Dear Pat: I am planning to get a ceiling fan for my living room and I want to install it myself. There is light fixture in the center of the ceiling now. What is the best method to install the fan? — Marin V.

Dear Marin: Before you think about the installation method, first determine the size of ceiling fan you need and when you plan to use it most often. Most people use them for summertime cooling, but they are also effective to aid heating. During the winter, the rotation of the fan blades should be reversed so the blades force the air upward. During the winter, you should run the ceiling fan on low speed to gently circulate the room air so the warmest air does not stay up at the ceiling. For this use, the size of the ceiling fan is not critical; so just select one that looks good for the room.

Installing a fan of the proper size is more important for summertime cooling. Generally, a small fan, about 36 inches in diameter. Is adequate for a room under 12 feet in the longest dimension. For a typical living room, a 42-inch or a 52-inch ceiling fan would provide more cooling and comfort.

To install the fan, first switch off the electric power. You are lucky there currently is a light fixture in the location where you want to install the ceiling fan. That will eliminate the need to run new electrical wiring to the fan.

Fans do not use much electricity and, even with a multi-bulb light fixture attached to it, most existing wiring should be adequate. It is tempting to attach the fan support bracket directly to the conduit box in the ceiling, but first make sure the box is strong enough and supported well in the ceiling. Remember, it was initially designed to support only the weight of the light fixture, not a heavy ceiling fan.

If there is an attic above your living room, nail some new support lumber between the ceiling joists. Using screws, attach a strong conduit box to the support lumber. Once this is secure, the fan can be screwed to the conduit box.

If you have a two-story home and do not have access to the space above the living-room ceiling, you will have to install a support from below. There are special expandable supports that you can slide up into the hole in the ceiling. By twisting (unscrewing) the support, it gets longer until the ends are securely fastened between the joists in the ceiling. Attach everything to this support.

There will be a short downrod included with the ceiling fan. This is designed to position the fan blades at the proper distance — often 7 feet — from the floor for standard-height ceilings

For taller ceilings, purchase a longer downrod to bring the finished blade height to 7 feet.

Once the mounting bracket is attached to the ceiling, hang the fan-housing hook from it. This makes installing the fan a one-person job.

Attach the fan wiring to the existing light-fixture wiring using approved wirenuts. Make sure to keep the connections inside the conduit box. The black wire is usually hot, white is neutral and green is the ground wire.

Swing the fan housing up and screw it to the bracket. Install the blades, switch on the fan and cool off.

Send your questions to Here's How, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.