How to Install a Ceiling Fan Mounting Bracket The Family Handyman

What is a Ceiling Fan Support Brace?

Want to swap out one of the light fixtures in your ceiling for a ceiling fan? It’s definitely possible, but you’re going to need a ceiling fan support brace.

Standard junction boxes can’t support the full weight of a ceiling fan. Without extra support, your ceiling fan will probably fall out and rip right through the drywall. A ceiling fan support brace reinforces the structural integrity of a junction box so the fan stays in place.

Installing a combination support brace/junction box doesn’t require a bunch of tools or heavy demolition. Here’s how to do it.

Steps for Installing a Ceiling Fan Brace

Step One: Turn Off the Power

Before you start, shut off the power in that part of your home.

Step Two: Remove the Existing Light Fixture

Remove the light fixture from the junction box. Before touching the wires, use a non-contact voltage tester to make sure none of them are still live.

Step Four: Remove the Old Junction Box

Remove the old junction box by poking it up into the ceiling. The easiest way is with a hammer and a wooden block.

Place one end of the block in the old junction box and tap the other end of the block with the hammer until the box pops free in your ceiling cavity. Once the box is loose, pull out all cables from old junction box and push it out of the way.

Step Five: Position the Ceiling Fan Brace

Slip the ceiling fan brace into the ceiling through the junction box hole and center it over the hole. Ceiling fan support braces are extendable so they can fit snugly between two ceiling joists. Crank the shaft of the brace by hand to extend it until it is firmly locked between the joists.

Step Six: Install the New Box

Slip the little metal bracket, called the “saddle,” over the brace. The saddle connects the new junction box to the brace. Feed the electrical cable into the new junction box and position it in the ceiling hole.

Once the box is in place, fasten it to the saddle. Now the junction box is ready for you to install a new ceiling fan.

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