Just ignore it. Tada! You'll need to remove the fan to fix that and unless you point it out, no one will notice. Unless, when the fan is on it wobbles and whines.

I'd call a licensed electrician and get it done correctly. My bet is the box was not ever meant for a fan, and at one time was simply a surface mount light. You will ruin the fan ( and your ears) with wobble and noise, if it in fact remains UP there. Get a pro.

CEILING FAN-RATED ELECTRICAL BOX

Typical Size:
1/2" to 2-1/8” Deep

Usage:
Must be rated for ceiling fan mounting by UL in a UL-listed electrical box marked “For Use With Ceiling Fans.”May be a round or octagon shaped UL Listed box;Requires special fastening due to dynamic loading of rotating fan;Depending on assembly, may accommodate installation of ceiling fan and light fixture up to 75 pounds or more;

I smell installer error here.

I installed it exactly according to instructions in the manual, thankyouverymuch. This is an older house though so maybe it is the electrical box as Jan Moyer politely suggested. I did notice it was hanging about half an inch below the celing level but I am replacing a ceiling fan that had been hanging here for several years prior (in fact that older fan was heavier than this one) so I figured it wasn't a big deal.

Thank you for the comments.

"...I did notice it was hanging about half an inch below the celing level..."

Installation error confirmed.

If it's stable when you turn fan on, ignore

Wow. You gave some very helpful commets there, Joseph Corlett, LLC. (NOT) Now I know the worst place to get advice from.

Zactly why I didn’t respond to him further.

Yes, my comments were helpful and I stand by them. This fan suffers installer error, nothing more, nothing less. You get to choose whether or not you like what you post on Houzz, you don't get to choose whether or not you like the answers you get.

I have an obligation to tell the truth to readers whether or not it's what people want to hear. I've done so here.

Jeff K:

You can tell me to go away. You may even call me a "poopy-head", but it's obvious that you are incapable of articulating a rebuttal to my argument that this is exclusively installer error.

...and by the way, Joseph, did you read the Jan Moyer post? Did you notice a slight difference between her post and yours? She understands the concept of this site. She knew there was "installer error", yet she took the time and effort to share some of the things she LEARNED earlier on. That's what we need.

Joseph, how does it feel to not have to learn anything else at all? Omniscience must really be grand.

onlyforcraigslist82:

I suggest you reread Jeff K's original post:

"...that DOESN'T require me taking the fan back down."

This implies that he believed that it was installed correctly and that it just needed some sort of topical adjustment. It does not. The fan has been installed improperly. That means it must be TAKEN BACK DOWN and installed properly.

When the fan is TAKEN BACK DOWN, it will be obvious as to how to reinstall it properly.

When posters make impossible caveats in their posts, I will continue to call them on it unapologetically.

We had same problem. Basically box was too low to work with our fan. Maybe our gap was slightly smaller, and I was considering other options but we decided to just seal it.

We do have medallion with chandelier in same room but it didn't make sense to put it with modern fan. Maybe it is optin for you.

Joe don't go all "wheeler"

I replaced a couple of lights with fans and used medallions. Our texture finish is smooth so that might not work for you.

Jeff, most of the electrical fixtures I install are "one size fits all" so there is always something that just dosen't quite line up. Electrician or not...Good luck.

Thank you @wacokid and @sofikbr!

I think here are your 3 options:
- Leave it and eventually you won't notice it anymore.
- Seal it with paintable caulk and touch up with the same ceiling paint. I would do this if you don't want to take the fan down. Especially if the gap created air leak to the attic!
- Take the fan down and either re-adjust the electrical box or install a new one.

Hey, Jeff K. I had the same problem and found the remedy. I did, in fact, have to take the fan down. The electrical box that was up there was too far down from the ceiling.

They make boxes that don't go down as far as the original box. They are "thinner".
When I replaced the original box with the "thinner" box and replaced the same ceiling fan, it was flush to the ceiling. Just make sure to take the old box with you when you get the new "thinner" box to ensure that they are the same diameter. I really hope this helps.

Sorry, onlyforcraigslist82, Jeff K, in his original post, specifically required a solution that "...DOESN'T require me to take the fan back down". Your solution does. It's probably your tone.

Go get a life Joe

You're HILARIOUS, Joseph Corlett. LLC. Seriously, though....why are you on here?

onlyforcraigslist82:

Fair enough question.

I enjoy helping people even if my words aren't what they want to hear. It has been my experience that often the most valuable information we get is that which we don't want to hear.

I get a lot of clicked "thank you's" in my email and a few phone calls for clarification of things I've posted. These people thank me profusely. One even sent me a Starbucks gift card.

You. Didn’t. Offer. Help. You just jerkily said ‘installation problem.’

Does anyone (besides Joseph Corlett LLC) know if it’s possible to delete this entire post? Sick of seeing this guy posting on it.

just ignore it, don't click on it........and eventually it will die a death as do all stupid threads.

You can click at the bottom not to be notified about new comments...

Despite the "expert" insight from professional troll Joseph Corlett LLC, you can easily fix the situation without removing the fan by using a two-piece medallion. Here's an example. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Westinghouse-16-in-Split-Design-White-Finish-Ceiling-Medallion-7703400/203077472

Brian: You are correct. This meets the OP's requirements to fix the problem without removing the fan. Good on ya.

Rope Caulk. CanCanthis siteb

Rope caulk? For a 1/2" gap between popcorn ceiling and a thin edge of chromed sheet metal?

People come here for real advice, not amateur handyman hacks that won't work.

There's nothing for that caulk to anchor to, and even if it did, it would look like warmed over doo-doo.