Ceiling Fan In Commercial T-Grid Drop (Suspended) Ceiling

[Talmadge]

This may be a bit overkill, but I'd hate for a ceiling fan to fall out of the ceiling. I'm currently finishing a project where the building is 40 years old, it's a red iron skeleton with a T-Grid suspended ceiling. It's a beauty salon and several of the girls wanted ceiling fans in their little suites. If my laser level would place the dot on the red iron Z-Purlin then I'd use a 3/8" beam clamp with 3/8" threaded rod attached to the clamp using a 3/8" Teflon nut as a jamb-nut against the beam clamp. I extended the rod to a fan rated 4/0 box on a T-Grid Caddy Bar Hanger. I drilled out the center hole to accommodate the 3/8" rod and attached the rod thru the center hole with a fender washer on both sides of the box and using two Teflon nuts, one on top of the box and one inside the box to sandwich the two washers to the box. The box is stabilized from side to side motion by the Caddy Bar Hanger clipped and screwed to the grid. The grid guy didn't use very many grid wires to hang the grid and I didn't want any weight of the fan being supported by the grid. Where the laser level didn't fall on a purlin, I cut a 2x4 and bolted it under two purlins with 3/8 bolts and drilled a 3/8" hole where the laser level pointed and did a Teflon nut on both the top and bottom of the 2x4 with fender washers top and bottom. The only thing that I thought was hinky, was I had to run the Caddy Bar Hanger to one side of the fan rated box instead of across the center because the threaded rod was in the way. But the Caddy Bar Hanger is not supporting and with and it's only there for standying from side to side motion.

What do you guys think? Overkill or did I do my due diligence?

 

[infinity]

I'd use a 3/8" beam clamp with 3/8" threaded rod attached to the clamp using a 3/8" Teflon nut as a jamb-nut against the beam clamp. I extended the rod to a fan rated 4/0 box on a T-Grid Caddy Bar Hanger. I drilled out the center hole to accommodate the 3/8" rod and attached the rod thru the center hole with a fender washer on both sides of the box and using two Teflon nuts, one on top of the box and one inside the box to sandwich the two washers to the box.

I think that you have it pretty well covered with the 3/8" rod, beam clamp, and the Caddy bar. The problem is that the box will need to be fan rated or you need to have the fan supported independently of the box.

314.27(C) Boxes at Ceiling-Suspended (Paddle) Fan Outlets.
Outlet boxes or outlet box systems used as the sole support of a ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan shall be listed, shall be marked by their manufacturer as suitable for this purpose, and shall not support ceiling suspended (paddle) fans that weigh more than 32 kg (70 lb). For outlet boxes or outlet box systems designed to support ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans that weigh more than 16 kg (35 lb), the required marking
shall include the maximum weight to be supported. Outlet boxes mounted in the ceilings of habitable rooms of dwelling occupancies in a location acceptable for the installation of a ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan shall comply with one of the following:
(1) Listed for the sole support of ceiling-suspended (paddle) fans
(2) An outlet box complying with the applicable requirements of 314.27 and providing access to structural framing capable of supporting of a ceiling-suspended (paddle) fan bracket or equivalent

 

[LarryFine]

There are fan-rated box kits made for suspended ceilings. Maybe better and maybe cheaper than your assembly.

 

[Tulsa Electrician]

Pulled these from caddy.
When we do them we add a piece of plywood above the tile. Rated wood when necessary.
If we need to span trusses,beam etc we use strut and secure to structure.

 

[ActionDave]

....If my laser level would place the dot on the red iron Z-Purlin then I'd use a 3/8" beam clamp with 3/8" threaded rod attached to the clamp using a 3/8" Teflon nut as a jamb-nut against the beam clamp.

If a purlin isn't right where you want the fan, span two purlins with unistrut.

 

[Talmadge]

I think that you have it pretty well covered with the 3/8" rod, beam clamp, and the Caddy bar. The problem is that the box will need to be fan rated or you need to have the fan supported independently of the box.

Yes, I used a fan rated box that accepts #10 machine screws to mount the fan bracket.

 

[Talmadge]

Pulled these from caddy.
When we do them we add a piece of plywood above the tile. Rated wood when necessary.
If we need to span trusses,beam etc we use strut and secure to structure.

I'll check with the supply house on the next one for these. I really like those and yes, probably more cost effective that what I did.

 

[Talmadge]

If a purlin isn't right where you want the fan, span two purlins with unistrut.

The interior walls were framed with 2x4's. I didn't have any unistrut on the job and it was 30 miles into town. The frame left a pile of scrap 2x4's on the job, so I just used that. Normally, I would use unistrut to spam the gap, but in this instance I used what was at hand what I had on the truck.

 

[Talmadge]

The only thing I was concerned about was using the Caddy Bar off of a regular T-Grid 4/0 fixture bar hanger. But there is no weight on it, it's only there for side to side stabilization and to give me the height off of the grid so the box hung flush with the ceiling tile without a gap between the bracket and the box.

 

[infinity]

The only thing I was concerned about was using the Caddy Bar off of a regular T-Grid 4/0 fixture bar hanger. But there is no weight on it, it's only there for side to side stabilization and to give me the height off of the grid so the box hung flush with the ceiling tile without a gap between the bracket and the box.

Not an issue. The box is supported to the building steel which is the main concern.

 

[Strathead]

Pulled these from caddy.
When we do them we add a piece of plywood above the tile. Rated wood when necessary.
If we need to span trusses,beam etc we use strut and secure to structure.

I use the single Caddy 512HD with a 3/8 rod. No clip the rod goes down through the slot in the bracket. Also use a piece of plywood above the tile cut to the same size. Don't feel the need for anything else. Only use the Caddy bracket because it make the height adjustment of the box easier. I think it might be a little overkill with the Caddy bracket as long as you use a piece of plywood above which I wouldn't skip. It is the one thing that makes sure the tile moves with the fan and doesn't get rounded out over the years.