DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Installing Ceiling Fan

7K views 18 replies 7 participants last post by  Stubbie 
#1 ·
Do you know how I wire this fan?

I have red, white, and black coming from the ceiling.

I have black, white, and black/white coming from the fan.

(black/white = black with a white stripe)

Of course there is also green.


The black and white are easy, but i'm not sure if I am to connect the red to the black/white, or the black from the ceiling to the black/white.

I found the instructions online here. The wiring is on page 8.
http://fiveminutefan.hunterfan.com/images/5_MinuteFan_Owners_Manual.pdf


* When I took the old light down I did not see how it was connected. The wires coming from the old light are two black wires.

* I pulled the cover off my wall switch and I can see a black and red wire. So I assume this red must go to the ceiling.

* I guess ideally i would have my wall switch turn on the light, with the pull chain controlling the fan.

Any ideas?


 
See less See more
2
#2 ·
Black to black (fan)
Red to black/white (light)
White to white (neutral)

This would be the typical way it would be wired. It is possible the red may do the fan instead of the light. How are the red and black connected at the switch?
 
#3 ·
Here is what someone at work told me. He is an electrician, but of course he has only seen my pic.


So i'm guessing the only difference in yours and his is what the switch controls, right?

In yours, the fan always has power going to it, and the switch controls the light. In his the switch controls all. Does that sound right?

And I think i would rather have your setup, if it is as i think.

I am not at home so cant check behind the switch.
 
#4 · (Edited)
How many switches do you have? Exactly how many wires are in the ceiling box?

If you only have (1) black, (1) white and (1) red in the ceiling box, hook it up just like HouseHelper said.

This is for independent control of the light and fan. Meaning you can turn on/off the light or fan from the wall switches. If you only have one switch and the wiring is exactly like described above you could install another switch and do it right.
 
#12 · (Edited)
How many switches do you have? Exactly how many wires are in the ceiling box?
If you only have (1) black, (1) white and (1) red in the ceiling box, hook it up just like HouseHelper said.
He had more wires in the ceiling box, unlike the drawing that shows only three.

-------------------
I only have one single light switch for the room. I do not mind that I will need to control the fan by the pullstring.

Exactly how many wires are in the ceiling? At first I thought there were four. A black, white, red, and green. But in reality, there are two blacks twisted together, two whites twisted together, a red, and a green.
-------------------
Thanks
The two blacks twisted together and the two whites twisted together in the ceiling box indicates he is feeding something else from this ceiling box. Possibly the switch as you say. But he needs no nuetral for the switch. If he needs to use a white for the switch leg he has no 3 conductor cable. It sounds like a single switch loop. One hot only. The black. One switch leg. The red.

Hook it up like your electrician friend said. Put a wirenut on the blacks. (there was one on them before, and you removed it, right?) Connect the red to both fan and light. Connect the whites to the white on the fan. Connect the green to the fan ground (green).
Now the (1) single switch turns both fan and light on and off. You will use the pull chains as needed.

One more thing. You say you have a green in the ceiling box, right? This could indicate you have conduit in the wall and not cable. If you in fact do have conduit, you can add another wire so you can control the fan and light separately using the double switch pictured above.
This would be correct in a single switch loop. Feed both light and fan from one hot (red).

I don't think I would want a switch that had to be in the 'on' position in order to use the pull chain to run the fan.....:)

I would wire it like this based on the wiring as described in his clarification for the ceiling box. Since the 3 wire cable goes to the switch ( I don't think this is conduit) I would suspect power enters the switchbox or comes to it from the ceiling box. This way I have on off control of the light at the room switch ( by leaving the pull chain 'on' ) and the fan is always hot controlled only from the pull chain.
I believe and I am sure you will correct me if I am wrong, that a ceiling fan requires a disconnect. That would make the un-switched black a violation. This has been discussed at length on several forums in regard to the use of fan remote controls without the use of a switch. The consensus is a switch would be required as the ceiling fan should be considered an appliance. I cannot support that statement. (I do not know where or if it exists in the code book).

In not one word in this thread is a 3 conductor cable metioned. Not once. In fact, the presence of a green wire indicates he may have conduit. Just because we have a red conductor does not ensure we have a 3 conductor cable.

Lastly. I am not trying to police this forum nor do I know everything. I learn many things here and I hope sometimes I help someone else. That is my goal. I looked at this thread and interpreted it the best I could with the information available. I think if you look at this post, you can see that my point is valid even though it may not be what the OP has. I also think your points are valid and you may not know what the OP has either. :)
 
#6 ·
Okay, it makes more sense now that I can think of where these lines are coming from and going to.

The black comes into the room to the box, then over to the switch. I'll make the black connect to the fan so that power is always going to it.

The red will go from the switch to the black/white, which should control the light. That will let me control the light with the switch.

Then white to white.

-------------------
I only have one single light switch for the room. I do not mind that I will need to control the fan by the pullstring.

Exactly how many wires are in the ceiling? At first I thought there were four. A black, white, red, and green. But in reality, there are two blacks twisted together, two whites twisted together, a red, and a green.
-------------------
So this does sound good now. It was what I assumed, but I didnt want to make an assumption for obvious reasons.

Black to black (fan)
Red to black/white (light)
White to white (neutral)

I'll try it and update back. I'm in my first house so this is all new to me.

Thanks
 
#7 ·
This why you must be careful as to what you post. This is what you said.

Quote: But in reality, there are two blacks twisted together, two whites twisted together, a red, and a green.

Hook it up like your electrician friend said. Put a wirenut on the blacks. (there was one on them before, and you removed it, right?) Connect the red to both fan and light. Connect the whites to the white on the fan. Connect the green to the fan ground (green).
Now the (1) single switch turns both fan and light on and off. You will use the pull chains as needed.

One more thing. You say you have a green in the ceiling box, right? This could indicate you have conduit in the wall and not cable. If you in fact do have conduit, you can add another wire so you can control the fan and light separately using the double switch pictured above.
 
#8 · (Edited)
I don't think I would want a switch that had to be in the 'on' position in order to use the pull chain to run the fan.....:)

I would wire it like this based on the wiring as described in his clarification for the ceiling box. Since the 3 wire cable goes to the switch ( I don't think this is conduit) I would suspect power enters the switchbox or comes to it from the ceiling box. This way I have on off control of the light at the room switch ( by leaving the pull chain 'on' ) and the fan is always hot controlled only from the pull chain.
 

Attachments

#10 · (Edited)
Yep I agree just giving a diagram to show the rest of the wiring. The qoute you show was in response to connecting the red to both the black and black/white.

He = Househelper who had it right in post 2 ...you spend too much time playing post policeman....:)
 
#15 · (Edited)
JV.. friend calm down... I wasn't directing my comment about post policeman at you at all it was directed at 220/221 who likes the attention...:):jester:

The reason I said it wasn't conduit is because the green wire he spoke about IMO is coming from the ceiling fan.....:wink:


Brandon said....
I have black, white, and black/white coming from the fan.

(black/white = black with a white stripe)

Of course there is also green.
He mentioned it elsewhere so your point is certainly valid but conduit or cable... green ground or bare ground ... I wouldn't switch the fan and light from the wall unless I had two switches at the switch box. But hey it is just fine if you want to use a single switch but Brandon said he wanted wall switch control of the light and control of the fan from the pull chain.

Brandons response to Househelper

So i'm guessing the only difference in yours and his is what the switch controls, right?

In yours, the fan always has power going to it, and the switch controls the light. In his the switch controls all. Does that sound right?

And I think i would rather have your setup, if it is as i think.
I'm sorry but I just don't understand how people can make such big issue out of residential ceiling fans needing a disconnect. If you install a light on the fan and it is the only light in the room and no switched receptacles for lamps then you need a wall switch that controls the light. Other wise unless this is a bruiser of a fan it will be less than 1/8 hp and the branch circuit breaker is the accepted disconnect and no it doesn't have to be insight.


The wiring suggested pass thru power or onward power so that is where my diagram came form....


So lets all have a drink....
 
#16 ·
What if Brandon does it this way and he goes to connect the black fan wire to the always hot black? He has no indication of the pull chain position. He just might go down along with the ladder. Now, of course we know that everyone always turns off the breaker. Being a DIY forum, I would hope that we could try and make our suggestions as safe as possible.

I agree. Lets have a beer on me and let it go. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree.......John
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top