# Can you attach ceiling fan to joist?



## maxman10 (Jul 28, 2012)

I laid out installation of four new recessed can lights and a ceiling fan in the middle. Installed can lights and when I went to cut the hole for the ceiling fan I was lined up right on a joist. Rather than moving it to the side 6 inches and making it asymmetrical, is there a way to attach the fans directly to the joist?


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Why not move it so that you can place a fan box between the joists. Really is not going to matter if it is six inches to the right or left.


----------



## maxman10 (Jul 28, 2012)

I will I have to. Just wondering if there's a common way to put it straight on the joist


----------



## drwheels (Aug 16, 2012)

*try this*

this may work for what you want to do.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_19841-53911-CFB-12_4294722500__?productId=3819941&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

drwheels, good for a lighting fixture, not good for a ceiling fan.


----------



## Techy (Mar 16, 2011)

That is a fan rated box. The Screw for the fan bracket go directly in to the joist/rafter


----------



## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

gregzoll said:


> drwheels, good for a lighting fixture, not good for a ceiling fan.


greg, before you speak out of turn, you may want to know what you're talking about first.
With that said, you could use a regular box and fasten the fan to the structure.... both are acceptable.


----------



## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

maxman10 said:


> I laid out installation of four new recessed can lights and a ceiling fan in the middle. Installed can lights and when I went to cut the hole for the ceiling fan I was lined up right on a joist. Rather than moving it to the side 6 inches and making it asymmetrical, is there a way to attach the fans directly to the joist?


Sure, just use a pancake box, either fan rated or regular, if you use a regular pancake box, make sure you secure the fan bracket to the joist.


----------



## kbsparky (Sep 11, 2008)

gregzoll said:


> drwheels, good for a lighting fixture, not good for a ceiling fan.


You don't have any CLUE what you are talking about. That box is specifically made for ceiling fan mounting, complete with larger lag-screws that fasten the fan directly into the joist.


----------



## parman (Aug 9, 2012)

drwheels said:


> this may work for what you want to do.
> 
> http://www.lowes.com/pd_19841-53911-CFB-12_4294722500__?productId=3819941&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


These work great. I have used this style before. And it is rated for fan, the spec's show 70lbs weight limit, which makes it a fan box.


----------



## stickboy1375 (Apr 28, 2012)

Or use this if your hole is not perfectly centered on the joist.


----------



## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

kbsparky said:


> You don't have any CLUE what you are talking about. That box is specifically made for ceiling fan mounting, complete with larger lag-screws that fasten the fan directly into the joist.


Again, no I would not use it. And no those are not larger lag screws. And Yes, I have seen a fan pull one out of a joist.


----------



## AngelArs (Sep 8, 2012)

parman said:


> These work great. I have used this style before. And it is rated for fan, the spec's show 70lbs weight limit, which makes it a fan box.


Every application is different. The reason why I would never use this for a fan (_even if it is supposedly rated for one_) is because it's made out of _plastic_. I have seen too many plastic boxes/fan nightmares. I was talking with a master electrician for This Old House and he has seen the same, and also will not use plastic boxes with heavy ceiling lights or fans. They are fine when they are new, but after the fan has some wear and tear on it and it gets more and more _out of balance_ it is too much stress for the plastic - and the boxes crack and then break. I'm sure someone must make something like this out of metal though. In fact I'm going to look for one because I might need one for an upcoming project. Being plastic I would only feel safe using something like this if the light/fan was 35 pounds or less. I've seen too many break for it to be a coincidence, and fans are a lot more expensive than a five dollar plastic box, not to mention the possible safety issues. I like Stickboys shallow box option much more. 

Just found this one. Look at number 77706. It could hold your mother-in-law (I kid) :laughing: 

It mounts to directly to the joist from the SIDES not the bottom (_and it's metal_) :thumbsup:


----------



## parman (Aug 9, 2012)

AngelArs said:


> Every application is different. The reason why I would never use this for a fan (_even if it is supposedly rated for one_) is because it's made out of _plastic_. I have seen too many plastic boxes/fan nightmares. I was talking with a master electrician for This Old House and he has seen the same, and also will not use plastic boxes with heavy ceiling lights or fans. They are fine when they are new, but after the fan has some wear and tear on it and it gets more and more _out of balance_ it is too much stress for the plastic - and the boxes crack and then break. I'm sure someone must make something like this out of metal though. In fact I'm going to look for one because I might need one for an upcoming project. Being plastic I would only feel safe using something like this if the light/fan was 35 pounds or less. I've seen too many break for it to be a coincidence, and fans are a lot more expensive than a five dollar plastic box, not to mention the possible safety issues. I like Stickboys shallow box option much more.


I think what you might fail to understand is for this type of box or the ones I have used in the past, the box does not support the fan. The box contains the wires. The lag screws are used to screw the fan bracket into the bottom of a joist. This simple combination of electrical box and fan support is quite nice and easy to work with. I would not use the 8-32 screw holes from a plastic box to support a fan bracket. That is not how they are designed.

I don't know about you, but a fan bracket screwed into the bottom of a joist is pretty darn sturdy. 

BTW, if you compared the plastic box mounting directions with the metal one you like, you might find they are very similar.


----------



## AngelArs (Sep 8, 2012)

parman said:


> I don't know about you, but a fan bracket screwed into the *bottom* of a joist is pretty darn sturdy.


Everything's relative :wink: I've seen those screws left in the joist and the plastic broken box laying on the ground before. 

I would think four bolts on the side of the joist (like with number 77706) would out support a bottom joist mounting when it comes to something heavy that's spinning.... There were other mounts in that catalog that would also work better than a plastic box. Personal preference.



> BTW, if you compared the plastic box mounting directions with the metal one you like, you might find they are very similar.


I'm not so concerned with how they _mount_, I'm concerned with what they are _made out of_. I've never seen a metal box break, ever. I've seen plastic ones break though.


----------



## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

On espisodes of this old house they have installed wiring not to code like the pendant lights with two cables into a pancake box.

Plastic fan box are fine. There is a metal plate above the box that the screws thread into. As someone else said the box is only holding the splice, the weight is on the bracket.


----------



## Jim Port (Sep 21, 2007)

gregzoll said:


> Again, no I would not use it. And no those are not larger lag screws. And Yes, I have seen a fan pull one out of a joist.


Those lags are larger, IIRC they are around a 1/4" or 5/16" lag about 2" long. Plenty of support for a fan.


----------

