Ceiling fans are extremely common in many households, and there’s no chance that centralized systems are going to replace them anytime soon. If anything, they promote a more sustainable lifestyle with a smaller carbon footprint, which is not the case with air conditioning – also, they are a lot more affordable.
Ceiling fans were dwindling in popularity in the last decade, however recently with modern new styles, new technology (like smart ceiling fans) and super energy efficient motors are making them rise to fame yet again.
These sustainable designs include energy-efficient solutions, one of them being lights on the ceiling fan, saving you from having excess numbers of static lights in your ceiling. Not only do they often combine the functions of a light source and a cooling system, but they’re also often interchangeable to which is handy when you fancy a change and decide to redecorate your home.
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Are Ceiling Fan Light Kits Interchangeable?
Yes and no. Unfortunately there is not a simple answer to give you! There are many different companies that make ceiling fans, and many other companies that make light kits. Some of these light kits will fit some ceiling fans, whereas others will not. This is why it’s extremely important to check that your model of ceiling fan is suitable for the light kit your looking to purchase.
What are ceiling fan light kits?
In essence, the ceiling fan light kits add the ceiling lights onto your existing ceiling fan. This doubles up your fans purpose by making it a 2 in 1 appliance. With these kits, you can get the perfect cooling with elegant lighting built in.
The primary three kinds of ceiling fan light kits being:
- Branched out kits of stemmed kits that point up or down through the use of globes or cans
- Up-light kits will sit over the top of the fan and point towards the ceiling
- Shade kits or bowl kits that are usually attached at the bottom of the fan unit
All these kits include a variety of light sources. From LED and fluorescent, Edison bulbs to CFL and other bulbs, you can choose the suitable options for your fan based on compatibility and electrical wiring factors. To ensure that the ceiling kits are efficient, it’s best to make sure that you get Energy Star certified kits that save up to 60% energy.
Are Hunter ceiling fan light kits universal?
The term “universal” is often used with most ceiling light kits, but the viability of their “universal” application isn’t always true. Most times, the kits are only universal to their specific brand itself. This applies to Hunter ceiling fan light kits as well.
So, to put it simply, if you have a Hunter ceiling fan, to begin with, only then will their ceiling fan light kit be proper for you. It’s always best to stick to one manufacturer in any case. While a little mix and match are fine, the same brand will ensure that the warranty remains intact throughout the whole installation process.
When you’re looking for a ceiling fan light kit, its best start looking at light kits from the same company as your fan. Other kits will probably negate the warranty of the fan itself. However, getting light kits out of warranty or new fans gives you much more options when on the hunt for the perfect ceiling light kit, so this is something you’ll have to weigh up.
Can I change the light kit on my ceiling fan?
Yes, you can absolutely change the light kit on your ceiling fan all on your own. It’s easy to follow the process, and the kits are usually made to be easy to use for homeowners. The main thing you need to be focused on is to take care of yourself during the process by taking the necessary measures. However, if you’re not confident in doing this yourself, don’t risk it and get a handyman in to help.
Here are the steps to how you can easily change a light kit on your ceiling fan with no hassle:
- Turn off all electricity supply: Find the breaker panel for your house. Then turn off the circuit breaker which is connected to the ceiling fan itself. You can easily do this step by flipping the existing switch on the right side. Repeat this step for the switch in the room itself and make sure that the ceiling fan is off.
- Disassemble the existing light kit: Now, remove the light bulbs and globes carefully from the already installed light kit. You can perform this step by finding out where the screws are located, which hold up the light fixture in place. The kit will be equipped with the tools needed for this step, such as the screwdriver. Loosen up the screws and gently lower the kit away from the motor of the fan.
- Disconnect the wire: If the ceiling fan has wiring for both the fan the lights, you will see two wires connected to the light fixture itself. You can disconnect them by removing the wire nuts, which can be done by twisting the caps in a counterclockwise motion. Set these caps aside in a safe space.
- Take off the old light kit: After you’ve removed the caps, you must carefully pull the wires apart to remove the fixture itself. To make sure that you end up readjusting them in the right place, it is best to label them.
- Reconnect the wires with the new kit: Now, to successfully install the new light fixture, you need to follow the first three steps in reverse order. This means that you need to reconnect the wires in their places, screw back the caps you put aside, and voila! Make sure that the new light kit is attached securely and does not shift in places.
- Turn on the electricity supply again: The final step is to turn on the electricity supply again. You just need to go back to the circuit breaker and flip the switch back for this step. Then go to your room and check if the ceiling fan is working correctly.
Can you take a light kit off a ceiling fan?
Taking off the light kit from the ceiling fan is just as easy as connecting one to it. We’re going to make the procedure very simple for you. All you need is a screwdriver and be vigilant with the preventive measures before beginning the process. By following through with these steps, you can easily take a light kit off a ceiling fan.
- Firstly, you need to locate the breaker in your house and turn off the switch connected to the ceiling fan and light. Then go into the room and make sure that the ceiling fan wall switch itself is turned off as well.
- Then, proceed to take out light kit housing which is on the bottom of the fan. This whole part will be attached to the fan through three or even more screws. Use the screwdriver to remove them carefully, which will give you access to the wiring of the kit itself.
- Now, proceed to remove the white wires from the kit itself. For that, you need to precisely locate where the white wires are and how they’re connected to the light kit wire housing system. You will see that one will be running through the fan while the other runs through the kit itself.
- Unscrew the nut that is holding these two wires together. Then, the nut back over the white wire, which connects to the kit, is fixed to the ceiling fan. By doing so, you will be able to safely cover the bare end of the wire. Then, simply secure the wire in place through the use of electrical tape.
- Now, move on to disconnecting the black wires from the light kit. For that, you need to precisely locate where the black wires are and how they’re connected to the light kit wire housing system. You will see that one will be running through the fan while the other runs through the kit itself.
- Unbolt the nut that is holding these two wires together. Then the place the nut back over the black wire, which connects to the kit and is fixed to the ceiling fan. By doing so, you will be able to safely cover the bare end of the exposed wire. Then, simply secure the wire in place by using electrical tape.
- Disconnect the light kit from wire housing. To do this, simply take pliers and disengage the nut from the rod that has held the light kit in place with the cap. Then pull the kit gently from the cap and plug the knockout through a ½ inch knockout plug.
- Connect the light kit wire housing cap back to the ceiling fan. Now that the light kit I removed from the housing cap, you will see that it is used to cover the wire housing itself. Screw back the cap onto the ceiling fan by sing the screws we removed earlier.
- Now, you can turn back the electricity by flipping back the switch from the main circuit breaker panel. And voila! You now have your ceiling fan restored to its original shape.
Conclusion
Ceiling fan light kits mays seem intimidating at first, but if you learn to properly use them, you will see the number of opportunities they create for renovation projects.
The question of ‘are ceiling fan light kits interchangeable’ isn’t a straightforward answer, but the main thing to remember is to check your model of ceiling fan with the light kit to ensure compatibility. We hope that our article helped teach you how to install and uninstall fan light kits and even change them with every new season!