How to Disassemble a Ceiling Fan for Painting

When painting a room, sometimes it is necessary to disassemble the ceiling fan for proper paint coverage. On average, a fully-assembled ceiling fan weighs 15 to 50 pounds. Because of its weight, a ceiling fan must be disassembled in sections. Most ceiling fans are available with or without light kits. Globes or glass shades are used to cover the light bulbs on the bottom of the fan. When taking apart the ceiling fan, use caution when removing the globes or glass shades as they are extremely fragile.

Step 1

Turn off the power to the ceiling fan, at the circuit breaker, before starting.

Step 2

Remove the light bulbs and globes. Unscrew three screws on each globe, that are holding the globe in place.

Step 3

Remove the light kit. This is the section where the bulbs screw into the unit. Remove the screws on the top section. Pull down the light kit slowly and disconnect the wire nuts that are used to connect the lights to the unit.

Step 4

Take off the fan blades by unscrewing the blade arm from the unit. The blade arm holds the blade and connects it to the unit.

Step 5

Hold the canopy securely with one hand while unscrewing the four screws that hold the canopy in place. Use a firm grip on the canopy to ensure that it will not fall down. After all of the screws are removed, pull down the canopy.

Step 6

Keep the fan parts together to ensure proper reassembly. Store all of the parts in another room to avoid paint damage.