing the steps I recommend (and are covered in this post) will dramatically reduce your costs by slashing the amount of labor you're paying for.

The steps that I recommend an electrician do such as wiring the electric switch will not exist covered in this mail service. Those tasks (the switch peculiarly) should exist left to a licensed electrician as improper wiring could result in injury, death, or fire. If you determine to have those on, at that place are a lot of YouTube videos that do cover those subjects.

Tools and equipment

In order to do this project, yous will need the following supplies:

Record Measure: You lot will employ this to mensurate the center of your room to know where to put the ceiling fan/light.
Sheetrock saw: In one case yous discover the center of the room, you volition apply a sheetrock saw to cut a hole. Yous will also need this later on in the project to cutting a hole higher up the calorie-free switch on the wall.
Braced Fan Box(es): The fan box is what you lot put in the ceiling to adhere your fan/lite fixture to the ceiling. You will need one for each room.
Power Drill: You volition demand this to drill holes (normal drill scrap and long drill fleck) so you can feed a wire the ceiling and to screw the fan box in the ceiling.
Ladder: This will help yous measure the ceiling to find the center but also to access the attic.
Wire Coat hanger: Or something similar. You will apply this to find the center of the room in the attic.
N95 mask: Yous volition employ this when you lot go into the attic and it will protect you from insulation, particularly if you have blown fiberglass insulation.
Protective wearable: Wear gloves, long pants, long socks, long-sleeve shirt when in the attic so that yous can protect your skin from the insulation, which can make you itch like crazy.
14/3 Romex wiring: This is the cord that yous will feed through the fan box and and so all the way to the lite switch. I bought 2 50 human foot spools to do four bedrooms.
Ceiling Fan/light Fixture: Pick out 1 for each room depending on your style. Hither is the fan we used.
Dimmable Fan/Light Switch: Assuming y'all're doing a ceiling fan, you'll desire a switch that'll fit in a single outlet that can dim both the fan and the lite. Here is the one nosotros used.
Drywall Compound and Putty pocketknife: You will use this to patch the hole above the calorie-free switch.
Sheetrock Patch, Drywall Joint Record: To ready the surface area in a higher place the lite switch.
Sanding Sponge: Medium Dust (~120). After the putty dries, you will sand it smooth before painting.
Wall paint colour: The last stride to repairing the wall is to re-paint it.

Overall, this project costed us roughly $800 to do iv bedrooms since we already had a power drill, record measure, ladder, and sheetrock saw. Our ceiling fan/lite fixtures fabricated upwards the majority of the price since they were $150 each. Outside of the ceiling fan/lite fixtures nosotros bought, doing this tutorial in 4 bedrooms would cost $200 total.

My husband is very skilled at doing electrical so we saved even more by not hiring an electrician (although I'd advise against that for most people).

The projection can be easily done in a twenty-four hours. We did all four bedrooms in a twenty-four hour period.

Adjacent, I will break upward the tutorial in parts with each footstep described in smashing particular.

Part 1: Install the Fan Box

The starting time step in this tutorial is to install a fan box in the ceiling at the center of each room. For this part, you will demand the following supplies:

Tape measure
Sheetrock saw
Braced fan box
Power drill
Extra long drill bit (1/2" thick)
Ladder
Wire coat hanger
N95 Mask
Protective Clothing

Step one: Mensurate the verbal center of the room

Have your tape measure and mensurate the room'due south width and length. Once you take these measurements, divide each in half.

Making these measurements forth the ceiling is hard, and so start out by measuring on the ground your half distance. Then you'll get from in that location forth the ceiling to measure your second altitude. Brand a tiny mark on the ceiling (in pencil) where your centre is. So measure out your first altitude along the ceiling to ostend you accept the correct spot.

Stride 2: Drill a hole and poke a wire through

At the middle of the room, drill a pigsty in the ceiling.

Now, use a wire coat hanger (or something similar) and feed information technology through. Yous volition apply this to locate the same spot when you get into the attic.

Stride 3: Get on protective gear for the attic

Next, you lot need to find the spot via the coat hanger in the attic. Commencement by gearing up with putting on protective clothing (gloves, long socks, pants, long-sleeved shirt) and lastly an N95 mask. This will protect you lot from fiberglass insulation.

In one case you have all your gear on, catch a ladder and use information technology to become into your attic access.

Pace 4: Locate the wire in the attic and clear insulation off the spot

One time you are in the cranium, you should be able to see the wire sticking out. It might help if you can have someone wiggle the wire from the room.

Once you locate the wire, yous want to movement the insulation off of that spot. You tin merely use your gloved mitt and push button information technology aside.

You will be cutting a pocket-size hole in the ceiling for the fan box and you don't desire the insulation falling out and into the room. Once y'all are done with the projection, you can move the insulation back over the spot.

You can run into all of the fiberglass insulation floating in the air in the GIF below, which shows why information technology really is so important you wear that N95 mask.

Step 5: Outline and cutting a hole for the fan box

Subsequently you articulate the insulation abroad, come out of the attic and notice your braced fan box. Place the center of the box at the center of the room (where you lot drilled the hole).

Trace the outline of the box (which is actually a circle) with a pencil.

Now, accept a sheetrock saw and cut the hole in the ceiling using the circumvolve you lot traced as your guide. As you can see in the picture, it is a good thought to wear your N95 mask incase insulation falls out.

Hither is a picture of what your ceiling should look like after y'all complete this step.

Step vi: Prep and install the fan box

In this step, yous will become back up into the attic and screw the fan box in place with your power drill.

However, before you practice that, have a moment to prep the fan box.

Subsequently we installed the starting time one, we realized that it was easier if yous flipped the bar effectually so that the holes for screwing are exposed from the top rather than the bottom.

The movie below shows the default setup, since they are ordinarily installed from the lesser when edifice a new house earlier sheetrock is done.

And then, what you desire to do is only

loosen the ii screws in the box
rotate the bar 180 degrees
re-tighten the screws.

This will save a lot of frustration when you're up in the hot insulated attic.

Now yous are ready to install the fan box. Bring the fan box and a power drill into the attic and install the braced fan box in the cut hole.

To do this, arrange the bar length until it will reach the 2 side beams. Before you screw it in place, make sure you have a person belongings the box flush against the ceiling. Yous could hold a board or a book against the lesser to keep it affluent.

Once it'southward installed it should expect like the picture below. You are washed here, you tin can put the insulation back in place.

Part 2: Run the wire from fan box to electric switch

At present that you have your braced fan box in place, information technology is time to take the 14/3 Romex wire and run information technology from the fan box to the lite switch. The supplies y'all need for this step are:

14/3 Romex Wiring
Sheetrock saw
Power drill
Extra long drill scrap (1/two" thick)
Ladder
Wire glaze hanger
N95 Mask
Protective Article of clothing

IMPORTANT STEP: Turn OFF THE Billow! While you won't be wiring the light switch, you lot will open it, so be sure you turn off the breaker for the room.

Footstep 1: Drill a pocket-sized hole straight above your low-cal switch and feed a coat hanger through

The outset thing y'all want to exercise is utilise your drill and brand a modest pigsty in the ceiling directly above the light switch.

Once y'all make the hole, you volition be doing a similar process as before. Using a wire, feed it through the hole equally a marker to notice the aforementioned spot when in the attic.

Step 2: Locate the wire in the cranium and drill downwards through the stud

Once you find the wire in the attic, clean abroad the insulation. In one case yous practise this, you'll be able to locate the stud that yous'll have to drill downward through to feed your wire through the wall to the switch.

Stride three: Open the light switch

First check at that place is no ability going to your light switch. You lot practice this past trying to turn the lite on. If the lamp (or whatsoever is connected to your switched outlet) does non turn on, then you lot are good to go.

Once y'all bank check the power is off, open the light switch by taking the plate off and pull the switch forward. The purpose of doing this is to get the switch out of the way in the following steps. You can see what I hateful in the picture in the next pace.

Pace 4: Cut a modest foursquare in the wall above your outlet

When you lot feed the wire from the fan box through the cranium to your light switch, you lot volition need to exist able to grab it and feed information technology through the electrical box.

By cutting a small hole straight above the lite switch box, you will exist able to reach into the wall and take hold of the wire in later steps. Don't worry, at the cease of this mail, I will tell you how to patch the wall.

Pace 5: Feed your wire through the fan box into the attic

At present you'll desire to feed the 14/iii wire through the fan box.

Information technology'south best if yous have one person in the room feeding wire, and some other person in the attic helping to pull it. There are little openings in the fan box and in the switch box that can be opened using a flathead screwdriver or needle-nosed pliers.

Pace 6: From the attic, grab the wire and and so feed information technology down the wall

At present, catch that wire in the cranium and feed information technology through the hole and downward the wall. This pace is much easier with two people. While one person feeds the wire downward the wall, the other person can look for it in the hole higher up the light switch.

Step 7: Open up a new tab on your switch box and feed the wire through

Once, y'all find the wire in the wall, you want to pull it through a tab on your switch box.

If you have no open tabs or your switch box is total, just go out the wire outside the box and go out it for your electrician.

Once you terminate this step, you're ready for your electrician!

Part 3: Buy and install your low-cal fixture

At present that y'all have installed the fan box and fed the wire through, you can go alee and install the ceiling fan/light. For this role, you want to follow the instructions that come with the calorie-free fixture. You lot can as well leave this function for the electrician but usually the directions are detailed and easy to follow.

The fan/light fixture we bought for our rooms was the Arleigh 44in. LED White Ceiling Fan I liked them because the reviews said

Easy to install
Very tranquility fan

I also liked them because they were white, and I have read from home decor sites that it is best for them to blend into the ceiling instead of sticking out (and being an heart sore).

Here is a picture of our cute new ceiling fan and lite!

Part iv: Repair the wall

You do not want to repair the wall until you've had the electrician come and wire the light switch. In one case that is finished, you are skilful to become on putting the wall back together. For that yous will need:

Sheetrock Putty
Putty pocketknife
Mesh Drywall Joint Tape
Scrap woods or ane"x4" pine board
Sheetrock screws
Sheetrock patch that matches your existing wall thickness

Stride 1: Cut back the sheetrock to expose the stud.

This volition give you a space to nail the sheetrock patch.

Step 2: Cut a slice of scrap board to install

You lot'll want a board that's at least 3-4 inches wide so yous take enough space to attach the existing sheetrock and enough space to adhere the sheetrock patch. Brand this piece a few inches longer than the opening and so yous take room to screw in the patch. You could use a scrap piece of plywood, or peradventure even a scrap ii×four. The best choice would be a one×4, but use whatever you have lying effectually that will fit.

Footstep 3: Slip the board behind the wall and attach the existing sheetrock with sheetrock screws

Stride 4: Mensurate the new opening and cutting your sheetrock patch

It's okay to not have the measurement and fit be verbal, the joint compound will cover the cracks. It's meliorate to have your patch be too pocket-size than too large.

Step 5: Spiral in the patch to the stud and the board you added

Footstep 7: Tape the seams and apply joint compound.

Using mesh drywall joint record, you lot want to cover all of the gaps or seams (not pictured). This will foreclose the drywall from cracking down the road.

It will probably take a few layers to get information technology looking right. Apply a layer, let it dry completely, then apply another layer. Keep doing this until you've completed covered the drywall record and matched the plane of the existing wall. As y'all can see in my picture, your offset layer won't be pretty, but don't worry, it'll look good in the cease.

While you have the articulation chemical compound out, you can too apply it to cover the hole in your ceiling you drilled direct above the light switch.

Step 8: Sand

Once completely dry, sand the sheetrock with 120 dust sand newspaper or sand sponge. Run your hand forth information technology and sand until completely smooth. Sand the hole in the ceiling too.

Pace 9: Paint!

At present you want to paint the patch the color of the room before putting the plate dorsum on. Pigment the pocket-size spot on the ceiling too.

Now you're project is consummate and you can enjoy your new ceiling fan and light!

Nosotros are also half mode through painting our oak trim white in this photo (meet the window frames).

Installing Ceiling Fans and Lights

By doing a lot of the labor of installing your own ceiling fan/light fixture yourself, you tin can save a lot of money. We were able to install braced box fans in all iv upstairs bedrooms and run a wire from the box to the low-cal switch in a twenty-four hours. Side by side, nosotros installed the ceiling fan/light fixtures into each room following the directions that came with the fixture.

After that, an electrician tin can wire the switch. Lastly, we patched the wall and the ceiling hole with joint compound. Once it was sanded and dried, we repainted those sections.

Overall, the project was well worth it for the corporeality of money it saved and the overall improvement ceiling fans and lights made to the upstairs bedrooms. Information technology is admittedly astonishing how much it tin can transform the infinite. I feel like I never truly appreciated lite fixtures as much every bit I do now.

If you found this guide on how to install overhead lighting in a bedroom helpful, then please share on Facebook or Pinterest.

I am a married woman, teacher, and mother to two awesome girls. I write about what I am passionate, which is sharing my experiences, failures, and successes on everything from family unit, marriage and motherhood to habitation improvement, DIY firm projects and home making. I likewise e'er savor sharing with my readers tips I learn almost selfcare, beauty and skin care for women. Permit this space be a resource for yous to pursue your very all-time twenty-four hours.

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