Home Repair forum - Antique Ceiling Fan

Author

Antique Ceiling Fan

John‰]

2006-04-19, 9:21 pm

Bought a 1960's house with an antique ceiling fan in the MBR that
sounds like a B-29 on its takeoff roll. No problem; I can replace a
ceiling fan in my sleep. Bought a new fan, put it together on the
living room floor and went in to take the old one down when disaster
struck.

The old fan is hung from a hook screwed into a ceiling joist and rests
in a ruber biscuit. The wire is just poked through a hole in the
ceiling and there is no box to hang the new fan. Attic access is
extremely limited and I would have to crawl over and under about 37
miles of ductwork to get to this corner bedroom. I know that there are
telescoping boxes that you can feed through a "small" hole and screw
open to expand, but I don't trust them.

Does anyone make an old fashioned ceiling fan that hangs from a hook
rather than mounting to a box? If push comes to shove I will have to
spend spend a few hours of quality time in the attic navigating my way
to the back bedroom to install a reinforced electrical box in the
ceiling, but if there is any way to avoid it, I would love to.

Somebody?

Anybody?

Help...?

John

hallerb@aol.com

2006-04-19, 11:21 pm

install the box, its the only safe way. the wires connected withut a
box are a fire hazard and the entire install will be better and meet
code

while you are up there run another wire so the fan can be on whenever
while the light is switched at the wall

RBM

2006-04-20, 12:21 am

What you have is probably an old Hunter cast iron fan. Hunter actually still
makes a few like that, although even though it hangs from the hook, it's
still required to have an electrical box. All you need is a pancake fan box.
Its one half inch deep, has knockouts on the back and mounts directly to the
beam your current hook is going into.

"John?] "
<jmerk06@Invalid.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:190420061912317348%jmerk06@Invalid.earthlink.net...
>
> Bought a 1960's house with an antique ceiling fan in the MBR that
> sounds like a B-29 on its takeoff roll. No problem; I can replace a
> ceiling fan in my sleep. Bought a new fan, put it together on the
> living room floor and went in to take the old one down when disaster
> struck.
>
> The old fan is hung from a hook screwed into a ceiling joist and rests
> in a ruber biscuit. The wire is just poked through a hole in the
> ceiling and there is no box to hang the new fan. Attic access is
> extremely limited and I would have to crawl over and under about 37
> miles of ductwork to get to this corner bedroom. I know that there are
> telescoping boxes that you can feed through a "small" hole and screw
> open to expand, but I don't trust them.
>
> Does anyone make an old fashioned ceiling fan that hangs from a hook
> rather than mounting to a box? If push comes to shove I will have to
> spend spend a few hours of quality time in the attic navigating my way
> to the back bedroom to install a reinforced electrical box in the
> ceiling, but if there is any way to avoid it, I would love to.
>
> Somebody?
>
> Anybody?
>
> Help...?
>
> John

Don Young

2006-04-20, 12:21 am

"John?] "
<jmerk06@Invalid.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:190420061912317348%jmerk06@Invalid.earthlink.net...
>
> Bought a 1960's house with an antique ceiling fan in the MBR that
> sounds like a B-29 on its takeoff roll. No problem; I can replace a
> ceiling fan in my sleep. Bought a new fan, put it together on the
> living room floor and went in to take the old one down when disaster
> struck.
>
> The old fan is hung from a hook screwed into a ceiling joist and rests
> in a ruber biscuit. The wire is just poked through a hole in the
> ceiling and there is no box to hang the new fan. Attic access is
> extremely limited and I would have to crawl over and under about 37
> miles of ductwork to get to this corner bedroom. I know that there are
> telescoping boxes that you can feed through a "small" hole and screw
> open to expand, but I don't trust them.
>
> Does anyone make an old fashioned ceiling fan that hangs from a hook
> rather than mounting to a box? If push comes to shove I will have to
> spend spend a few hours of quality time in the attic navigating my way
> to the back bedroom to install a reinforced electrical box in the
> ceiling, but if there is any way to avoid it, I would love to.
>
> Somebody?
>
> Anybody?
>
> Help...?
>
> John
A shallow box with a stud or similar mount securely screwed to the ceiling
joist will safely support your fan and properly enclose the electrical
connections. You may have to go to an electrical supply or very good
hardware store to find what you need but it should be doable without going
in the attic.
Don Young

RayV

2006-04-20, 11:21 am

I've used those telescoping rods several times and they work great.

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