Hanging a Ceiling Fan on a Vaulted Ceiling

Calculate the length of the downrod you need for the fan by measuring the pitch of the roof. Hold the 12-inch level horizontally near the ceiling. Place one corner of the level so it touches the ceiling but remains level. Then measure the distance between the ceiling and the top edge of the other end of the level. When properly positioned, the level will be parallel to the floor, and the roof will rise up from the corner of the level. Use the rise to determine the minimum length of the downrod with charts like those found in the Resources section.

Locate a ceiling joist in the area where you want to install the fan with a stud finder and mark the location.

Hold the electrical box against the ceiling centered over the ceiling joist and trace the outline of the box onto the ceiling. Cut a hole in the ceiling with a drywall saw, following the line from the tracing.

Using the stud finder, locate a stud in the wall where you want to place the light switch for the fan. Hold the electrical box for the light switch against the wall adjacent to the stud and trace it, then cut a hole in the wall with the drywall saw. When installing an electrical box into a finished wall, use an old-work electrical box, which is designed for use in finished walls.

Run an electrical cable between your home's main electrical box and the light switch hole and another cable between the holes in the wall and ceiling. Do not connect the cable to your home's main electrical box.

Punch out one of the knockout holes in the electrical box for the ceiling fan and slide about 6 inches of cable through the hole. Thread the cable underneath the cable connector and tighten the screw to prevent the cable from moving. Place the electrical box into the hole in the ceiling and screw it to the ceiling joist.

Insert the cable leading from the ceiling through the hole in the mounting bracket and screw the mounting bracket to the electrical box. Cut away about 4 inches of the sheathing from the cable with wire strippers and about an inch of insulation from each individual wire.

Slide the wiring for the fan motor through the downrod and screw the downrod to the top of the motor housing for the fan. Slide the canopy for the fan over the downrod. The canopy is the decorative plate that conceals the electrical box and the wiring. Remove about an inch of insulation from each wire from the fan with the wire strippers.

Lift the fan motor to the ceiling with an assistant's help. Connect the wiring for the fan to the wires leading from the ceiling. Match the wires by color, connecting black to black, white to white and green to green. Connect the wires with plastic connector caps and screw the downrod to the mounting plate.

Raise the canopy against the ceiling and screw it to the ceiling.

Connect the wires leading from the ceiling fan and the wires leading from the main electrical box to the terminal screws on the sides of the light switch, following the manufacturer's instructions.

Wrap electrical tape around the sides of the light switch to cover the bare wires and the terminal screws, then slide the light switch into the electrical box and attach it with the mounting screws.

Attach the plate cover to the light switch.

Hire an electrician to connect the circuit for the fan to the main electrical box. Most municipalities require that electricians perform this task due to safety reasons.