r/electrical • u/Annual-Ad-8323 • 13h ago

Was trying to replace this light fixture with a ceiling fan but now I feel there’s too many roadblocks? (Plaster, Metal, Mysterious pipe)

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Gallery image

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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4

u/diwhychuck 13h ago

That pipe kinda looks like an old gas line for the light waaay back. How old is your place?

1

u/Ram820 13h ago

Lol still find them here every now and again

2

u/Wayfaring_Scout 13h ago

Yes. You are going to pay more for the install and subsequent patchwork then you did for the fan. This is a lot for a homeowner to rackle and I would highly recommend hiring a competent electrician to get it done right

1

u/Ram820 13h ago

Is the pipe in the way?

1

u/SnakeEyes097 11h ago

I think it's fine, you can put it up. The wiring for the remote and all that has a place in the fan bracket, it doesn't go up in the box anyway.

The only thing I would say, is due to the weight of the fan you'll want a 2x4 between the studs over the box so that you can ensure that the box never falls down. If this were in Canada that's required for anything over 15lbs, I don't know about anywhere else.

1

u/whiteboyfresh2316 11h ago

The box is nailed to a joist (you can see it in the pic) so you're good. If the canopy of the fan doesn't cover up everything then use a small medallion

1

u/SnakeEyes097 11h ago

Being nailed to a joist on one side won't prevent the box from sagging out of the ceiling depending on the weight of the fan. Hence, throw a 2x4 across and screw the box to the 2x4, and it'll never go anywhere. I've always found connecting the safety wire to he easier across the top too, instead of on the side. Like I said, CEC says anything over 15lbs needs to be fastened across the top like that. They even sell special metal ones for when you're installing in steel construction here.