The Installation of a Remote Control Ceiling Fan

Turn off the electricity to the overhead light fixture. Take off the glass shade that covers the overhead light. Remove the lightbulbs and set them aside for reuse elsewhere. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws that hold the ceiling fixture in place. Untwist the wire nuts that hold the wiring together. Set the old light fixture aside.

Use a pry bar to remove the nails from the old electrical box in the ceiling. In some cases, you may need to unscrew the box instead.

Center a 1/2-inch-thick pancake electrical box over a joist where you plan to install the ceiling fan. It should be near the old opening left by the overhead light fixture. Draw a line around the pancake box with a pencil. Use a drywall saw to cut a hole following the line you drew. Hold the wand of a vacuum cleaner nearby as you saw to help catch the dust.

Run the electrical cable from the ceiling through the knockout hole in the pancake electrical box. Place the pancake box through the hole you just made and against the joist. Use a 5/16-inch nut-driver tip attached to a drill to fasten the box to the joist with the two 1 1/2-inch hex-head screws packaged with it.

Turn the ceiling medallion over to expose its back. Run a bead of urethane-based adhesive around the circumference of the medallion. Center the medallion over the pancake electrical box with the electrical wires coming through the middle of the medallion. Press the medallion into the ceiling to adhere the glue. In addition to the glue, drive finishing nails around the medallion's outer perimeter to fasten the medallion to the ceiling joists. Use a nail set to countersink the nail heads. Fill the holes with Spackle. Paint the medallion.

Run the wiring from the fan's motor through the fan's canopy. Allow the canopy to rest on top of the motor. Push the wiring through the fan's down-rod pipe. Twist the down-rod pipe into position on top of the motor. Tighten the square-head locking screw on the side of the pipe with a wrench.

Slide one side of the canopy over one end of the ceiling plate. Set the remote control transmitter in position in its bracket inside the canopy. Match the green wires on the fan with the bare wire coming from the ceiling. Connect them with a wire nut. Connect the white wires on the transmitter with the white wire from the ceiling with a wire nut, and then connect the black wires with a wire nut. Connect the black and white wires that come out of the transmitter to the fan's wiring in a similar manner. Tuck the wires inside the canopy as you push the other end of the canopy over the end of the ceiling plate. Fasten the fan to the ceiling with two canopy screws from the installation kit.

Use the screws in the installation kit to attach a fan blade to a blade iron. Fasten the blade irons to the motor with screws from the installation kit.

Plug the light fixture portion of the fan into the fan's motor. Put the shades on the fan and screw in the lightbulbs. Turn power back on to the fan.