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sheilachristian · Jan 13, 2009, 07:09 AM

For the past two months I have been unable to use my Aloha Breeze 42" ceiling fan (model #: 93645 UPC #: 7-59590-99645-2), simply because the darned thing is coming free from the ceiling. Since I have only been renting this place for the past three months, I have no idea who originally had the fan installed, and the landlord was notified the moment I noticed it starting to come down. Usually I would just wait until the landlord got around to fixing it, but with the progress it is making of the ceiling I am starting to worry about myself or someone else being hurt by this thing, if it does eventually fall completely out. So though I have some general knowledge on repairing things, when it comes to ceiling fans I have not a clue where to begin looking for the problematic area and don't want to tear up my ceiling just because I felt in an adventurous mood to get this thing fixed. So some basic guidance in getting the fan back in place and stable will be greatly appreciated.

I have included a picture of the problematic fan below

vwdieseljunkie · Jan 13, 2009, 07:25 AM

It would appear from the picture that the electrical box is not properly anchored, or is not the proper box for supporting a ceiling fan. Do you have access to the area above the ceiling (attic)? Inspect that area if you can. This is a safety concern and should be a priority to remedy.

Isolate the power from this fixture if you can, from the breaker box (should have a distribution panel somewhere in the house). If after tripping the appropriate breaker, you find that it also powers other areas that you cannot go without power until this problem is fixed, as a temporary isolation (only to keep the fan from being turned on, NOT AS A MEANS OF ISOLATION TO WORK ON THE FIXTURE) you could tape the fan switch in the off position. AGAIN, this is to keep you or someone else from absent-mindedly turning the fan on causing it to move and fall, NOT to work on the fan!

vwdieseljunkie · Jan 13, 2009, 07:35 AM

There should be a brace in the ceiling, something like this. If there is not, then there needs to be. If one is already in place, perhaps is has failed (broke) or has come un-attached from the structure. If you feel uncomfortable being in the ceiling (or your landlord does), you or your landlord should hire someone to properly address the issue. This can be fixed from the room the fan is in, through the hole that is already in the ceiling.

sheilachristian · Jan 13, 2009, 07:35 AM

Hello vwdiesel,
Thanks for your response. I don't have any access to get above ceiling or an attic, unless I get up on the roof and can locate the exact spot the fan is located and open up an area above it, but that would be costly and I can't afford to do that. So basically I am thinking that I may have to disconnect the entire fan, remove the ceiling panel to check how it was mounted to begin with.

How would I check to see if the right electrical box was used?

ceilingfanrepair · Jan 14, 2009, 01:33 AM

I can't tell if the mounting bracket has come loose from the outlet box, or if the outlet box is coming loose.

Either way, remove the fan, have your landlord come deal with it ASAP.

sheilachristian · Jan 14, 2009, 03:48 AM

Hello Ceilingfanrepair,
I have notified the landlord and the supposed "maintenance" people he hired to keep up with repairs on the many rentals that he owns. However I've been reminding and showing both on constant basis and each time they have told they'd get right on it, I would wait a week or more and nothing would be done, nor would I see them within that time frame. So I would bring it up again, and they would act as if I had never told them a week or so ago. Tired of the games and lies, so have come to the conclusion since I can't afford a repair person myself at this time, I know I would be able to fix it myself once pointed in the right direction.

Here is a different angle of the fan, hope this helps in finding the solution.

ceilingfanrepair · Jan 14, 2009, 02:45 PM

Looks like the fan is mounted to a plastic box. No way to safely install it here.

Remove the fan from the outlet box.

Get a studfinder, find the stud closest to the fan, use 2" woodscrews to mount the fan directly to the stud. Hopefully this will be close enough to the outlet box that the fan will cover the hole.

Problem solved at little or no cost.

donf · Jan 14, 2009, 03:13 PM

Now since this is rental property and you are not the owner, I would pick up the phone and let the owner know that your next call is to the city inspectors.

The root cause of your problem appears to be the weight of the fan and the weight that the utility box will hold. The box may have been listed for a light fixture, but I seriously doubt that the box is listed to support the weight of the fan. That would be a definite code violation.

So either fix it to code or you will get the city out to inspect the installation and then send someone to fix the problem and bill the landlord.

If that fan drops and hits anyone he will have more to worry about that the cost of repairs. Also make absolutely sure that any repairs made are done with parts that are listed for use with a ceiling fan.

An alternate solution is to purchase a fan mounting bracket and utility box.

Disconnect power from the breaker to the fan. Verify that there is no power to the fan or switch before actually doing any work on the fixture.

Start by removing the fan in sections. When you get the area where the fan is secured to the outlet box, remove the screws securing the fixture to the box. Note what wires connect to what. If you see a white wire connected to a black wire, make sure you put some black tape or use a sharpie to mark the white wire to black. White can be used to carry voltage from the power source to the feed of the switch.

Once you have the entire fan out of the way, remove the old ceiling box.

Using the expansion rod of the fan holder, insert the new holder and box into the ceiling. Spread the extension arms out so that they contact the joists on each side. Then tighten the arms so that they bite into the joists.

Next run your wires into the box and clamp them according to code. Now reverse install the fan motor and connect the wiring according to instructions that came with the fan.