How do you get a ceiling fan to be able to plug into a wall socket?

Question

I have a basic ceiling fan and a new home, not new construction but new to me. The problem is when we had our electrician friend come over to install our other ceiling fans we discovered thre was no power source to the ceilings. Needless to say he installed power to most of the ceilings but to get to the attic in the master bedroom would take an act of God. (which we don't have the time or money for at this time) I wanted to know if there was a way to connect a power cord to the fan and swag it across the ceiling to a power outlet in the wall. Do such things exist? If they do where can I purchase them and how do I get it to work with the fan that I have already, or do I need to purcahse a special model? HELP!

Answer 1

It can be done, and without too much difficulty. Fans are heavy, and must be suspended from a ceiling joist. You can use a stud finder (about $10) to find one in the vicinity of where you want the fan. Get a steel box of a size to which the fan can be attached; it will have knockouts, and knock out one of the small ones on a side. Get an appropriate power cord and a fitting to secure the cord in the knockout. (Fittings for non-metallic cable are what you want for this.) Install the fitting, attach the box securely to the ceiling, and string the cord from the box to an appropriate wall outlet. Put a few hooks in the ceiling to help support the cord. Connect the fan wires to the cord, and hang the fan. You're done.

You need to devise a way to blast your way into the attic. You may be able to cut a hole in the ceiling in a closet or in the hall; you can trim up the opening so that it looks nice. My house had no such access, and I required one to fix an electrical problem; I wound up going through the light box on the kitchen ceiling. Once you have done so, you could re-do the fan to be a cleaner (and more code-worthy) installation.

Answer 2

Plug In Ceiling Fan

Answer 3

You can wire any fan with a swag. You don't need a special model. The only problem would be getting the wire through the fancy collar, but you CAN drill a hole in it and put a 'grommet' in it to protect the wire.

Go to a hardware store and get some swag chain, some 14gauge appliance wire, and a plug to put on the end of it. String the wire through the swag chain.

Set it up, Mount the fan on the ceiling, wire the fan CORRECTLY with the wire, hooking it into the wires that are specifically installed in the fan to the "HOT" wire, neutral, and ground wire.

If you don't know what that MEANS, get someone to do it that DOES know, and will do it properly.

Then string the swag chain with wire across the ceiling and down the wall, making sure it is NOT in the way of the fan blades, then when it is safe to do so, plug it in, and enjoy your new ceiling fan.

Answer 4

You could easily connect a ceiling fan to a socket.

1. Find the +, -, and ground coming out from the mount of the ceiling fan.
2. Buy an extension cord from Home Depot or wherever and cut the female end off. (Make sure the extension cord has the 3rd line for the ground)
3. Buy 3 wire ties and splice the + from the ceiling fan to the + of the extension cord. - to - and ground to ground
4. Purchase something to keep the extension cord up on the ceiling (might be able to get away with the same things cable installers use to keep the cables tidy against the walls)

Answer 5

You can buy a ceiling fan that already has a cord that plugs into the wall. Yes, you would guide it across the ceiling and down the wall the the outlet. You can buy these types of ceiling fans just about anywhere, including Wal-Mart.

Answer 6

My in-laws did exactly what you are asking about. Just wire an extension cord to the fan wires. Read the fan instructions for polarity but black to black, white to white and green to green should work. If the fan doesn't have a switch you can buy and extension cord with a switch to turn on & off the fan. Be careful to use wire nuts and/or electrical tape on the connections and don't cut though the cord insulation when you secure the fan to the ceiling.

Answer 7

I am not aware of any ceiling fans that can be altered to do what you are asking....You need to be able to wire the fan to either an open swith, which will take some work to pull the wires to the location. If you have an overhead light on the ceiling you simply remove the fixture and use the same wires to wire the fan to. It is easier than you think to do this. Have an electrician come in and do the wiring for you...It is cheap for them to do this.

Answer 8

I have never myself seen this. Without seeing the house I say try to run a snake to your beedroom in the attic. You can run an extension cord from your fan to a plug on the wall, but I don't know if an electrician will do this. If it's done right it be just like a toster, coffee pot, or a refrigerator.

Answer 9

The fan has a black and white "power cord". You splice it to a real cord you can find at any hardware store, even Wal Mart. Then plug it in to the wall. Make sure you have the polarity right. If the fan has a green line or a ground then you need a 3 prong power cable to splice to. I think most modern fans have ground.

Answer 10

Your question is not going to get any better just because you keep asking it!!!

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