Types of Ceiling Fan Boxes

Octagon Metal Ceiling Box

• This type of box is a single piece of drawn steel that is commonly used to house the electrical wires and mount the ceiling fan to. These boxes can be 1-1/2 inches to 2-1/8 inches deep. The metal box is screwed to a ceiling joist or a lateral support that is tied into parallel ceiling joists. The metal box has two mounting screws on the corners.

Octagonal Metal Box With a Brace

• If the ceiling fan box is being installed in an existing house, the octagonal metal ceiling fan box can have a brace that extends between the ceiling joists and is screwed into each ceiling joist to support the weight of the fan. The box depths are either 1-1/2 inches or 2-1/8 inches. The braces come in 16 inches on center or 24 inches on center.

Metal Pan Boxes

• Metal pan boxes are round ceiling fan boxes that are mounted directly to the ceiling joists. These boxes are 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep. These are typically installed in new construction homes where typical depth ceiling boxes cannot be used such as beam attachments.

PVC Ceiling Joist Mount Box

• This type of box is made out of PVC and has a notch in the middle of the box that is 1-1/2 inches wide and 2-1/8 inches deep. This box is mounted at the top of each side of the ceiling joist through the side mounting holes of the box.