Install Ceiling Fan Without Electrical Box

20 2019 the family handyman senior editor gary wentz will show you how to remove an old light and install a ceiling fan mounting bracket so you can properly install a new ceiling fan.

Install ceiling fan without electrical box.

Attach new electrical box. Disconnect the cable from the box. Cut along the line with a drywall saw. Pry the tab and pull the cable out.

It can be made of metal or plastic it s usually round and it attaches to a ceiling. Ceiling fan boxes must include bracing that attaches to the ceiling joists to support the greater weight and vibration that comes with a ceiling fan installation. In most cases an electrician installs a rough in electrical box before hanging any type of ceiling fixture. If you re wondering how you install a light fixture without an electrical box the short answer is that you don t.

Pry out the box s mounting nails and pull the box down from the ceiling. The electrical box or junction box is a code requirement that was established to prevent fires and other electrical accidents. Installing a ceiling fan chandelier or other heavy light fixture in an existing ceiling requires the right junction box j box. Hold a 1 2 inch thick pancake box against the ceiling centered on a joist and trace around it with a pencil.

Feed the electrical cable coming from the ceiling through the knockout hole in the pancake box. Turn off electrical power to the fan at the electrical panel and use an appropriate testing device to ensure no power is present at the light fixture before you begin work. Do not rely on a wall switch to protect you from electrical shock. Once you ve found the proper location mark it and cut a hole.

If the box has a cable clamp remove the locknut. Keep in mind what makes a ceiling fan electrical box different from a traditional light fixture box is the bracing. Inspect your current electrical box to ensure your project won t involve installing a ceiling fan box. The family handyman editor in chief gary wentz will show you how to remove an old light and install a ceiling fan brace so you can properly install a new c.