Ceiling Fan

[bryank930]

Ok. So not really a garage related question, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask.

First, a little backstory:
In my new-to-me house, the previous owners installed ceiling fans in all of the bedrooms. A couple of weeks ago, while I was installing light kits on the fans, I noticed that the blue wire for the lights must not have ever been hooked up, because the lights didn't work.

Now, today, I pull the fan down to connect the blue wire to power and notice something odd. Whoever installed this thing screwed the fan mounting bracket directly to the joist above and has the wiring coming through a hole in the sheetrock!!! No box whatsoever!

Now, my question is this. Can I just install a normal (not fan rated) box if the mounting bracket is already screwed directly to the ceiling joist?

I'd post a picture, but I forgot to take pics when I had the fan apart.

 

[Zeke]

I get myself in a bit of trouble taking a practical route in many cases. Technically, you need a fan rated box above a fan but if the desired location is directly under a joist then the fan ain't goin' nowhere. (All ceiling boxes for lighting must be rated to carry 50 lbs.)

However, the only box you could use in that circumstance is a pancake and they have little fill capacity.

 

[DC73]

Install a saddle box like this one:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_19841-53911...3819941&pl=1&Ntt=ceiling+fan+rated+outlet+box

DC