Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - replacing light with ceiling fan

I want to replace a light in my living room with a ceiling fan w/ lights. I have never attempted this before. I was told that I need to check and make sure that the wiring for the current light is good enough for a ceiling fan.

How do I do this? I've never wired anything before.

Unless your new fan has a requirement for 90ºC wire you will not have a problem with the wires.
However you will likely need to replace the box in the ceiling with one that is fan rated. It must be able to hold up the weight of the fan.

Since you are replacing the fan where the light was, the easiest thing to use is a special box with an adjustable spreader bar that is designed to support a fan. If you have a large hand, you may have to enlarge the holes very slightly.

They are available at the big bad box stores. The boxes work with all the common fan brands.

Dick

What Concretemasonry is suggesting is called a fan brace kit. It typically sells for about $20 at your home center. You will need to remove the existing box to install it. How to do that depends on how the existing box is mounted.

If you have an accessible attic above this room, you have other options, but the fan brace kit is still probably easier.

You probably don't have to concern yourself with 90-degree wiring. Even if you have an older house without it, most fans don't require it anyway.

There are two essential rules when undertaking such a project: (1) Shut off the circuit breaker before starting (not just the wall switch), and (2) Carefully label the wires and record the connections before taking down the existing light.

If you have anything other than one black wire, one white wire, and one bare wire in the ceiling, the directions that come with your fan might not be exactly right for your situation.

Decide whether you want to control the fan with the wall switch or a remote control. You usually cannot do both. If you want to use the wall switch, buy a fan without a remote. If there is only one switch on the wall, make sure you get a fan with pull chains (one for the light and one for the fan).

I answered this question back in April or May. You have 3 options. First
find out how many wires are going to your present light. If you have a
3-wire system, hot, common, and ground, then you have to decide what
you want to control with the wall switch. If you want to control both the
light and the motor control, you will need to run another wire between
the fan/light and the wall switch. This is for the motor control.
Another option is to get a switch that is a variable control for just the
light. You will have to control the fan using the chain on the motor.
The last option is to buy a remote control. These are similar to a TV remote
but you can control both light brightness and the motor speed. The
problem is these remotes will cost about $130 to $150.It all depends
on what you or your "significant other" wants to do.

I checked the Lowes and Home Depot websites for the expandable brace and couldn't find anything but I will check the stores.

The current light is operated with a round dimmer switch that you push in to turn on then you can twist it to adjust the amount of light. I guess I will have to replace the wall switch as well?

Yes, the dimmer switch needs to go, if you intend to switch the fan or if you have no choice. However if the fan can be wires as always on and you control it with the pull cords then you would not have to replace the dimmer switch.

The most versatile option is the remote. These kits consist of a receiver and a transmitter and are available at the big box stores for around $ 40. The time to install the remote receiver is when you install the fan. You will need to change the dimmer to an on-off switch and leave the switch in the "on" position to use the remote. Good luck with your project.

Both Lowes and Home Depot carry the fan brace kit, perhaps even more than one kind. Guaranteed. Look in the fan section. Ask if you can't find it. It's there.

I know my Lowes carries them. They're $10 apiece where I live. Easy to put in. I use them instead of OW boxes on my plaster ceilings because they're so much easier (IMO) and more secure.
If you can find them, I liked the old ones that were octagon and you could tighten with a wrench, but I can't find those anymore.

I installed the ceiling fan last week. the lights work, the fan works. when the fan is running, the motor seems to have an above average humming noise. I'm thinking it is related to the wall switch which is a dimmer switch from the original ceiling light. If I replace this dimming switch with a normal on/off switch, will this stop the humming noise? I can control the fan with the pull-chains for the lights and fan.
Also, I have a Hunter wall switch where I can adjust the lights and the fan speed. The manual for my fan says the following:
Warning: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not use a solid state speed control with this fan. it will permanently damage the electric circuitry.

Is this Hunter wall switch a solid state speed control? Or I guess what I should be asking is, what is a solid state speed control?

Get rid of the dimmer. You may have already damaged the fan motor.

Do not use ANY switch for the fan motor unless approved by the fan manufacturer. Only use a fan control designed for the fan.

In other words, do not use the controller you have.

so what do I do with the wall switch I have now? disconnect it and use wire nuts to cap the ends?

Install a regular switch. If you don;t want the switch any longer (and will use the pull chains for everything) then wire nut the appropriate wires together and install a blank cover plate.

I think I'm confused. If you have a Hunter fan/light wall control, I see no reason why you cannot use it. I would caution however, that Hunter makes two kinds, one for a two-wire connection and one for a three-wire connection. Make sure you have the correct kind for your application. Count the wires that go from the wall to the ceiling, not counting the grounding wire.

For bonus points, tell us the Hunter model number of that control you have.

Install a regular switch. If you don;t want the switch any longer (and will use the pull chains for everything) then wire nut the appropriate wires together and install a blank cover plate.

what are the appropriate wires to wire together?