Parts of a Ceiling Fan – 13 Labeled Parts, Blade to Canopy

All 13 parts on the diagram

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Start here: 7 main parts 7

Blade Pushes the air; five on this fan.
Motor housing The cover round the motor that turns the blades.
Downrod A metal pipe the fan hangs from; the wires run inside.
Canopy Covers the bracket and the wiring at the ceiling.
Pull chain Steps the fan through its speeds and off.
Light kit A light fixture fitted under the switch housing.
Mounting bracket Screwed to the outlet box; the fan hangs from it.

The fan 4

Blade iron Holds a blade and bolts it to the motor.
Switch housing Holds the switches and wiring; the light kit fits to it.
Reversing switch Changes which way the blades turn; stop the fan first.
Glass shade Covers the bulb in the light kit.

At the ceiling 2

Hanger ball Rests in the bracket’s socket so the fan can hang freely.
Outlet box The electrical box the bracket is screwed to.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-24. (1) Wikipedia, Ceiling fan, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceiling_fan : blades, blade irons (also blade brackets, blade arms, blade holders or flanges), motor housing, downrod, canopy, the ceiling mounting bracket, the ball-and-socket system with a hemisphere on the end of the downrod, switch housing, light kit, pull chains, a reversing switch on the switch housing. (2) A fan maker's installation and operation manual, https://image.hunterfan.com/42758.pdf : ceiling plate on the outlet box, downrod, pipe and ball, canopy, blade irons, switch housing, glass shades, pull chain, reversing switch, hanger ball. (3) A second maker's fan instructions, https://www.maximlighting.com/pdf/instruction/89905.pdf : hanger bracket and mounting bracket on the ceiling outlet box, the downrod ball placed in the bracket's socket, canopy, downrod, motor housing, blade brackets and blade arms, switch housing, light kit and its glassware, pull chain, the reversing slide switch. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site by script, 2026-09-24. Licence: own work

How it works

A ceiling fan hangs by a downrod from a mounting bracket on the outlet box, with a canopy over the joint. The motor housing turns the blades on blade irons; the switches sit underneath.

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What holds it up

The mounting bracket is screwed to the outlet box in the ceiling. The hanger ball on top of the downrod rests in the bracket, so the fan can hang freely, and the canopy slides up to cover them both.

Which way should it turn?

The reversing switch on the switch housing sets the direction. Forward blows air down, which feels cooler in warm weather. Reverse draws air up and moves warm air off the ceiling in cool weather. Let the blades stop first.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a ceiling fan called?

At the ceiling: the mounting bracket, hanger ball, downrod and canopy. Then the motor housing, with a blade iron holding each blade. Under the motor, the switch housing carries the pull chain and reversing switch, and often a light kit.

What is the downrod on a ceiling fan?

The metal pipe the fan hangs from. The hanger ball on its top rests in the ceiling bracket, and the fan's wires run down inside it to the motor.

What are the arms that hold ceiling fan blades called?

Blade irons, also called blade arms or blade brackets. Each one holds a blade and fixes it to the motor.