We had Hunter fans (model 23529) installed when our house was built and the electricians didn't quite do a good enough job. They told us that they couldn't wire the fans up to regular wall switches and that we'd have to use the remote controls only (a ten second google search proved that wrong). So now we are attempting to wire the switches up ourselves. In our wall, we have four wires: a black, a white, a red, and a ground. Today we shut the power off and got to work on the system. Installing a switch manually on the red and white wires allows us to control the light from the wall. Flip it up, the light comes on, flip it down, it shuts off.. pretty simple. The problem is with the black wire. (Note: the fan doesn't turn on when the light goes on) The electricians have it constantly hot. It's permanently wired straight to a power source. So, with a switch installed on the black wire and the power on, it does nothing. Flip it up, no change (the remote control still can turn the fan on and off as well as the light) flip it down, same thing. It's wired straight to household current, but even if that connection is broken, there is no change in the function of the fan. I can't seem to figure out what it does, and the hunter installation manual is no help either. What I want to do, is very simple. Wire these fans up to two switches (both dimmable, if possible..). One switch controls the light (on, off, and dimmable) and the other switch controls the fan (on, off, and speed adjustable). I can't stand these horrible remote controls. Is that so hard to ask? Note: Just for the record, I'm no stranger to electricity and household wiring. I'd just like to avoid climbing through the ceilings, tracing wires, and removing heavy fan assemblies.. if possible. Thanks :).

At the place where I work in the back lot there's a few outside light fixtures that are supposed to come on when it gets dark out, controlled by this photocontrol. [IMG]http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb153/sgull1/photocontrol.jpg[/IMG] But they're not coming on lately. I took off the cover panel and the threaded eye there is connected to a small inch or so wide long component that says "Intermatic 8.3 ballast, tungsten." Here's a pic of one of the light fixtures the photocontrol is supposed to control. [IMG]http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb153/sgull1/securitylight.jpg[/IMG] And here's a picture up into what it looks like in the other type of fixture, which is one of those canister type cylinder design fixtures attached to the outside wall. [IMG]http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb153/sgull1/bayonetbulb.jpg[/IMG] So far I haven't tried changing any of the bulbs to see if they're just burned out, because I don't have any replacements for them (yet). But my inquiry is in regard to the photocontrol and whether it's likely that if I change the bulbs and the lights still don't come on at night that the photocontrol has gone bad. Is that very typical for these things, do they get old and worn out and stop working and can be replaced relatively easy? Also a question about that little bulb in the canister fixture. I tried wiggling/pulling it out but it doesn't wanna come. It's not the screw-in type. I'm sure it's not that difficult but how do you get these out anyway? Thanks for any advice/comments.