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How to Measure Replacement Glass for a Ceiling Fan Light

Kenneth Crawford

Ceiling fans with lights are attractive and add illumination to a room. However, the glass globes are a bit more fragile than they appear. Replacing a broken globe on a ceiling fan is a simple process once you know what size globe to purchase. Replacement globes are available at home improvement centers in a wide variety of styles and colors. After you measure for the replacement glass for a ceiling fan light, you might want to purchase a set of globes instead of just one so they match.

  1. Turn off the power to the ceiling fan. The circuit breaker in your home electrical system might turn off the power to the entire room or the wall where the ceiling fan switch mounts. Attempt to turn the ceiling fan on to ensure the power is off before taking measurements.

  2. Remove the lightbulb from the fixture and any remaining pieces of the broken globe. Wear heavy leather gloves and eye protection to prevent getting cut from broken pieces of glass and to protect your eyes from falling glass or dust.

  3. Measure the inside diameter of the bulb fixture with a tape measure. Measure from the inside of one side to the inside of the opposite side. This is the measurement for the fixture and what most manufacturers use when they place the measurement on the globe.

  4. Place the end of the tape measure into the bottom ledge of the fixture and measure to the outside of the fixture. The bottom ledge is the ledge before the rounded portion of the fixture. This is the depth measurement of the end of the globe fitting inside the fixture.