I'm hoping someone has gone through or done ceiling fan installation in a dropped ceiling home. I currently have a light fixtures in the center of each bedroom. I'd like to remove the light and replace them with lighted ceiling fans and utilizing the existing wiring. Disclaimer. I've haven't looked above the dropped ceiling to see how the ceiling is supported, so a bit of speculation. The light fixtures are secured directly to the hardiflex. I suspect that the fans are too heavy and can not be suspended directly from the hardiflex due to weight, but must be mounted to the concrete above the dropped ceiling. I'm curious how fans are installed and supported with the construction used in the Philippines. I plan to install 4 or 5 of them. Thanks.
You need a ceiling fan box made for suspended ceilings; I did a quick search on Lazada and they don't carry anything close. You could make something out of wood or have someone fabricate something. Just remember it needs to be a metal octagon box AND must attach to the runners or the vibration will eventually drop the fan on your head. Another option would be to anchor into the concrete and drop at least 2 all thread (threaded rod) to support the metal box...the shorter the distance from the concrete deck to the suspended ceiling the better. Shawn
Thanks for the reply. The picture you show looks very similar to what is used in the US to span two ceiling joist, but no hanging cable. For the upstairs fans, I could probably use something like that to span the runners and cutout in the hardiflex. The first floor has concrete above the the hardiflex. It would nice if they built something like that but bent 90 degrees with length adjustment to mount to the concrete floor, but hanging from thread rod might also do the trick. I'm not looking reinvent the wheel, so hoping I'm not the first person to do this in the Philippines and someone knows the best was to do this. Maybe I'm asking too much? lol
It is really difficult to say how your house was built and there are a couple different methods for doing suspended ceilings with a concrete deck. I'm attaching a pic of a "hat channel" or "metal furring strip". These can be attached directly to the concrete deck or hung with clips with heavy wire. If this is what was used and anchored to the concrete, you can just anchor a metal box to the deck and are good to go. If they are hung, then a 2X4 across the channel, metal box and then 2 screws straight through the center of the channel into the 2X4 should be good to go. I would love to see a picture of what is above your suspended ceiling; then I could recommend the best way. When we built our house, all light/fan boxes were metal and in the concrete deck. For the Bamboo/wood guest house I ordered the correct ceiling fan boxes from the States. Shawn
Thanks! I'm back in the USA and my sister in law and her kids live in the place. Not sure if they are up to looking above the ceiling. It may have to wait for my next visit in December.
