It's not flush with the ceiling, has about 1/8th inch all around. It worked good for 3 months, now it's wobbling like mad.
I don't know much about how to fix or replace the box in the ceiling the fan is attached to.
How much wobble is normal?
How can I fix the fan, box, or both?
thanks
I wouldn't be using that fan until the installation mistakes have been fixed. Ask friends & co-workers if they know an electrician they've been happy with in the past. Electrician because if the installation is mechanically incorrect, there's a good chance the wires may be funny too.
NO wobble is normal. Sounds like a poorly done installation that is falling apart.
On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:01:26 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@dog.com sayd the following:
Does it need a new box?
Reason I ask is, the fan is as high as possible on the box, it cannot be moved higher.
I'm the one who installed the fan and it worked perfect for 2.5-3 months, now the wobble.
All the screws are tight.
Would shims around the base to make it tight work or be safe?
thanks to all.
Box? To install a fan, you need more than just the electrical box that would be used for a light fixture. You need braces between the ceiling joists. They sell ceiling fan mounting kits for this. If you have accces from an attic above, it's easier, but it can be done from below if that's all you can get at.
Here's an example:
According to :
A bit of wobble is normal - uneven distribution of dust alone can do it.
However, it's a new installation, and the 1/8" gap is suggestive that it (possibly the box) is working itself loose. Could be common nails in the back of the box slowly getting vibrated out.
I'd keep it shut off until you can diagnose/repair the problem. If the box is working loose, the whole unit might fall down.
Is the bezel moving, or just the fan?
Check that the mounting screws in the bezel are tight. If they are, it's probably the box coming loose. Depending on how it's mounted, a couple of #10 or #12 screws driven through the back of the box may be sufficient.
Code has gotten stricter over ceiling fan mounting. I prefer to use a piece of 2x4 or 2x6 backing screwed between the joists, mounting the box with several heavy wood screws into the backing. A "U channel" of wood with the sides of the box screwed in to the legs is even better. Very heavy fixtures may need additional brackets straddling the tops of the joists with bolts to hold onto the lower bracket.
Some of the prefab metal brackets are fine too, as long as they're solidly attached.
....only for a lousy fan. I've lived with 3 Casablanca fans. No wobble.
On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 10:53:19 -0500, snipped-for-privacy@dog.com sayd the following:
I suspect the reason the box was never mounted correctly is because it was to hold a simple 110 volt bulb with cover [maybe 3 pounds of weight] as opposed to this very heavy fan.
Thanks and I'll check that URL.
NO wobble is normal or acceptable in a ceiling fan. If your fan is wobbling because of a little dust, then it's either a poor quality fan, or more likely, a deficient installation.
Run the fan at slow speed until you can get it fixed.
---MIKE---
On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:54:58 -0000, snipped-for-privacy@nortelnetworks.com (Chris Lewis) sayd the following:
The whole fan is wobbling, about 1/2 inch deflection.
The fan has low, med and high. I set it to LOW for now.
On Mon, 03 Dec 2007 15:57:25 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom" sayd the following:
This fan is made by HUNTER.
You have to differentiate between the minor wobble from a low quality fan, and a really abnormal situation due to bad installation, which seems to be the issue you're having.
According to JoeSpareBedroom :
At _all_ speeds, and a bit of dust unevenly distributed?
We have a ceiling fan on a 2' drop shaft in a cathedral ceiling. Has been running almost 7x24 since 1984. At certain speeds it shakes a bit. At others it doesn't, so if it shakes, we tweak it. And dusting helps ;-)
Not bad performance. I'd hate to have to replace that thing - 17' up over a brick floor and cast iron woodstove. And not a lot of room to get in a ladder.
I would be very surprised if the instruction manual didn't mention using a braced box. Take another look at the instructions.
Honest. No wobble. If you've never owned a Casablanca fan, you don't know what you're missing. I suspect most fan buyers don't own them because they're not sold at the big box stores. You have to make a major effort to open the phone book and find a lighting or electrical specialty store. And, they're not cheap.
I think we've establishjed what the problem is! That box was never intended to support the loads of a spinning ceiling fan. You'll need to get a proper braced box like the one I gave a link to. You can probaly find one at the same place you bought the fan for $20 or so. At least you already have all the wiring right there, and the fan is assembled, so this whole job shouldn't take more than an hour or two to correct.
I would strongly suggest not using that fan at all until you fix this. It's not safe.
Hey...let him use it. Maybe he wants to be the star of a news story that makes you think "Where do they FIND this stuff???" :-)
I looked at an installation manual at the Hunter site, and sure enough, it doesn't go into enough detail about proper support for the electrical box (although that should've been intuitive). But, the manual mentions a separate booklet that should've come with your fan:
"The location of a ceiling fan and how the fan is attached to the building structure are essential for reliable operation, maximum efficiency, and energy savings. For this reason, we have included a separate booklet - "Guide to Choosing and Preparing a Ceiling Fan Site" - to help you select the best location for your fan. The booklet also provides information to ensure your fan support and electric outlet box meet UL-approved safety codes for ceiling fans. The instructions in this installation manual assume that you have used "Guide to Choosing and Preparing a Ceiling Fan Site" to pick the fan location and make certain the proper fan support and outlet box are installed."
Did you check that booklet? It sounds like it would contain more detail about proper support methods.
If it rocks, it is out of balance and with a poor installation it is tearing itself loose from the ceiling. You need to do two things:
1 - You need to balance the fan, clean it first, if this doesn't work move blades around or add special weights they sell. 2 - You need to fix the anchor so that it is solid and doesn't come apart. There is a lot of info available on how to do this, do some research and fix it before it falls down.HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.