Are ceiling fans effective ?

[Big Boy]

Anyway, thought we would check out Big kiang,

Be very careful. A ceiling fan fitted by Big Kiang has been our only bad experience with shops/tradesmen since our arrival 4 months ago. Our house builder told us after fitting that she would not be liable for the ceiling falling in if the fan was switched on - the fitting was totally unsafe.

We went back to Big Kiang to complain. The boss lady gave the fitter a megga bollocking in front of everybody and said they would fix it. This was obviously a huge loss of face. The fitter came back to the house about an hour later (I guess looking for an argument), saw there were a lot of people at the house, and simply turned his van around and drove off again without even getting out of his cab.

I paid for a proper fitter to come around. He identified that not only was the fixing unsafe, the electrical work needed re-doing as well. The cost of rectification was negligible. However the potential damage/injury the faulty installation could have caused is unthinkable.

We now avoid Big Kiang.

[pharvey]

^ Surprised to hear BB - I've only got good things to say about BK as most of our stuff came from there... although admittedly not had ceiling fans...

[chopsticks]

Ceiling construction usually consists of a few gypsum boards screwed to lightweight suspended aluminum strips which hang from the roof steelwork on wires or steel rods.
It can just about support some lightweight luminaires but not the weight and movement of a ceiling fan.
BK installed some air-cons for us and did a good job, guess it just depends on who gets to do the job.

[Big Boy]

^ Surprised to hear BB - I've only got good things to say about BK as most of our stuff came from there... although admittedly not had ceiling fans...

I had only heard good things myself. Thankfully I had the problem sorted for not many Baht (can't remember exactly how much) - the fan is now in daily use on our front porch.

[PeteC]

BB, do you recall what he did to reinforce the ceiling to make the installation safe? Pete

[Big Boy]

It was all done out of my view, but my house builder was happy with what he did.

[Dahling]

^ Surprised to hear BB - I've only got good things to say about BK as most of our stuff came from there... although admittedly not had ceiling fans...

I had only heard good things myself. Thankfully I had the problem sorted for not many Baht (can't remember exactly how much) - the fan is now in daily use on our front porch.

I agree with pharvey, but with a place the size of Big Kiang and considering the amount of business they must do, it would be astonishing if there were not one or two blots on the landscape from time to time.

[Big Boy]

OK, but its 2 out of 2 for me - the initial fitting, and the aborted rectification. Be warned, that same fitter is still working there - I've seen him as I've driven past.

[Nereus]

OK, but its 2 out of 2 for me - the initial fitting, and the aborted rectification. Be warned, that same fitter is still working there - I've seen him as I've driven past.

Sorry, but I cannot agree with putting Big K down, and I would be the first to complain about shoddy workmanship.
Did you inform the management that the fitter did not repair it? I am willing to bet that he went back to the shop and told them that it was fixed.

I know, I know, it is not worth the frustration, but it is exactly for this reason that this type of thing continues to happen. The shop already tried to rectify it, and you have not given them the chance to stand by their reputation by employing somebody else.

It`s a little like putting crap on a restaurant because one waiter gives bad service.

[Big Boy]

Nereus, I am still without transport most of the time (still waiting on my well overdue car). It is not always easy/convenient to keep returning to the place you bought something to complain. In this case I had somebody coming to do some other work, and employed him to do fix the ceiling fan as well.

I'd already done the decent thing and advised them of the problem. I am not going to continue chasing shoddy service.

[Green Nomad]

Thanks BB for the very important advice about Big Kiang, I was afraid of that myself.

However in the past I lived and worked in Spain for two years, and one of the jobs I was doing included installing ceiling fans, but that was to put in place to an existing light fitting, but also the ceilings there were mostly the very same sort of construction as here, although they tended to use hessian wrap and cola to hang the board. There never seemed to be a question on strength of the fitting. The system we used to use was the type of screw bolts with the splaying legs, that was all. When ours were fitted here they used a foot long wooden beam to spread the load. The most important thing is that the whole fan is balanced correctly so no wobbling movement to put stress on the ceiling.

I would fit myself if it wasnt for the awkward electrical installation involved. But if I chose to go with Big Kiang will have to watch what they do very closely. GN.

[chopsticks]

After installation it may be necessary to retighten the fan blade screws and mounting bolts every 6 months or so in case they have worked loose.

[Green Nomad]

Good point Chopsticks, not really thought of that, but you would think it could happen and become a matter to have to deal with. GN