There are many reasons why your ceiling fan might need to be replaced. Used to circulate air throughout your home, a ceiling fan serves many purposes, from improving airflow to helping to cool down rooms during hot summer days. But over time ceiling fans can wear down—they’ll need to be replaced. In a room where a ceiling fan is a focal point, they can also be part of the overall aesthetic of a room, so if you’re renovating or redecorating, replacing your current ceiling fan with something new and fresh can help tie your room together.
Whether you’re replacing a ceiling fan out of necessity or for aesthetic purposes, it’s important to take the right steps when removing a ceiling fan to ensure the removal goes as smoothly and safely.
How to Remove a Ceiling Fan: Shut Off the Power
The most important step to take before you even touch your ceiling fan is to shut off the power at the circuit breaker. This will help keep you safe while removing and disconnecting your ceiling fan from power. Always be sure to test a light switch on the same circuit to double-check if the power is off.
Using a step ladder during the removal process will help give you easier access to the ceiling fan. It’s always a good idea to have a second set of hands to help with heavier components of the fan and to ensure you don’t lose your balance.
Remove the Lights
Once you’ve shut off the power, the next step is to remove the lights. For ceiling fans that don’t have light kits, remove the light bulbs and globes first. If the lights have recently been on, make sure to wait until they’ve cooled down enough to be safe to handle.
For ceiling fans that have a light kit, you will have to remove the light kit before you’ll be able to access the screws that mount the fan to the ceiling. Before removing the light kit, make sure to disconnect the wires that run from the light kit to the fan.
Remove the Fan Blades
Some ceiling fans may require you to remove the fan blades before you can detach the rest of the fan. If this is the case, use a screwdriver to remove the fan blades from the metal brackets.
Remove the Fan Body
Removing the fan body is going to look a little different depending on if you have a down rod fan or a flush mount fan. If you’re removing a down rod fan, your next step is to remove the metal cover that covers the mounting bracket at the ceiling. Simply use a screwdriver to remove the cover and let it slide down to rest on the body of the fan.
If you’re removing a flush mount fan, you’ll want to remove the body of the fan from the ceiling bracket. Most flush-mount fans will have a screw on one side of the bracket and a hinge on the other. Allow the fan to hang by the hinge while you disconnect the fan wires from the ceiling wires.
Remove Mounting Bracket
After removing the fan body, the final step will be to remove the mounting bracket from the ceiling. If you’re replacing an old fan with a new one, it should have its own mounting bracket. Most mounting brackets will attach to the ceiling with several screws, so remove those with a screwdriver.
Whether you’re replacing an old ceiling fan that has worn out or revamping your space as part of a renovation, following the steps outlined above will help make the process quick and easy, and will help keep you safe in the process.
