Archive for the ‘Reference’ Category
That’s when I decided to install a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan offers many functional benefits while adding a certain decorative touch to a room. In the summer it can help cool a room (or even a porch). In the winter it can be used at low speeds to circulate warmer air that has risen to ceiling level.
Whatever your reason for installing a ceiling fan, you will find it to be a relatively easy project especially if you will be replacing a light fixture in the middle of a room (all the wiring will already be there). Most likely your biggest obstacle will be a new workbox that is approved for the weight of an overhead fan or adding support to an existing workbox, a workbox that is not approved for ceiling fan weight can lead to disaster!
The following instructions cover general installations when replacing an existing light. It will give you an idea of what is required for the project. Make sure you review and follow instructions that are specific to the fan you purchase. Depending on your installation requirements, you may need to purchase a longer “down rod” for cathedral ceilings or purchase an optional lighting kit if it is not included.
1) Turn off the circuit by switching off the breaker. Remove the existing ceiling fixture.
2) Determine if your existing workbox will provide enough support. If you have access to the workbox from your attic, check to see if the workbox has metal cross braces that span between two joists. If not, you can cut a 2”x4” to fit in between the joists. Install it so it touches the top of the workbox. Anchor the wood in place. From the room, use 1” drywall screws to anchor the box to the wood brace.
3) If you do not have access from the attic, you can install a metal cross brace through the rough opening in your ceiling and then attach an approved workbox to the metal brace.
4) I hate this part! Assemble the ceiling fan according to the manufacturers provided instructions. When you are ready to hang the fan, take the mounting bracket and install it to the ceiling workbox. Some fans come with a hanging frame that allows you to hook the ball end of the down rod in place. Others come with a bracket that provides a “J” hook that allows you to hang the motor housing while hooking up the wiring
5) If you removed a light fixture from the ceiling, most likely the existing wiring will provide one switched circuit to your new ceiling fan. This means the wall switch will function as the master switch to turn the unit off and on. The pull chain on the fan will also control the fan (and its speed). If you install an optional light kit on the fan, both the wall switch and a pull chain will also control it.
6) Following the wiring diagram provided with the fan, hook up the wires using wire nuts. Most likely this is as simple as connecting the 2 black wires; connecting the 2 white wires and connecting the 2 ground wires.
7) Once the fan is wired, finish its assembly according to the specific manufacturer’s instructions. You will need to install the canopy to the top of the rod.
8)You will also need to attach the fan blades. If you are installing a light kit, remove the cover on the bottom of the fan where the light kit will be mounted. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, assemble and install the light kit.
At this point you are ready to switch the breaker on and start enjoying your new ceiling fan.
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The first person to patent a machine for cleaning was David Hess in the year 1860. Housewives all over America had turned to using rugs and carpets, a trait brought over by the waves of immigrants coming from Europe, to cover their bare wood floors and keep the dust and dirt to a minimum. When they were dirty, they had to be carried outside, suspended somehow in the air and then beaten with a metal rod or heavy wooden stick.
A bit later someone invented a small, tennis racket-looking device called a rug beater for precisely this purpose. Mr. Hess soon realized that there was probably an easier way to clean rugs without all the fuss and mess and he invented the Carpet Sweeper which had a rotating brush combined with a bellows system that created suction. His amazing invention also used two water chambers to trap the dust and fine dirt. The only problem with Mr. Hess’ machine is that there is no proof it was ever produced.
After Mr. Hess’ invention, there came a period of wilder and weirder inventions that sought to accomplish the same thing. In the late 1870’s, Melville Bissell (sound familiar?) marketed a carpet sweeper that picked up the dirt and dropped it into a pan behind the rotating brush. In 1899, John Thurman invented a gasoline-powered vacuum cleaner that is credited as being the first motorized version. In 1901 Hubert Booth of London invented the electric vacuum, a device so large that it was parked outside the house and a 100-foot long hose snaked its way inside and did the dirty work.
The device was so popular that housewives all over London held vacuum parties to enjoy the event. It wasn’t until 1908 when James Spangler, a janitor in Ohio, invented the first portable, suction cleaner — the precursor to today’s high tech machines. He sold his patent to his cousin’s husband, William Hoover (also familiar?) and the rest, as they say is history.