Ceiling Fan wiring


  #1  
Old 06-24-05, 09:18 AM
xmas16
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
Ceiling Fan wiring

I've been able to get some useful info by just reading other exchanges. Now i hope someone can finish off my worries about installing a ceiling fan. I am planning on taking out a ceiling light and relacing it with just a fan, no light. I know the white is connected to white, the ceiling bare wire to the fixture's green wire, the fixture's black wire to the ceiling's black. But since I am not using the fixture's blue wire (light) what do I do with it? I may install a light in the future.
2) Also where does the ceiling's red wire connect to, the blue?

3) Do I really need to replace the box in the ceiling with a stronger box. The one in there now is a round white metallic box, is that enough. My fan has some weight but its not that big since I am not using a light. Thanks for any advice.

Steve
 
  #2  
Old 06-24-05, 12:25 PM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States
Posts: 17,733
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
Like everything, the answer is "it depends".

Do you in fact know now that the ceiling box has one black, one red, one white, and one bare (and no more)? Or are you assuming that? If you haven't checked yet, we should defer further comment until you are sure. There are far too many possibilities to speculate in advance.

Are there two wall switches in the same box on the wall that both control wires to this same ceiling fixture?

How do you want turn the fan on, with the pull chain, with a remote control, or with the wall switch?

Whatever you do, carefully record and mark all the existing connections before you take down the current fixture.

If there is just one black, one red, one white and one bare in the ceiling box (no more), and if there are two switches in a double-gang box on the wall (one for the red and one for the black), then I'd go ahead and connect the blue wire from the fan to the red wire from the ceiling. That way, you're all ready for a future fan kit.

Whether or not the existing box can support the fan is a judgement call. What's under the fan (i.e., how bad would it be if it fell)? How much does the fan weigh? How is the box mounted in the ceiling (from the side only or better than that)? How deep are the screw threads in the box (a fan-rated box has long screw threads to provide lots of holding power)? How much of a risk-taker are you?
 
  #3  
Old 06-24-05, 04:46 PM
xmas16
Visiting Guest
Posts: n/a
John,

Thanks for responding. Unfortunately I can't tell you what wires were connected to what because a relative took down the light when I wasn't there then ran like the devil when he got confused. But clearly the wires are a black, red, white, and bare. The wall switch that controls this fixture is the only one. It is adjacent to two other switches that control other things (outlet and another room ceiling light) I am not using a remote. Since I have young kids that like to play with switches I would prefer to use the chain to use the fan instead of the wall switch. Thus I would follow your advice and connect blue of fixture to red of ceiling and cap it for future light use, then black of fixture to black of ceiling black. By doing those last two steps am I taking out the wall switch for now and using the chains to operate the fan?
Then of course the green to bare wire and white to white. But I've got to know....the red wire coming out of the ceiling...is that the switch wire and it's "hot" correct?
Thanks

Steve
 
  #4  
Old 06-24-05, 06:48 PM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: United States
Posts: 17,733
Upvotes: 0
Received 1 Upvote on 1 Post
You didn't actually say, but is there only one wire of each color in the ceiling box?

Connect it as we've discussed. Maybe it'll work right and maybe not, but in either case, what we've discussed won't be a hazard. Try it and let us know what happens. It is possible to figure it out, but that might be more work than just trying it, especially if you don't have a lot of electrical experience.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: