Some people appreciate the old-school breeze of the ceiling fans – others don’t care for them. But we can probably all agree that they’re incredibly functional, especially during torrid Australian summer months. Others have just now discovered that installing a ceiling fan comes with substantial year-round energy savings. In fact, most ceiling fans use 25-90 watts of energy, while air conditioning systems can use up to 3500 watts.
Ceiling fans are great at doing two things: create cooling air drafts which reduce the pressure on the air conditioner during summer, and distribute heated air to maintain a space warm during winter.
Installing a ceiling fan is relatively easy, especially from an accessible space, but that’s not always the case. Replacing old fixtures with a ceiling fan is often a job for a Sydney electrical professional since it requires the fitting of new wiring and great attention to detail.
What the client was after:
Our client needed help with the installation of 2x black ceiling fans on their concrete ceiling where there was no pre-existing centre cabling. It did look like an easy job at first, but the installation of centring cable implied expert contribution and potential risks. So, after discussing our client’s requirements and offering suggestions, we sent Benny and Matt to his location to proceed with the installation of the two ceiling fans.
What work was completed:
- The job started with trying to locate a permanent active so that the fans could be switched for warranty reasons.
- Located permanent active at smoke detector
- Opened all tram doors in the drop ceiling to help with access.
- Using a yellow tongue, we managed to get our cabling to the chosen location.
- We neatly placed the switch in the corner of the room and ran a white ducting for the cabling to be protected as per requirements
- We used lasers and measurements to get our exact centre for the fan.
- Installed, tested, and commissioned
Lounge Room
Do you need a professional to install a ceiling fan or is this something I can do myself?
Replacing a ceiling fan is one of those odd home tasks that is both within reach regardless of your electrical expertise or skill, but also potentially just as dangerous as many electrical installation tasks that an average person wouldn’t imagine attempting themselves.
However, as with everything that runs on electricity, a great deal of care needs to be taken. The amount of electricity that runs through the wires going to your ceiling fan is the same type of electricity flowing through the wires reaching your outlets, so the risk posed by lack of expertise is just as great with ceiling fans as with other parts of your home.
When it comes to installing a ceiling fan without a licensed Sydney electrician, there are some risks you should have knowledge of:
- With wrong wiring and lack of expertise comes a great risk of electrocution
- Wrong wiring can cause fire risks, not to mention some circuits don’t have the extra capacity to handle additional power load.
- The fan may fall from the ceiling if it is poorly installed.
- Because ceiling fans are heavy, they need to be properly anchored to a system designed to support their full weight.
- When installation doesn’t go as planned, you risk paying more
Can you hang a ceiling fan where a light was?
Installing a ceiling fan sounds relatively simple, but you can’t just hang a fan from an existing electrical box. It’s simply not strong enough to support the extra weight and vibration of the fan. To hang a ceiling fan, you must either use a specially labelled hanger or a box to mount the fan between the joists.
Note that location options will vary depending on whether you’re replacing an old one or installing a new one. New fan installations need to consider the best solution for supplying power and electrical wiring to route new wiring, which requires electrical expertise.
Where the job was completed:
To complete the installation of the two ceiling fans, our team travelled to our client’s location on George St, situated between WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and Sydney Tower Eye in NSW Sydney.
Who worked on the job:
Benny – Tradesman
Matt – Apprentice
