| The Current Market | | | | The installation instructions for many of the fans |
| Ceiling fans have been gaining in popularity for the | | | | available today show a metal type box that has |
| past 20 years. What started as a cost effective | | | | screws going thru the box and into blocking above |
| alternative to air conditioning to cool your living room | | | | the box. This is not what is installed in most of the |
| bedroom or kitchen has grown into a multi-billion dollar | | | | newer construction homes which use the labor saving |
| industry. Ceiling fans are now offered in many styles | | | | nail-on products. As a general rule builders and |
| and price ranges from the very basic to high end | | | | contractors do not provide blocking above the ceiling |
| designer styles. They can cost from less than one | | | | box with a nail-on product as the added material |
| hundred to several thousand dollars and are being | | | | & labor is not cost effective. |
| made to suit any taste or preference. | | | | The average nail-on plastic ceiling box is rated for |
| The ceiling fan manufacturing industry has evolved to | | | | only supporting a 35 pound static load. They are also |
| provide very high quality fans at reasonable costs | | | | not fan-rated. This requires that the ceiling box be |
| and has built the consumer market for these | | | | replaced with a fan-rated box before the installation |
| products. This led to explosive growth in the sales of | | | | of a ceiling fan. Fan-rated boxes are capable of |
| fans through the home improvement retailers like | | | | holding 70 pound loads and are rated for this |
| Home Depot, Lowes and others. The days of | | | | application. This is easier said than done! The nail-on |
| showroom sales for the mid to high level fans may | | | | products do not lend themselves to be reinforced |
| be in for a change due the marketing efforts of | | | | easily since labor savings have also been applied to |
| these industry giants. | | | | the construction of homes themselves. In many |
| Marketing data suggests that approximately 70% of | | | | circumstance the average home does not have an |
| all ceiling fans are being installed by the homeowner | | | | attic, only a narrow crawl space between the trusses |
| within 2 years of occupying their home. They are | | | | is provided. This combined with blow-in insulation |
| replacing the existing lighting fixtures with higher | | | | makes the location of the ceiling box difficult if not |
| grade fixtures and ceiling fans in the bedroom and | | | | impossible when a fan is to be hung on an upper |
| kitchen area. The living room is also a popular choice | | | | floor. |
| for fixture replacement with ceiling fan and lighting kit | | | | For installation of a ceiling fan between floors leaves |
| combinations being installed in greater numbers. | | | | little choice for this task since it cannot be accessed |
| The consumer is faced with so many choices in the | | | | easily from above or below the ceiling since the |
| market today that it can be a bewildering experience | | | | upper floor is directly above the ceiling box. Cutting a |
| for today's consumer. The average purchaser is going | | | | hole in the floor or knocking out the ceiling is not |
| down to their favorite home improvement store to | | | | prudent just to place blocking above a ceiling box. |
| choose their new fan or lighting fixture or even | | | | Medallions are available but the added expense, labor |
| making their choice on the internet. They come to a | | | | and time can be prohibitive, especially if the medallion |
| lighting specialty store or showroom only after being | | | | is painted to match the ceiling. The brace type of |
| overwhelmed by the choices in the home | | | | products that are sold today are an alternative |
| improvement stores aisles which provide little if any | | | | though they work better in theory than in practice as |
| service or assistance. | | | | the old ceiling box needs to be removed before they |
| The choice of fans today is greater than at any time | | | | can be installed. Home Depot has a web page |
| in past 5 to 10 years. Many of the major brands are | | | | devoted to this process which they claim can take |
| also selling products in the home improvement | | | | ½ a day to complete. |
| market. Companies like Hunter are distributing several | | | | A Better Way |
| models in Home Depot this trend is expected to | | | | Following the trends used in the construction |
| increase as they gain market share. | | | | methods of today's homes has led to the |
| Changing Technology | | | | development of a new and simple method to |
| Numerous manufacturers have been paying attention | | | | reinforce an existing ceiling box to that of a fan-rated |
| to this trend in the consumer market and are | | | | box that is consumer friendly. Access is gained |
| providing fans that meet the needs of today's | | | | through the ceiling box itself with a small bracket |
| consumer. The ease of assembly and use of | | | | being utilized in what is in most cases is wasted |
| pre-assembled components speed the installation of | | | | space within the ceiling box itself. Two fasteners are |
| their products. | | | | driven through the ceiling box and into the joist or |
| Westinghouse Lighting Corporation has a line of fans | | | | truss with the bracket being firmly held in position. |
| that captures all of these needs and they claim can | | | | This bracket has been shown by independent testing |
| be installed in 15 minutes on average. The weak link in | | | | by a leading product testing laboratory to allow the |
| all of these improvements is the ceiling box itself. This | | | | ceiling box to sustain very large dynamic loads. |
| is the component that the fan is attached to and | | | | This testing revealed that ordinary thermoplastic |
| must bear the static and dynamic loads of the fans | | | | ceiling boxes that are reinforced in this manner are |
| operation. It also houses the electrical wiring for the | | | | capable of sustaining loads that are factors above |
| fan. This utilitarian component has been under going | | | | the requirements of NEC (314.27D & 422.18). |
| improvement for the past 10 years or more to make | | | | These NEC building codes apply to the installation of |
| its' installation quicker, cheaper and easier than the | | | | ceiling fans and fan-rated ceiling boxes. Another |
| traditional metal box of yesterday. | | | | added feature is that this product installs in only 2 |
| The electrical contractor of today is using products | | | | minute's or less with common hand tools and allows |
| that increase his productivity and maximize the | | | | the installation of a ceiling fan to be accomplished in |
| potential profit of his labor. They have a large choice | | | | less than an hour from start to finish. If the |
| of nail-on products that already have the fasteners | | | | Westinghouse fans were to be used with this |
| attached to the ceiling box and all they have to do is | | | | product it could be done in 17 minutes or less! The |
| hold it in place and nail or screw it into a joist or truss | | | | product can also be also used with metal boxes after |
| for it to be secured. Many of these boxes are | | | | 2 holes have been drilled in the ceiling box. |
| thermoplastics which are inexpensive and easy to | | | | Failure modes during product testing revealed that |
| manufacture. They also have the added advantage | | | | the test plate was being pulled off of the ceiling box. |
| of not needing to be electrically grounded so this | | | | The ceiling box is left intact and firmly secured to the |
| saves the additional labor that metal boxes require. | | | | simulated test truss. A grounding lug and screw is |
| This fact is not lost on the ceiling box manufacturers | | | | provided on the bracket to facilitate grounding of the |
| that are producing ceiling, outlet and junction boxes | | | | pierced ceiling box to alleviate any concerns regarding |
| that are quick to install and are made of plastics that | | | | an energized component outside of the ceiling box. |
| require less and less labor to install properly. This has | | | | This product is manufactured in the United States by |
| gotten to the point that there is now a lighting box | | | | EE Products Inc. as FAN-EZE under the following U.S. |
| that only needs to be pushed onto a wooden stud | | | | Patents, 6,881,900, 6,909,045, & 6,965,077 and |
| for it to be secured; no fasteners are needed at all! | | | | is available for distribution by retail and wholesale |
| The ceiling fan manufacturers however may not be | | | | sales outlets. Further information regarding the |
| keeping pace with the trend in ceiling box installation | | | | products can be found at or contacting the company |
| practices. They advise the consumer of their | | | | directly at 801-254-5144. |
| products to reinforce or replace the existing fixture | | | | Alan P. Halbert |
| with a fan-rated ceiling box which is prudent, though | | | | President |
| are the consumers heeding their installation | | | | EE Products Inc. |
| directives? | | | | |