Hot answers tagged ceiling-fan
19
I'm not sure how much room you have to work in, but an option would be to rent a 16 foot step ladder at your local tool rental center.
If the bulbs are pointed down, maybe some type of bulb grabber on an extension pole.
Got a pic of the fixture?
13
I've installed a Harbor Breeze fan (Hampton Bay's bargain brand) and I can tell you first and foremost that the remote is designed to be used by a fan previously controlled by one switch. If you have the wiring for seperate light-fan controls, I would recommend finding a wall switch system that has a remote, which will allow you to control the fan both from ...
10
TL;DR: the dimmers aren't switching off completely: they're allowing some current to leak through, which is why you're seeing a voltage across the CFL. A different make of bulb may behave better with the leakage current that you're getting. Or perhaps a different brand of fan (if you haven't installed them all already).
I do know that operating CFLs in ...
10
A small scaffolding tower might be your best option. This will give you the height and safety you need.
Something like this one.
While it might be a bit expensive for just changing light bulbs you'll need it when you come to paint the ceiling in this room.
8
You might look into ceiling fans with DC motors. While I have not seen a manufacturer talk about quietness, some reviews I've read talk about quietness. The biggest attraction to DC motors is the efficiency of the motors, getting more air movement with less power.
My suggestion would be find a local fan / light showroom that has some of these on display ...
8
Does your ceiling fan wobble? Shaking a light bulb can break the filament. See How do I balance a ceiling fan?
Is your line voltage reliable? An electrician told me once that he swears by 130V-rated bulbs. If voltage surges a little, the 130V bulb will tolerate it better than lower-rated bulbs. The rating is printed on the top of the bulb. However, if this ...
8
If the brace is loose, you're going to have problems with vibrations sooner or later. The braces that I see these days look a lot sturdier, so I'd recommend replacing it.
If you have access to a Roto-Zip (or similar tool), a metal-cutting wheel should make short work of the original brace, just cut it off near the joists so there's less to worry about.
It ...
7
If the chain is broken inside the housing where you can't see it, you will have to disassemble the lower light cover on the fan if so equipped(usually 3 small screws). Definitely turn off the power to the fixture and always double check with a voltage tester to confirm power is off. It is not uncommon for the chain to break or actually pull out of the switch ...
7
Electrically, yes. A ceiling fan works just like a typical light fixture (in most cases), when you flip the switch the fan turn on (assuming the pull chain switch is in the proper state).
Installing a ceiling fan is the same procedure as hooking up any light fixture (Turn off the breaker first!), simply connect the black (hot) from the ceiling (should be ...
6
Repairing the holes in your walls doesn't need to be such a daunting task. Have a quick look at this video on how to patch your drywall:
This Old House - Drywall 101
It will look far better in the long run if you let the wiring be run within the walls and learn how to patch them. All told the drywall (you can often get small 2x2 boards for patch work at ...
6
While cutting off the bolt is definitely a good way to handle this situation. Here are a few things to try, before you take the destructive route. It also sounds like we might be having a bit of trouble with terminology, so I'll start with some definitions.
As you can see, the bolt is the bit that looks like a screw, while the nut is the bob that twists ...
5
Paint may have helped. It would act as a bit of a seal, causing the water to drip off rather than absorb into the texture.
I would do it smooth. A rough surface has a larger surface area meaning a larger surface for condensation.
I would recommend against texturing at a later date.
I would put a fan in. It's a good idea to put it on a timer so that it ...
5
Like shirlock holmes said, the extension pole kits work great. I had a house once with several very high ceilings, and I already had a nice paint extension handle. Bought something like below and the suction cup worked great for changing all kinds of bulbs.
5
Unless you can get access to the ceiling from above then it will be difficult to run the wiring without creating extra holes.
If there is a room above the master bedroom you should be able to lift floorboards to gain access - however that can cause more problems as, if you have tongue and groove boards, you need to break at least one board to get the rest ...
5
Much like DA01 said, a ceiling fan generally acts to circulate air within a particular space of the home. This evens out the temperature of the air in the room by preventing "stratification" (where the air settles into noticeable "layers" so it's warmer at head height than at the floor), and also provides an illusion that the air is cooler by constantly ...
5
Check the fine print
To find out if the dimmer can work with the fan, you'll have to inspect the dimmer. For this, you'll have to remove the cover plate and possibly pull the switch out of the box (in which case, make sure you shut off the power at the breaker). If you see the text "For Incandescent Only"; or something similar, you should not use this ...
5
One reason bulbs can burn out quickly is if the voltage applied to him is higher than the expected voltage (120V in The USA). Wiring problems and bad transformers can cause the voltage to be out of spec. Another reason is if there is a loose connection somewhere, and the light flickers. A third reason is if the light is in a confined space, and overheats.
...
4
With the ceiling fan taken out of the equation, this will likely be a bad connection or a failing switch. The first places to check are in the wiring above the fan, and the wiring at the switch. Try this to track down the issue:
Shutoff the power at the breaker
Remove the plate covering the switch, pull out the switch itself, and inspect the wiring
If ...
4
If you are spending money on renting, it could be cheaper to hire an electrician. Think of going to pick up the ladder, moving furniture, setting up the ladder, changing lamps, moving ladder / furniture to get eyeball recessed light, blah blah blah. I know this is a DIY site but sometimes you can hire a professional and get it done for not much more than ...
4
If you're comfortable with drywall work, I'd consider cutting out the drywall between the two joists, maybe 12-18" wide. It looks like there's already an edge on one side you can use. This way, when you install the patch, you can make the hole fit the box tightly to reduce the air leaks into the attic space (I'm assuming this is an attic). You'll also ...
4
Most electronic noise is made by the AC cyclic voltage, which is audible whenever that wave is transferred into something that can vibrate. That noise generally becomes more prominent (changing from a hum to a buzz) when there is something that changes the waveform to produce sharp "corners" (a "square wave"). A particularly noisy combination is a TRIAC wall ...
4
Fans from big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe's tend to be cheaper because they are made from lower quality materials. Using DC motors in ceiling fans is still relatively new and most of the major fan manufacturers only have a few models that are equipped with DC motors. The major benefit of using a DC motor in a ceiling fan is lower energy ...
3
Most ceiling fans have a reverse switch. In the summer, you want cool air blowing down in the center to give you the breeze. In the winter, you want the warm air from the ceiling to mix with the rest of the room, but without the breeze, so you reverse it and the warm air descends around the sides of the room where you're less likely to feel the draft.
If ...
3
The fan will never be completely silent. As Tester101 said in the comments, the even if the motor is silent, the blades moving in the air will still make noise (sometimes a lot!).
There are two sources of noise you need to minimize - the motor and the blades.
Fans are loudest when at full power and tend to get quieter when the power is reduced. What I've ...
3
A ceiling fan does two things:
provide breeze
circulate air
It's primary used for the latter.
In your case, it may help by evening the temperature out, though to what extent is hard to say given the size of the fan and the size of the space.
Ideally, you'd handle the upstairs/downstairs with a split zone HVAC system. You'd then add programmable ...
3
Here is a good diagram that shows how a 3-speed switch works.
To control the fan speed without the switch, you'd have to apply current to the proper wires to get the speed you want. Since this is likely a mechanical device (not electronic), the only way to change the setting is to physically move the switch to another position.
A tiny bit of chain is ...
3
Short of replacing the switch or opening up the fan to disconnect the switch, there's not much you can do to reset it since it's a mechanical switch, not an electronic one. Get a replacement that's designed to handle your load, make sure you wire it up identically, and be sure to follow all the safety steps (shutoff the power, verify with a non-contact ...
3
If the box was installed recently in accordance with National Electrical Code (NEC), the box should be labeled if it's rated to support a ceiling fan.
NEC 2008
314.27 Outlet Boxes.
(D) Boxes at Ceiling-Suspended (Paddle) Fan Outlets. Outlet boxes or outlet box systems used as the sole support of a ceiling-suspended
(paddle) fan shall be listed, ...
3
Build up of friction in bearings could do it. However, that often takes 10 or more years. The cure is to take the fan apart and clean the bearings.
A Failing motor capacitor. will slow the fan. Again this usually happens over many years, but it does happen spontaneously. The cure is to replace the capacitor.
3
Check the markings on different electrical boxes. According to the National Electrical Code (NEC) (which is not applicable in all areas, so check local codes), boxes that support ceiling fans should be listed for the purpose.
National Electrical Code 2008
ARTICLE 314 Outlet, Device, Pull, and Junction Boxes; Conduit Bodies; Fittings; and Handhole ...
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