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My sister wants me to install a ceiling fan with a light. There is no light in the ceiling nor switch. She has not bought it yet. What is the wiring, 14-2 or 14-3? I have 14-2 and didn't know if I should buy 15'-25' of 14-3.
Ceiling Fan & Light use 14-2 or 14-3?
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Ensure, too, that your power enters the switch first in order to use 14-3. Newer codes require a neutral in the switch box
To simply power the fan all you need is 14/2. To control the fan there are options. You can simply use the pull cords and no additional wiring is needed. If you use a fan mounted remote no additional wires are needed. If you decide to have a wall mounted control you'll need some additional wiring.
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As posted above with clarification:
If you are running from a circuit with a 15 amp breaker, 14/3 with ground will provide you the option of switching the fan and the light with separate switches. The neutral and ground are shared and the other two wires, commonly red and black are the power for the individual items.
If the breaker is 20 amp you must use 12 wire. 12/3 with ground is available.
If the house has no grounding just don't connect the ground wire to anything.
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You need to do the best job you can for your sis or she'll tell mom on you.
Assuming you have attic access overhead:
First I'd check out the proposed switch location and sound out (knuckle rapping) any possible fire block or mid-span block that might be in the way of fishing the wire down from above. If found, either cut an opening for a 2-gang old work box immediately above or 2" below it (allows top room for cable entry). That way you can avoid the blockage or drill it easily for passage. Fishing the wall is always fun... I favor using a piece of drop ceiling hanger wire but there are any number of things you can use depending on what you have and if there's insulation in the wall (no likely this time).
Then I'd fish a 12/2 NM and a 12/3 NM down to that box... the 12/2 running to the power source and the 12/3 running to the ceiling fixture box.2-gang old work box at the switch location.
Then mount an octagonal box to support the fan either using a spanner bracket or 2x4 between ceiling joists and four 1-1/4" screws.
That's all except for doing the shopping for parts. You'll need a couple or more of 3/8" 2-screw connectors, a 2-gang old work box, an octagonal box, a couple of switches, a 2 gang switch plate, a few orange or yellow wire nuts, some cable clamps and the 12/2 and 12/3 romex cable (or 14 ga if you decide to go 15 amp) of the proper length... little longer to be sure.
When finished, collect a hug and that 12-pack she promised you!
Now if there is no attic above, you might consider talking her in to moving to a house with one. :smile:
ps. If you see a some source of power in the attic short of having to run all the way back to the panel, I'd not hesitate to put this small load on nearly any receptacle circuit. Might be a lot easier. Be careful and certain that the power is off before working with any existing wires up there. You can cut a cable serving a wall receptacle and set a j-box for splicing the new run into it if you can get enough slack... if not enough slack, you can set 2 j-boxes and still get it done.
Assuming you have attic access overhead:
First I'd check out the proposed switch location and sound out (knuckle rapping) any possible fire block or mid-span block that might be in the way of fishing the wire down from above. If found, either cut an opening for a 2-gang old work box immediately above or 2" below it (allows top room for cable entry). That way you can avoid the blockage or drill it easily for passage. Fishing the wall is always fun... I favor using a piece of drop ceiling hanger wire but there are any number of things you can use depending on what you have and if there's insulation in the wall (no likely this time).
Then I'd fish a 12/2 NM and a 12/3 NM down to that box... the 12/2 running to the power source and the 12/3 running to the ceiling fixture box.2-gang old work box at the switch location.
Then mount an octagonal box to support the fan either using a spanner bracket or 2x4 between ceiling joists and four 1-1/4" screws.
That's all except for doing the shopping for parts. You'll need a couple or more of 3/8" 2-screw connectors, a 2-gang old work box, an octagonal box, a couple of switches, a 2 gang switch plate, a few orange or yellow wire nuts, some cable clamps and the 12/2 and 12/3 romex cable (or 14 ga if you decide to go 15 amp) of the proper length... little longer to be sure.
When finished, collect a hug and that 12-pack she promised you!
Now if there is no attic above, you might consider talking her in to moving to a house with one. :smile:
ps. If you see a some source of power in the attic short of having to run all the way back to the panel, I'd not hesitate to put this small load on nearly any receptacle circuit. Might be a lot easier. Be careful and certain that the power is off before working with any existing wires up there. You can cut a cable serving a wall receptacle and set a j-box for splicing the new run into it if you can get enough slack... if not enough slack, you can set 2 j-boxes and still get it done.
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Little more information, 1 bdrm condo ground floor slab that was converted from apartments years and years ago, attic? Upstairs condo. I'm not sure where I am going to pull the electric from. The bedroom is directly across the hall from the utility room and there is an outlet on the same wall as the door entrance. The light switch at the door controls one of the outlets, not sure which but I think it's the one on the same wall as the switch but again, I'm not betting on this. Not sure if there is a common at the door light switch. I know the two closet light switches do not have a common as I have to put an outlet for the tv above there so I need to draw from another outlet on one of the walls.
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Sounds like you're going to have fun. You'll be making some holes in the wall and ceiling and getting to practice your finish work skills. Probably coming from a wall receptacle is your only shot. It's all possible but I'd still try to get her to move. :wink2:
The utility room is a help... can run up that wall on surface. Maybe you'll get lucky and the utility room ceiling will be higher than the bedroom one.
The utility room is a help... can run up that wall on surface. Maybe you'll get lucky and the utility room ceiling will be higher than the bedroom one.
Depending on the age of the building, you may get lucky and find that it was constructed using open trusses in the ceiling. They were used in many apartments and condos. If that's what's there, it'll be a simple matter to run a cable from the fan location to wherever you can pick up power and to the switch.
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