Here is my set up, a double light switch on either side of the room controls the fan and the light seperatley. The old fan had three wires connected - One labeled 'common' which was white, the other labeled 'motor' which was red and a blue wire for lights. There is no ground wire!
The new fan wants me to drill into the joists and mount it there so I guess that means I shouldn't use the metal junction box to mount it which is how the old fan was mounted even though the old fan is heavier then the new one. Does this mean I need to run a ground wire from the fan to the box as the box is grounded I just can't see where?

Thanks,

If the junction box is sturdy enough, then you shouldn't have to upgrade. There is a ceiling fan box, that basically can wedge itself between two joists.

Modern fans usually include a green wire. See what the instructions suggest.

The only possible reason I could think of to drill into a joist is to isolate the fan.

I hope ceilingfanrepair can shed some better light. He may need a model number or a picture. You can post pics using "Go Advanced/manage attachments".

Good questions. First of all, you can mount the fan to the junction box IF you can ascertain that the box is securely mounted and capable of handling the weight and the tourqe of the fan. It may require additional support. Some manufacturers sell a support for the box specifically for this purpose.
And secondly, you mention a metal junction box... if it is grounded, and it should be, there will be a tapped hole in the box for grounding purposes that you can connect the fans grounding wire to.
Good luck.

Take a pic of the junction box. Look for some bare wire if your house is wired in Romex or NM-B. The sheath may be used a ground in BX or armoured cable and that may be why your not seeing anything.

As MB said there is usually a tapped hole in the bottom of the box, but in houses 50 years old it may not be there. You may have to add a ground using a ground clip. This clips a piece of solid wire (pigtail) to the edge of the junction box.

Thanks, I believe the box is strong enough. Our old fan was there for 15 years! How ever since Hunter wants the fan mounted to the joist I would do it however the wood screws they provided don't really reach that far!

Here is the model...

Hunter Fan - Ceiling Fan - Tribeca (28121)


And a pic of the box

Also there is a 'Brown' wire running from one conduit to another.

The old fan had a ground wire but it was just hanging loose.

Ok Here is what I am going to do, connect the green wire from the fan to the mounting plate which should be grounded to the electrical box.
Connect the white wire from the fan to the white wire from the box.
Connect the black wire from the fan to the red wire from the box.
Close off the blue wire from the box and push it up out of the way.

Let me know if this sounds like a decent plan.

Thanks for all the help!

The conduit and box are your grounding means.

Chicago or NYC?


Remember, not only does Hunter require support independent of the box so does code, unless the box is rated for a fan, which yours is not.

Los Angeles.

I mounted the fan to the box and it seems to be very sturdy. However if you really think its not a fan rated box then I will take it out and do the wood screws.

In my photo above you can see the two holes for mounting the fan.

I emailed Hunter and they advised me to mount it to the joist, it going to be hard doing that without hitting the wires but I guess it has to be done.

Looking at my picture I am trying to find that "steel city" electrical box but I can't find anything like it. It appears to be a square box with 3 knockouts per side however the opening where the mounting tabs are located are round. Has anyone ever seen anything similar?

The circular ring with the mounthing tabs appears to be a "Kindorf" something that mounts to the electrical box. I've never heard of such a thing.

The box is the most common electrical box there is. It is a "1900" box, or 4" square, or 4sq.
The ring is called a mud ring. That one is a 3" round mud ring.

Unfortunately for you it is most likely mounted to the side of a joist. This means there is probably no framing above the box. Can you get to the space above this and add a nailer across the joists?

This is the retro box: Amazon.com: Pass & Seymour 22200 Retrofit Reiker Fan Brace with 25-Cubic-Inch Electrical Box: Home Improvement

Can be installed from the finished side.

Thanks, here is a link to the "mud ring".
Steel City - Kindorf 72C3 -- 1 Each - shop for Steel City - Kindorf 72C3 -- 1 Each at ElectricianSupplies.com!
How does this thing work? Is it attached to the junction box?
The box is mounted to a wood beam above it. In my photo you can see the wood through the holes.
My hope is that I can get some 4" wood screws and that will reach all the way through the box to the wood where there are a few holes available in the top of the box to drill pilot holes.

1. What make is the new fan
2. Does it have a light?

It's a Hunter Prestige Tribeca.

Hunter Prestige™

No light yet but its coming soon. The fan has its own light connections at the bottom and doesn't use the blue wire from the house.

I wired it up the way I wrote earlier and its working fine. Now I just have to worry about the mounting until I can take it all apart to put the wood screws in.

I've mounted fans to metal boxes like that before, it's not legal, but I've never had any issues. IMO a metal box can support a fan as long as it is securely anchored to a joist. The main reason they came out with fan rated boxes is because too many people were mounting fans to plastic boxes, or where there was no joist. Fan rated boxes FORCE you to mount it to a joist.

Again, not a legal answer. Legally I must tell you to go henceforth and purchase a fan rated box and brace, goeth now!