I have a residential customer who wants 2 ceiling fans installed. The ceiling is 2' grid t-bar, dropped about 2' below the flooring timbers - concealing plumbing and heating for the upstairs.

I guess I could do a common fan box with a long downrod and a hole throught the tile, but it would look tacky - no canopy cover....

Anyone done this? Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks!

Caddy makes a T-Bar Fan bracket.

I can't find it online, but I have three Carlon suspended-ceiling fan boxes. They support the weight with a length of chain, and have arms that attach to the grid to prevernt torque-induced rotation.

I'll see if I can find a part number for you. Something like this:

Larry,

Good way to do it except, someone installed the ceiling at 2 inches, so now he will be mounting below the ceiling, I don't how they get the tiles out, without damage with only 2 inch clearance, well, those instructions for ceiling installation, were only printed because the manufacture, had a lot of ink, and paper laying around.

LK....I thought it was 2 feet.....

I belive, it's 3 1/2 inches min. clearance.

LK




Bob

........I was right ?............alert the media

Yes, and he did say long down rod, but residential, when he said hide pipes for upstairs, i am thinking basement, if it's 2 ft. that must be some basement, now it may be the first floor of 10ft ceiling, but most of the time we run into problems with too little clearance in basement, hope he comes back to let us know, but it may be the 2 ft because he did say long rod, the other confusing thing is, have to go thru ceiling, with 2 ft he has plenty of space, the no canopy cover is what has me thinking too close.



[This message has been edited by LK (edited 01-28-2006).]

If it is really only a few inches up to the hard ceiling I would mount the box to truss and let it poke through the Tbar panel.

Take the panel out, locate your mounting spot, cut the ceiling panel and reinstall it, then put the box in the hole and screw it in.

If it is the 2ft and not 2" then Larry Fine's
dwg will work just fine, and no problem getting canopy cover on, the thing that threw me off was no canopy cover.

Thanks for all the responses gang!

I like Larry's solution.... It is first floor - 10 foot room with 2 foot dropped tiles (sorry I used the ' instead of foot - it does look a lot like " when I'm tired!). I've done the basement thing before - troffers and damn near 0 clearance.... Of course, I don't want to support the weight on the t-bar, and can get up to the flooring timbers above for a real anchor. Getting the fan box down to tile level solves the canopy problem as well.

Now, if Larry can come up with a mfg. and part no., I'll see if I can get a couple of them up here in the woods of Maine <grin>. Supply house(s) in Portland are co-operative, but lots of shipping, special order, no return stuff.....

I think I'll take care of a few of the flying splices while I'm at it - we see some amazing things up here! Maybe take a photo to stir up some discussion! Found some zip cord running out of an outlet, up behind 3/4 inch v-match paneling, along under crown moulding, thru a wall to feed a hall light.

Carpenter installed new water heater at owner's request, then asked me how full it needed to be before he turned on the breaker...... Breakers were "locked out" with silver lockout tape at panel and at heater location. New top element solved that problem.......

[This message has been edited by grover (edited 01-28-2006).]

I'll run out to my storage shed tomorrow and check the box for a part number. Be sure to remind me.

Thanks Larry - I'll be watching.....

Since you are only 2 " from a structural wood ceiling, why don't you lag on some additional wood to the existing ceiling as a furring method and then attach your box to that?

Whoops, I turned 2' into 2" also. In the 2' scenereo, you can use a threaded rod screw in hanger, (3/8") and a piece of 3/8" rod down to your fan rated box. That caddy bar is the bomb also for the sway.

Does anyone have a part # for the Caddy? I assume it works to stop sway and torque, but Google doesn't get me anywhere.... I need to order them tomorrow - can take a week to get a special order up here.....

Thanks.

I have never used one but look at B-Line’s BA50F. http://www.b-line.com/pdf/catalogs/ProductInformation/BLF05-PDF-WebPI/AT-RediMountFanHanger.pdf

Curt

Thats it caselec, I've used these in a commercial bldg and they work fine. I used T-Bar wire instead of chain though, it is more stable that way.

Got it! Thanks guys! I'll be on the phone to my supply house firts thing in the AM. I've hung a lot of troffers in commercial when I was in San Jose, but now it mostly resi here in Maine....

Agree about the wire too....

Grov