[petersoneb]

I just moved into a new apartment that has no ceiling fan in the bedroom, but I was told by the manager that it's fine to install one. When I removed the cover plate in the ceiling I see some kind of plastic tubular mount with small outer holes where the plate was screwed in and two larger inner holes with screws already in them.

The fan I bought has two 3" wooden screws with washers and a round metal mount with rubber noise dampeners. I'm not sure exactly how this mount needs to be screwed in or if I'm set up properly to do this. The wood screws are too thin to screw into the large inner holes and also too long (you can feel them start to hit wood or something and resists turning). They are too large to fit into the holes that the cover plate used. If I try using the existing screws that are in the wide holes in the ceiling there is not enough length to go through the round mount and into the screw holes.

The articles and videos I have searched through do not seem to address this problem I'm having. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Leah Frances]

Unless that's a ceiling fan rated box you're going to have to change it. Can't believe your LL will let you do this. Most places it would be illegal.

Nice overspray BTW.

 

[petersoneb]

Unless that's a ceiling fan rated box you're going to have to change it. Can't believe your LL will let you do this. Most places it would be illegal.

Nice overspray BTW.

If you mean the paint, that's standard practice for apartments from what I've seen.

From what I'm reading it looks like the plastic boxes aren't rated for ceiling fans. Seeing as how much trouble I'm having with this I'm considering just returning the fan and getting a portable one.

 

[Leah Frances]

If you mean the paint, that's standard practice for apartments from what I've seen.

From what I'm reading it looks like the plastic boxes aren't rated for ceiling fans. Seeing as how much trouble I'm having with this I'm considering just returning the fan and getting a portable one.

Yeah, apartments will paint a cockroach on the wall.

Sorry about the ceiling fan. But you are probably better off....

 

[jbfan]

That looks like a saddle box.
The two phillip head screw appear to mount to the ceiling joist.
If you remove the 2 screws, does the box seem like it will come out?

If so, then you can mount the fan to the ceiling joist, and be code compliant.

 

[Willie T]

Yeah, apartments will paint a cockroach on the wall.

And your point? You speak as though there's something wrong with that. They add character and strength to the finish........ don't they? :yes:

 

[petersoneb]

That looks like a saddle box.
The two phillip head screw appear to mount to the ceiling joist.
If you remove the 2 screws, does the box seem like it will come out?

If so, then you can mount the fan to the ceiling joist, and be code compliant.

Ah, I followed this idea and found this:

http://www.ehow.com/how_6005759_install-ceiling-fan-saddle-box.html

I tried mounting with the existing screws but they were too short to make it through both the recess in the fan mount and the recess in the saddle box. The two wood screws it came with are narrower than the existing opening but I was able to screw them in half of the way. Looks like I would need to drill pilot holes and dig into the wood to get any farther with them.

My question is, do you think I should get longer versions of the existing screws than the ones I've got, or should I drill a hole farther into the wood and use the wood screws?

By the way, I didn't sense any give in the box when I removed the screws, but I didn't put much pressure on it. I'll take another look.

Thanks for your help.