If you’ve got a ceiling fan in your home, chances are you’ve considered putting a downrod on it. They’re also known as downpipes, down-pipe fixtures, or downpipes. Regardless of what you call them, they’re plumbing accessories that help capture and channel moisture that comes with the air inside your home. You can put a downrod on almost any type of ceiling fan, but not all flush mount fans have them. If you own a standard wall mounted fan or if your fan is an attic fixture, you may not have access to a downpipe. That being said, most flush mount fans can be retrofitted with downpipes so long as they are accessible from the outside of the unit. Check out these 5 ways to hang a fan without installing pipes! If your ceiling fan has been in your family for more than 30 years and it’s still kicking along, there’s a good chance it has some sentimental value for you. Although many homeowners end up getting rid of their old ceiling fans rather than replacing them because of cost or space limitations, these vintage fixtures sometimes make excellent additions to contemporary homes. In fact, many people consider retrofitting existing fans with modernDownPipes features at least as much as new ones because they give the homeowner more control over the temperature in her home while adding minimal visual clutter to her space.
Can You Put a Downrod on a Flush Mount Ceiling Fan?
Yes, you can put a downrod on your flush mount ceiling fan. This will help to keep your fan running smoothly and will prevent it from turning off when the temperature gets too high. You can also put a downrod on your fan if it’s not easily reachable or if it’s not working properly.
How can Put a Downrod on a Ceiling Fan?
- Remove the fan’s cover plate. There are two types of ceiling fans: wall mount and flush mount. A downrod for a flush mount fan is usually held in place by screws, so it will be easy to remove the screws that hold it in place.
- Drill holes through the ceiling joists where you want your downrod to go. Make sure to measure before drilling so that you don’t drill through your ceiling or any electrical cables that may be underneath it.
- Thread the downrod through these holes and attach it to the mounting screws on your fan, making sure not to overtighten them.
- Attach your new downrod with mounting brackets (optional) if you feel that this is necessary for your installation before hanging or reinstalling the fan in its location on the wall or ceiling
How to Determine If Your Fan Has a Downrod
- The first thing you need to do is determine if your fan has a downrod. If it does, you can skip this step and move on to step 2.
- Turn off the power to your fan, remove the light bulb(s) and look at the location of the electrical wires that are attached to the ceiling fan. If there is a female plug with a slot in it at this location and there are two wires (one red and one black), then your fan probably does not have a downrod or it doesn’t have one that’s easily accessible for installation of one. Instead, you’ll need to find another way to install a downrod on your ceiling fan.
- If your fan has a downrod and it is easy to access, you can proceed with the installation of a downrod by following the instructions below. If your fan does not have a downrod, you’ll need to find another way to install o
- Most ceiling fans have a two-wire plug that has two prongs. The one with the slot is for the ground wire, and the one without the slot is for the power cord. Use an electrical tape or cable tie to attach both wires to your downrod. You may want to use a screwdriver with an insulated handle as it will help protect your fingers from getting burned in case there’s a short circuit while working with exposed wiring.
- Attach your downrod to the ceiling fan so that it’s centered under where you want it on your ceiling (see photo).
How to Install a Downrod on a Ceiling Fan
- Turn off the power to your ceiling fan and unscrew or unscrew-and-unscrew away any screws that are holding the electrical box cover in place (see photo).
- Remove any light bulbs from inside your ceiling fixture.
- If you have an attic fan, you will need to use a ladder in order to access it from inside your home. Most attic fans are located in the peak of a roof and are accessed via an exterior gable end, so if this is your case, you may need a ladder or step stool for access. If this isn’t necessary, you may be able to access it through an interior wall or attic floor joist depending on how high up in your home you want it installed.
- Once inside your attic space and under the roofing materials, locate the downpipe connection on the back of your ceiling fan and either unscrew or unscrew-and-unscrew away until it comes free from its mounting bracket (see photo).
- Use a screwdriver, hammer and nails to attach a downrod to the female electrical box socket (or other mounting point) that is found on the back of your ceiling fan. The placement of this socket will depend on how you want your fan to hang above the ground, so do some research and make sure you’re attaching it in a location that makes sense for your particular situation.
- Once you’ve attached it, screw in any remaining screws that are holding your electrical box cover in place (see photo).
Conclusion
It’s really important to remember that when you’re hanging a ceiling fan in your home, there are many different ways to go about it. You don’t want to just blindly follow a guide, you want to be sure that the approach you take is the one that will work best for your particular situation. That’s why installing a downpipe on your ceiling fan is such an important part of the process. It’s not just an aesthetic choice, it’s an integral part of making sure that your fan is safe and functioning properly.With that said, this article should have given you enough info and tips to help guide you through the entire process of installing a downpipe on your ceiling fan. If something wasn’t clear or if you have any questions about how best to install one on your particular model, feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll do my best to respond as quickly as possible.
FAQ’s
What is a downpipe and why should I use one?
A downpipe is a piece of plastic or metal pipe that connects your ceiling fan to the downspout of your home’s plumbing system. It’s used to prevent rainwater from entering your attic space and possibly shorting out electrical components in your ceiling fan. There are two main ways to install one on your ceiling fan: One way around, where the downpipe is attached directly to the electrical box on the back of the fan; and another way around, where you attach it directly to an existing downspout like a gutter or roof vent.
How do I know if my ceiling fan needs a downpipe?
If you’re installing a new ceiling fan, chances are you don’t need one. If you’re upgrading an older model or replacing an old one with a new one, make sure that it has been through a proper inspection by an electrician or certified contractor before being installed in your home. If it hasn’t, then there’s probably some type of problem with its wiring which could lead to issues like failure in your electrical outlets and/or lights, circuit overloads due to too much power being pulled from the circuit (when using too many fans), or damage due to water infiltration into the motor housing (which can cause motor failure).
