[Speed Gibson,
Monday October 9, 2006 at 12:21am]
Another Ceiling Fan, Another Post
We put in a new ceiling fan this weekend. I keep thinking that one day I will be able to do one of these without incident. But this makes I believe fan #5 for my current abode, and nothing has changed.
In the ceiling fan business, ease of installation is last priority. "Wouldn't it be cute if we add a decorative flange where the blades attach to the motor?" someone must have said. "Sure, go ahead." That these flanges get in your way trying to do an already difficult balancing act, all upside down, doesn't figure in the decision.
"Oh, and I got this great deal on wire! Yes, it's so slippery you can hardly strip it, a lot of fun way up by the ceiling. Yes, it's about one gauge too small, but what a deal"
"What parts are we leaving out in this model? You know we always do!" This time it was the wire nuts, only two of the three required. (If I wired the lamp separately, I'd need four.) But for one connection I needed a larger one anyway, which I had in stock.
But ceiling fans are purchased on looks alone. There are no market advantages for the well-designed or the easy to install, not even for including all the parts required.
Maybe someone should have a web site of difficult to install products.
In the ceiling fan business, ease of installation is last priority. "Wouldn't it be cute if we add a decorative flange where the blades attach to the motor?" someone must have said. "Sure, go ahead." That these flanges get in your way trying to do an already difficult balancing act, all upside down, doesn't figure in the decision.
"Oh, and I got this great deal on wire! Yes, it's so slippery you can hardly strip it, a lot of fun way up by the ceiling. Yes, it's about one gauge too small, but what a deal"
"What parts are we leaving out in this model? You know we always do!" This time it was the wire nuts, only two of the three required. (If I wired the lamp separately, I'd need four.) But for one connection I needed a larger one anyway, which I had in stock.
But ceiling fans are purchased on looks alone. There are no market advantages for the well-designed or the easy to install, not even for including all the parts required.
Maybe someone should have a web site of difficult to install products.