Ceiling Fans

Hi all-

With the girls second summer coming into view it has become clear to Aline and I that the girls are starting to sweat a bunch and wondered why -- because last summer - granted they where weeks/months old last summer - they had a ceiling fan in our room. A few weeks ago our favorite home improvement center had a fan sale - 20% off in stock fans. I wanted to keep the same neutral ceiling so a white fan was in order. Also I would like to keep the same textured look we had with our current ceiling lights -- that way they blend into the textured ceiling a little bit better. Well we found a ceiling fan that seemed to fit the bill and not cost what the other ceiling fans in the house cost -- Hunter Stratford II Textured White.

Thinking ahead I thought that 2 ceiling fans would fit the bill -- guest bedroom as well. Then finding the ceiling fan switches that are Hunter switches because the fans seem to work better with the manufactor of the ceiling fan. Then onto the electical isle -- 14/3. Well then we might wanna pickup the 14/2 and a couple of new boxes just in case we do the light operation on one switch and the fan operation on a different switch. Oh and we also need the re-enforced boxes that go into the attic so the ceiling fan doesn't come falling down in the room.

Then we go home. Installing ceiling fans are normally not a problem -- or they weren't a problem without twins. Installing ceiling fans with twins can be a challenge. Aline gave me 4 hours to completely install the ceiling fan. Which thinking about it shouldn't be a problem. That is if fishing the wire behind the wall is good, and putting all of the parts together on the wall is good. With the girls room fishing the wire turned out to be really easy. No problems. It took 3.5 hours to install the entire room and have it working on the first try -- not even switching the wires in the switch to make the light work on the correct switch. It also involved installing the 14/3 wire and removing the old 14/2 wire from behind the wall -- staples and all. And the girls where completely hip to the new fan in their room once it was done. They keep pointing at the fan and uttering a word that to them must mean fan.

Coming off that installation I thought well I know how I can shave some time off of the guest bedroom installation. I can assemble most of the fan pieces -- put those rubber grommits into the fan blades then installing the fan blades themselves. Also putting the fan motor with some of the support attachments. I figured with this room I could shave down the time to maybe 2 hours. Wrong. The fishing of the wire in the wall took 3 hours to get correct. Multiple holes drilled in the attic and a host of other fishing stories that I am sure everyone will understand. Lets just say -- thank goodness for a clothes hanger, a brass compression fitting, and some string. Then once I got more time it only took a hour to finish up the installation to the ceiling fan. If it had taken me the original 45 minutes to fish the wire as it did on the girls room and an hour to install the fan pre-assembled then it would have only taken me 1 hour and 45 minutes total. Some may balk that the pre-assembled parts time is not included in the total -- but you can do that sitting in front of the TV. Multitasking -- twins/children teach you that.

But I must say the fans look great and now we are going to do the other room as well. One more left for another time. Summer is upon us and the attic is very hot.

Having fun...