Pro Tips: How to detach your ceiling fan? Not a fan of your ceiling fan?
Owning a ceiling fan at home is an efficient way of getting air to move freely at an expanse of a room. It can also be a space saver when you are trying to maximize space at your house. But, once it stops working and you can no longer use it, the problem comes in. How am I going to remove this ceiling fan? Well, we got a few simple and easy pro tips you can try at home!
There are two different types of ceiling fans: a ball-in-socket and a mounted ceiling fan. Both of these ceiling fans have different methods of removal. Well, lucky for you, we have outlined the methods on how to properly remove your ceiling fan at home!
Pro Tips in Removing a Ball-In-Socket Fan
1. Do you own a ball-in-socket fan? If the answer is yes, then we have these pro tips for you. At a glance, you can easily identify a ball-in-socket fan from the way it hangs from a distance in the ceiling attached to a pole. The pole of this fan connects to the ceiling at a canopy. What is good about this fan is that it can be removed easily!
2. Turn off the electrical main switch before working. At first, make sure that when you work with wires and anything electrical, the main switch in your house is switched off before removing your ceiling fan. We don’t want any accident to happen while taking down a fan. A pro tip: just to make sure that the power is off, keep the fan on when you go switch the electrical panel off. You’ll know that the power is turned off if the ceiling fan stops working. Now, you can work on the wires while removing your ceiling fan.
3. Get your ladder. Make sure that your ladder is adjustable and can also reach your ceiling where the fan is currently attached. Place your ladder a little bit to the side of the ceiling fan and not directly underneath it. In this way, you can easily adjust your body, reach the ceiling, and remove your ceiling fan quickly. Also, this secures that you are safely situated at the top of the ladder. It just makes the job much easier!
4. Remove the metal canopy. Before climbing to the top of the ladder, make sure that you bring with you all the necessary tools such as screwdrivers. It will save you some time if you already have your screws prepared on hand before working to remove that ceiling fan. On this one, you need to use a small screwdriver to loosen the screws on either side of the ceiling fan’s canopy. Once the canopy is loosened, simply lower it down carefully. Now, you can see the electrical wirings between the fan and the ceiling.
5. Remove the wires. When you pull out the wires between the canopy and the ceiling, you may need to pull them out one by one. Once you have the wires in your hands, just turn them counterclockwise and it will just unscrew easily while working to remove your ceiling fan. Once you removed the wires coming from the ceiling, remember that you need the wire nuts back onto the ceiling. Another pro tip: if you plan to install a new ceiling fan, your wires are already placed there. It will save you more work to do.
6. Hold the ceiling fan and slide the ball easily. At this point, the ball at the top of the fan pole is easily removed. Remember, keep a good hold of the fan while removing it from the ceiling. Use your arm’s strength to support the fan’s weight. We cannot risk the ceiling fan crashing on the floor, or worse, crashing on top of your head.
7. Carefully climb down the ladder. Now, you have your ceiling fan in one of your hands. Just a pro tip: you may rest and pause for a bit at the top of your ladder. Do a little inhale and exhale moment while working to remove your ceiling fan. In this way, you can readjust your body and maintain your balance at the top of the ladder. Now, carefully get down from your ladder while supporting the weight of the fan. Finally, you have removed your ceiling fan. But wait, there is still work to do!
8. Draw out the bracket from the ceiling. There are two screws still attached to the ceiling. It is always a good idea to put the screws back in the electrical box after you successfully unscrewed them. If you want to attach another fixture to the ceiling, the screws are already placed there. Another pro tip: if you plan to attach a new ceiling fan, remove the mounting bracket. Each ceiling fan comes with a new mounting bracket that is suitable for the type of fan that you purchased. This is after you have succesfully removed your ceiling fan.
Pro Tips in Removing a Mounted Fan
1. Do you have a mounted ceiling fan at home? If your answer is yes, then watch out for these pro tips.This type of fan is also known as a bracket-mounted ceiling fan. How can you differentiate a bracket-mounted ceiling fan from a ball-in-socket fan? Well, a bracket-mounted fan sits right attached to the ceiling. Meaning, its motors are directly touching the ceiling. But, the downside of this fan is that it is more difficult to remove compared to the ball-in-socket ones if you plan to remove it from your ceiling. But, just a pro tip: mounted fans are good if you have a low ceiling back at home.
2. Switch off the electrical power. A general rule of thumb: turn off the electrical main switch before working on anything related to electricity and while working to remove your ceiling fan. If you want to double-check that the switch is turned off, keep your ceiling fan on. If the fan stops working, that means you have successfully turned the electrical power off. It will save you some time and most importantly, electrical risks and hazards are removed out of the way.
3. Does your fan have a light kit? If your answer to this question is yes, then keep reading these pro tips.A fan’s light kit varies from the brand and model of the ceiling fan you installed at home. Some of the ceiling fans have a light kit that is part of the fan itself. But, on most ceiling fans, the light kit is a separate section and thus, can also be detached separately. If the lightbulbs happen to break while you are working, be careful and cautious while working to remove your ceiling fan. Another pro tip: be gentle when removing a light kit especially those who are already broken. Your safety must be your utmost priority.
4. Remove the light kit in your ceiling fans. Most mounted ceiling fans must also be removed from their light kit. In this way, you can unscrew the screws that are attached between the fan and the ceiling. After this, you need to unscrew the screws and disconnect the wires that you will see when you are removing your ceiling fan. Just another pro tip: retest the electrical power in your house before you start working on the light kit.
5. Take off the fan blades. The blades of a fan are connected to the body of the fan itself. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws and remove the fan blades. A pro tip: just unscrew the fan blades attached to the body of the fan itself when removing your fan from the ceiling. It will save you some time and you won’t be able to remove all of your screws twice. While you are at the top of your ladder, keep all the screws and maintain your body’s balance. Be careful and watch your steps while mounting the ladder.
6. Keep all of the fan’s parts if you want to reuse them. Another pro tip: place all the parts of the fan in a bag or an envelope. It is a good idea to label the bag or the envelope just to make sure that you won’t lose it after you have successfully removed your fan from the ceiling. And, it will save you some time and stress when you want to reuse your ceiling fan for some time in the future.
7. Detach the screws that support the fan’s body. Make sure that you keep a good hold on the body of the fan. Most ceiling fans have a screw-on on one side and a hinge on the other side. So, when you unscrew on one side, the fan will simply hang off on the other side. This is so helpful because you won’t be able to hold the whole fan in one hand while you are working to remove your ceiling fan. While at it, you can safely unscrew the screws without holding the ceiling fan all the time. This makes the work easier and quicker! Plus, you can remove your fan in a safe manner.
8. Remove all the wires attached to the fan. Remember, pull out the wires slowly but surely while removing your ceiling fan. Do this gently so that the wires are not cut off from one another. Once you have the wire nuts in your hands, just turn it counterclockwise and it should easily unscrew while working to remove your ceiling fan. When all of the wires are detached from the ceiling, put the wires back onto the ceiling. Another pro tip: when you plan to install a new fixture, your wires are ready to use and are set to go!
9. Remove the fan’s body. Often, a safety chain is attached to the ceiling. Just unhook the safety chain to free the fan while removing it. After this, make sure that you hold the fan’s body safely. Support its weight gently and make sure that it does not come crashing down while you are detaching your fan.
10. Take off the bracket from the ceiling. This is the last step to remove your mounted ceiling fan. The mounting bracket is connected with two screws on both sides. Just another pro tip: it is a good idea to put the screws back in the electrical box after the bracket is removed and after you successfully removed your ceiling fan. Remember, you still need to remove the mounting bracket if you plan to put up a new ceiling fan. Each fan has a bracket that is specifically built for that type of fan.
By following these simple methods, you can easily remove your ceiling fans at home. These steps are hassle-free and easy to follow as you go along in removing your ceiling fan. You can try this at home by yourself or with some of your family members!
