Please read the Disclaimer on the About page for information on ceiling fan safety and how to use this site.
I have installed hundreds of ceiling fans. Some are heavier than others, some are incredibly lightweight. The worst lesson I had to learn was about electricity and to always double check that the power was off before I began the project. There’s nothing more electrifying than when I have touched a “live” wire with my hand, up a ten foot ladder trying to install a ceiling fan. I am joking, this is not a fun experience. Please be very careful!
If you are not confident with heights or are not able to lift roughly 20-35 pounds above your head, please do not perform these steps.
To properly remove an old ceiling fan you’ll need the following tools.
Tools Needed:
- A stubby Phillips head screwdriver
- A standard length Phillips head screwdriver
- An appropriate sized ladder (for you to be able to reach the ceiling comfortably)
- A quality pair of wire strippers – I use a pair of Channel lock wire strippers. (Insert link: https://www.channellock.com/product/908/)
- An assortment of wire nuts. Orange or Yellow (wire size 14-22) is what you need. You normally do not want to re-use these from the old ceiling fan. These plastic caps have metal threaded inside them to complete the connection between the wires coming out of the ceiling and the wires coming out of the fan. When used, it twists the threads and wires together, it usually distorts the metal inside the wire nut.
- A flashlight or even better a headlight (If the fan was your only source of light in the room.)
Now the first step may sound counterproductive but it is the best way to know when you have officially turned off the power to the ceiling fan.
Step One
Turn on the fan. Get the blades moving or turn on the light kit. I know, right? Keep reading.
Step Two
Go to your Fuse box or Breaker box. It will look like this: (Insert picture of Breaker box examples) The previous owner may have already labeled each breaker switch for you. If not it is a good idea to label them for future projects. FYI, these switches will automatically “break” or switch off when the fuse is overloaded, it’s a safety feature of your home. Switch off the breaker and go in to check to see if the fan is now off. The blades will be slowing down or the light kit will be off. I like to leave the door open and yell into the house, to my wife, “Did it turn off?!”
Step Three
Let’s begin by removing the light kit (If no light kit, go to step Four):
Remove the glass and light bulbs. Light kits come in two styles, bowl or 3 or 4 individual glass shades.
For most bowls there is a cap holding it in place, UN-thread it and lower the bowl from the light fitter. Set aside, away from your working area.
For a 3 or 4 individual glass kit, remove the light bulbs, then UN-thread the set screws holding the individual glass shades in place.
Now that the light bulbs and all glass is removed, locate the screws holding the light fitter. Once all screws are removed gently wriggle the light fitter left and right, while gently pulling down. It will separate from the housing. Inside the housing is either a plug or individual wires connected with wire nuts. If it is a plug, gently or sometimes not so gently wriggle the plug out. If it is wire nuts, UN-screw the nuts, discard wire nut, and pull wires from one another by holding the plastic coating on each wire.
Step Four
Now, remove the blades from the body of the old ceiling fan. I use the standard size screwdriver for this part of the removal. Each fan blade is held in place with two screws. Use one hand to steady the blade and the other hand to remove the screws. Repeat this step until all blades have been removed and set aside.
Step Five
I use the stubby Phillips head screwdriver to get at these screws, they can be a bother sometimes. Remove and lower the canopy from the ceiling. The canopy is really a decorative piece that is only “hiding” the hanging system which is the real item that is attached to the ceiling. Sometimes a fan doesn’t have a ball hanger and the canopy itself is holding the fan up with the hardware mount inside the canopy. Brands of ceiling fans have different setups for the canopy. Sometimes there is a plastic ring hiding the screws that keep it in place, the ring is just held in with plastic tabs. Pull the ring down to expose the screws. Sometimes the screws are in plain sight. Once you have spotted the screws and removed them, the canopy will lower down the rod and rest on top of the old ceiling fan body.
Step Six
UN-screw the wire nuts within the hanging system and pull the wires apart while holding onto the plastic coating of each wire.
Step Seven
The fun part! Time to take down the old ceiling fan body!
The old ceiling fan downrod has a black ball at the top of it, that is resting in the concave saddle of the hanging system. Place one hand under the body of the fan and the other hand around the downrod. Now, lift it all upward a few inches and move out and away from the hanging system. Carefully come down the ladder, holding the fan off to one side of the ladder. Set the old ceiling fan away from the project area.
Step Eight
Removing the hanging system. Use the standard Phillips head screwdriver to remove the two long screws holding the hanging system to the junction box in the ceiling. Now you can gently pull the hanging system from the ceiling. Be careful not to force it away from the ceiling as it may pull paint away around the hole.
You now have successfully removed everything from the old ceiling fan and are left with a hole in your ceiling! You do not want to push the wires coming out of the ceiling back in, just because it looks bad. You may not be able to get them back out if you shove them into the ceiling. Simply cap each wire with a wire nut and allow the small amount of wiring to hang from out of the hole. This will make installing the new ceiling fan much easier.