Installing exhaust fan in drop ceiling


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Old 03-07-16, 05:54 PM
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Installing exhaust fan in drop ceiling

Hello - I am looking to install an exhaust fan/light combo with a drop ceiling. I have the fan show in this link.

NuTone 70 CFM Recessed Ceiling Mount Exhaust Fan with LED Lighting, ENERGY STAR 744LEDNT at The Home Depot - Mobile

Is it possible to install this with a drop ceiling? Can I attach the arms to the joists with wire or is there a better way? Or does this fan not work with a drop ceiling?

Thanks in advance!
 
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Old 03-07-16, 06:11 PM
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I would suggest you get a piece of 1/2 plywood and put that on top of your ceiling tile just to reinforce it a little bit. Make the cutout through both pieces. A lot of the time the top corners of the fixture will have some tabs that you can run your tie wire through. You will want the wire to take all the weight off the tile, so that the fan is almost completely suspended by the wire, barely resting on the tile.

If there are no tabs, just add a short sheet metal screw near each corner and wrap the tie wire around it. Your tie wires should go out at an angle, not straight up. So if your fan is say 12x12, your attachment points for your tie wire might be the corners of a square that measures 24x24.

Don't attach wire to the arms because they will twist.
 
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Old 03-09-16, 06:51 PM
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Thanks for the help. What gauge wire should I use?
 
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Old 03-09-16, 07:29 PM
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What amperage is the circuit it will be on? 12 ga if 20 amp, 14 ga if 15 amp. But that's a question for a electrician, which I am not.
 
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Old 03-10-16, 04:09 AM
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Sorry, I meant what gauge wire should I use to hang the ceiling fan. I have some left over from when I put up the ceiling. I was planning on just using that.
 
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Old 03-10-16, 04:40 AM
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Yes, that wire will be fine.
 
 

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