Help with ceiling fan wiring


  #1  
Old 10-10-05, 08:35 PM
tptbozo
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Help with ceiling fan wiring

Hi, I am in need of some help from an expert. I have installed a new ceiling fan in a drop down ceiling in our business where there was no previous fixture. I hung the fan with the appropriate suppport and down rod, but when I tried to tie it in I ran into some problems. There is one wire in the attic (above the tiles) that runs to a switch by the front door which controls the flourescent lights in the main room. I thought I would simply splice into this wire for the juice for my fan and just control it by the pull chain (no light kit). I spliced the wires all together (color to color) but the fan would not operate. So, I shut off the switch to go and kill the breaker to check my connections, and believe or not, the fan started working. It will only operate when the switch (and ceiling lights) are turned off. What in the world did I do wrong? Is this wire to the switch not a suitable source for my fans power? Byw, the switch I am referring to is a single pole I believe (1 white, 1 black and 1 ground) Please help! Thank you very much!
 
  #2  
Old 10-11-05, 07:40 AM
J
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When you find a switch with a white wire connected to it, the white wire is not a neutral. It is a reidentified hot wire. This is called a "switch loop". By trying to use the white wire of a switch loop as a neutral, you wire the new load in series with whatever existing load is being controlled by the switch. When the switch is off, the two loads are in series (that ceiling light is not off--it's just really, really dim). When the switch is on, the new load is bypassed out of the circuit (and hence doesn't work).

You need to find some other source of power for your new fan. This switch box isn't it.

By the way, it is almost certainly illegal for you to be doing this work in the first place. You could incur some serious liabilities if anything bad were to happen. Worst case, you could go to jail.
 
  #3  
Old 10-11-05, 08:02 AM
tptbozo
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Thanks

thank you for the advice. I figured that I would have to locate another source for the fan's juice. I have wired many before and have never encountered a scenario like this. Locating a source is the biggest challenge since the place has cinder block walls-any suggestions?? Btw, why would I be liable legally and what for? Just curious and thanks again!
 
  #4  
Old 10-11-05, 08:51 AM
J
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In most places, a homeowner is allowed to do electrical work on a home he both owns and lives in (with a permit). However, you said "in our business". The rules that allow the homeowner to work in his own home do not extend to other types of buildings. If a person were to be injured in your building due to your work, you could be held accountable, and the accountability would be much worse if the work was not allowed by law. You might want to let a licensed electrician take care of this for you to avoid these types of problems.
 
 

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