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Grindle · Jun 29, 2008, 05:12 PM

I have bought a Habor Breeze Fan to replace an existing older Fan in my kitchen . . . But the "Mounting Bracket" that came with this new Fan, will not fit the ' screw holes' that are in the existing ceiling round Electrical Outlet box, the Habor Breeze Mounting Bracket screw holes are about a half-an-inch or quarter inch wider . . . Is there a smaller Mounting Bracket that I can purchase to fit my existing Electrical Outlet box?

I cannot use the Mounting Bracket from the previous Fan, as it is square and this Habor Mounting Bracket is round, sigh . . . I went over to Lowe's where I purchased it, but the young boys working there, had no solutions, except to go up into the Attic and try to replace the Electrical Outlet box to fit the Fan Mounting Bracket?, :( for goodness sake . . . Even while I have little experience with putting in Fans, I cannot believe that this is not a common problem with older buildings . . .

Is there a smaller Mounting Bracket that I can buy?

stanfortyman · Jun 30, 2008, 04:49 AM

For goodness sake, the boys were actually right!

The box SHOULD be replaced with a "fan box". I cannot, and will NOT, legally hang a ceiling fan on a non-fan-rated box.

You say "building"? Is this an apartment?

Grindle · Jun 30, 2008, 06:03 AM

Hi there Stan, and thank you for responding.. . Yes, the building is a Duplex, and there was a Ceiling Fan there, I remember when the previous kitchen Ceiling Fan was put up - maybe 9 or 10 years ago and the Mounting Bracket that came with the bOx was used, it is just shaped differently, and there was no downrod, it is I guess - more flush mounted, and the part that fits into the Mounting Bracket is 'square,' where as it is a half-dome-ball shape, that fits into the newer 'round' Mounting Bracket.. .

I did call Lowe's last night and one of the people suggested I go to a speciality Ceiling Fan Store, and gave me the name of one locally, and that they would probably have different size Mounting Brackets to fit this Electrical box.. . Or, maybe I just need to buy yet another 'flush mounted' Ceiling Fan, with a similar looking Canopy.. . In my ignorance, I just did not think to consider taking the old Ceiling Fan down first, and to see what shape and size of Mounting Bracket I needed; I just assumed since there was one already up there, that 'any' Fan would fit easily up there.. .

Thank you again for taking the time to respond to me, I appreciate your reply.

stanfortyman · Jun 30, 2008, 12:21 PM

This is really not an issue of the bracket. It is an issue of the box.
A proper fan-rated box should (MUST) be used, regardless of what was there before.

Grindle · Jun 30, 2008, 06:12 PM

Thank you once again for taking the time to respond to me, I appreciate your input, Stan . . . As it turns out, it was a Bracket issue ;) . . . When I went down to the specialty Ceiling Fan Store earlier this morning, the Man knew exactly what I was talking about and produced the exact same Mounting Bracket out of a drawer except that it was about a quarter inch smaller, and it fits my Electrical box perfectly . . . :p .

stanfortyman · Jun 30, 2008, 07:11 PM

So my suggestion/explanation that the existing box should be replaced by a fan-rated box again falls on deaf ears.

Nice. :rolleyes:

Washington1 · Jun 30, 2008, 07:30 PM

Hopefully it's not a standard ceiling mount fiberglass box! :D

I replaced three non-PF boxes for a customer--installing the appropriate boxes---and one of the boxes where broke, it would have been a matter of time before she got knocked upside her head with one of the PF's.

ceilingfanrepair · Jun 30, 2008, 09:14 PM

What specialty ceiling fan store did you go to? I too did not know you can buy different sized mounting brackets for the same fan.

My personal rule for fan installation is, metal box mounted to joist. Legally a fan related box is required.

stanfortyman · Jul 1, 2008, 04:23 AM

Originally Posted by Washington1

Hopefully it's not a standard ceiling mount fiberglass box! :D

I had one of those in my house when we bought it in the early 90's!
Was a little 42" hugger fan.

ceilingfanrepair · Jul 1, 2008, 09:12 AM

I've removed countless fans mounted to plastic boxes. One in particular had one screw into the plastic box and another into the drywall. Remarkably I've never seen one fall (or fallen) but it does happen. Fan rated boxes are required, in part, to end some of the confusion of what you can mount a fan to, but it just seems to add to it.