Hanging ATI Sunpower to Cieling

reice05 · 08/28/2010, 09:34 AM

Just got my ATI and now I need to hang it. I haven't checked to see if studs were directly above the tank yet hopefully there are, but if that's not the case I heard I could just use some toggle bolts and hang it directly to the ceiling. Anyone know if that's true and if the ceiling is strong enough to hold the light up?? The fixture weighs around 25lbs, or does anyone have any pointers or advice on hanging light fixtures??

MandM · 08/28/2010, 09:44 AM

You are going to need to attach to a rafter up there, don't rely on a molly in the sheetrock alone.
Look at Home Depot and how ceiling fans are mounted.

reefsurfing · 08/28/2010, 09:51 AM

uhmmm I just got plastic anchors the kind you screw in with a screw driver and they hold more then enough of the weight 75lbs im sure thats shear force and not hanging weight. So, I tested it before I hung the 6x54 I have and its worked out great. Just a Thought.

No, I wouldnt use mollies either

WGardiner · 08/28/2010, 09:58 AM

I screwed two 2"x4" between two rafter where the hanging mount was going. I didn't want to trust plastic ancors or mollie bolts to keep my sunpower from falling in the tank. Its a bit of work to put the 2x4's in the attic but I sleep at night knowing the light isn't going for a swim.

mrbill24 · 08/28/2010, 03:29 PM

If there are only two cables holding the fixture to the ceiling, thats ~12.5 lbs per side. I'm not sure I'd want drywall to take that kind of load unless it is spread out over a decent sized area. How much room in the attic above the tank? If it was me, I'd crawl in the attic and either install a 2x4 between the rafters, or use some big fender washers. If you don't have the room to do that, you could always make a test panel. Get a small sheet of drywall and your chosen fastener. Hang a weight on the thing and see and see how it does.

reice05 · 08/28/2010, 07:28 PM

Yea i wish i could add a 2x4 to a beam in the attic its just that i live in a condo and i think the attic access is in a neighbors unit but he's a a**hole and i dont talk to him at all.

adamfajge · 08/30/2010, 06:52 PM

Don't you have studs in the ceiling where you want to hang it?

reice05 · 08/30/2010, 07:35 PM

Nope no studs above the tank but I ended up using 2 L brackets and mounting it to the wall and hanging the light from the brackets

d0ughb0y · 08/30/2010, 07:46 PM

I did this same research before. You'd be surprised how much weight ceiling drywall can hold. Get the toggle bolts, the package will tell you how much vertical and horizontal weight it can take for a given drywall thickness. It will be way way more than 12.5 lbs. You won't regret hanging your fixture to the ceiling. It looks better than hanging on wall brackets. If you don't have a hanging kit, premium aquatics sells one.

rayn · 08/30/2010, 08:08 PM

I've bought anchor before that have 100 lbs ratings that screw into the drywall from the ceiling and used them on the wall for my plasma. I hung on them after mounting the bracket to them and they didn't budge.

d0ughb0y · 08/30/2010, 09:23 PM

I looked up my old post, and I got the same anchor bolt. rated 100 lbs each on wall and 50 lbs each on ceiling.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=19

I found out during my research that the actual capacity is tiwce the rating, so if it says 50 lbs each for ceiling, it will handle 100 lbs. but to add a really good margin of safety, divide the rating by two, which comes to 25 lbs each for hanging from ceiling. so you can safely hang a 50lb fixture on two lines to the ceiling drywall, no studs required.

08/28/2010, 09:34 AM	#1
reice05 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 341	Hanging ATI Sunpower to Cieling Just got my ATI and now I need to hang it. I haven't checked to see if studs were directly above the tank yet hopefully there are, but if that's not the case I heard I could just use some toggle bolts and hang it directly to the ceiling. Anyone know if that's true and if the ceiling is strong enough to hold the light up?? The fixture weighs around 25lbs, or does anyone have any pointers or advice on hanging light fixtures??

08/28/2010, 09:44 AM	#2
MandM sick yet brilliant Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Sacramento Posts: 1,497	You are going to need to attach to a rafter up there, don't rely on a molly in the sheetrock alone. Look at Home Depot and how ceiling fans are mounted. __________________ Sheila I was emo when emo wasn't cool If your not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate. Current Tank Info: 120g, 8g

08/30/2010, 08:08 PM	#10
rayn Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Pekin, Il Posts: 2,864	I've bought anchor before that have 100 lbs ratings that screw into the drywall from the ceiling and used them on the wall for my plasma. I hung on them after mounting the bracket to them and they didn't budge. __________________ Currently changing, stay tuned for new details...

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08/28/2010, 09:51 AM	#3
reefsurfing Registered Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 499	uhmmm I just got plastic anchors the kind you screw in with a screw driver and they hold more then enough of the weight 75lbs im sure thats shear force and not hanging weight. So, I tested it before I hung the 6x54 I have and its worked out great. Just a Thought. No, I wouldnt use mollies either

08/28/2010, 09:58 AM	#4
WGardiner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Cape Coral, Fl Posts: 242	I screwed two 2"x4" between two rafter where the hanging mount was going. I didn't want to trust plastic ancors or mollie bolts to keep my sunpower from falling in the tank. Its a bit of work to put the 2x4's in the attic but I sleep at night knowing the light isn't going for a swim.

08/28/2010, 03:29 PM	#5
mrbill24 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 73	If there are only two cables holding the fixture to the ceiling, thats ~12.5 lbs per side. I'm not sure I'd want drywall to take that kind of load unless it is spread out over a decent sized area. How much room in the attic above the tank? If it was me, I'd crawl in the attic and either install a 2x4 between the rafters, or use some big fender washers. If you don't have the room to do that, you could always make a test panel. Get a small sheet of drywall and your chosen fastener. Hang a weight on the thing and see and see how it does.

08/28/2010, 07:28 PM	#6
reice05 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 341	Yea i wish i could add a 2x4 to a beam in the attic its just that i live in a condo and i think the attic access is in a neighbors unit but he's a a**hole and i dont talk to him at all.

08/30/2010, 06:52 PM	#7
adamfajge Moved On Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 190	Don't you have studs in the ceiling where you want to hang it?

08/30/2010, 07:35 PM	#8
reice05 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 341	Nope no studs above the tank but I ended up using 2 L brackets and mounting it to the wall and hanging the light from the brackets

08/30/2010, 07:46 PM	#9
d0ughb0y Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: sf bay area Posts: 5,165	I did this same research before. You'd be surprised how much weight ceiling drywall can hold. Get the toggle bolts, the package will tell you how much vertical and horizontal weight it can take for a given drywall thickness. It will be way way more than 12.5 lbs. You won't regret hanging your fixture to the ceiling. It looks better than hanging on wall brackets. If you don't have a hanging kit, premium aquatics sells one.

08/30/2010, 09:23 PM	#11
d0ughb0y Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: sf bay area Posts: 5,165	I looked up my old post, and I got the same anchor bolt. rated 100 lbs each on wall and 50 lbs each on ceiling. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...4&postcount=19 I found out during my research that the actual capacity is tiwce the rating, so if it says 50 lbs each for ceiling, it will handle 100 lbs. but to add a really good margin of safety, divide the rating by two, which comes to 25 lbs each for hanging from ceiling. so you can safely hang a 50lb fixture on two lines to the ceiling drywall, no studs required.