Hello,

Hello to everyone - this is my first posting here.

I'm somewhat handy around the house but electricity is not really my strong point and hope someone can help.

I want to surprise my fiance by installing a ceiling fan with light - it is replacing a simple light fixure.

After shutting off power to that room and the light shutting off verifying no power is running, I began to uninstall the light fixture.

Here is what I have;

Only three wires from the box were connected to the light's wires.

* 2 White wires from the box were connected to 1 white wire from the light and secured with a plastic cap.

* 1 Purple wire from the box to the light's black wire twisted and capped.

* 1 Green wire from the light to the metal bracket holding the light onto the box up on the ceiling.

The box also has UNUSED (connected to nothing) 2 Red wires twisted and capped AND 1 Blue wire with a cap. All 3 wires just tucked inside the box.

Now, the new fan with light that I want to install only has 3 wires from it;

1 White wire, 1 Blue wire and 1 Black wire. The plastic bracket I had to install to the box to hold the fan up has a green wire screwed to the plasic on one end and is not connected on the other end of it.

The instructions read;
1) "The motor white to the white wire from the outlet box with a wire nut.
2) The motor black wire and blue wire to the black wire from the outlet box with a wire nut.
3) The ground wire from the outlet box to the ground wire from the motor with a wire nut.

I am totally lost.

I have 1 white wire from the fan/light and that's to go to 2 white wires from the box?

I have 1 black wire on the fan/light but no black out of the box.

I have one blue wire on the fan/light but now what?

In a nutshell, I have no clue. I also want to replace the light switch with one that has the two vertical sliders to control light dimming and fan speed.

I live in the Chicago area if that makes any difference with codes.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

 

Before this going any further, you need to verify the ceiling box is rated for fan support. If not the box will need to be changed unless the box does not provide the sole support.

Since you are in Chicago where conduit is used the colors often differ from cable wire colors. Your purple is a hot conductor like the black in a cable.

Is this already setup for a ceiling fan with 2 wall switches?

 

To answer your questions;

* ceiling box is rated for fan support? - Yes, I looked in the attic (room where fan is going is below attic) and the cross support for the box is there and installed.

* already setup for a ceiling fan with 2 wall switches? - Only one switch on the wall that controls the room's now-removed light.

Thanks.

 

Tell us all the wires at the switch. Is there a single blue wire capped off. What wires to the switch?

 

There are 3 wires at the switch;

Blue, Red & Purple - each connected to a screw at the switch.

Thanks for any help.

 

If this is a three way switch post back.

If this is a duplex switch (two switches in one yolk) at the fan white to white, blue to blue, black to purple. All other wires remain the same. All grounds together and pigtailed to the box.

 

"If this is a three way switch post back.

If this is a duplex switch (two switches in one yolk)"

I'm lost now.

This is one light switch for one light. I'm looking to replace it with one of those that have the two vertical sliders - one for fan and one for light (dimmer I guess)...

Does that help?

 

You say there are three wires attached to the switch. Do you mean there are three screws on the switch with a wire attached to each screw or are there two screws with two wires attached to one of the screws and one wire to the other.

A switch with three screws that does not have the markings on/off would be a three way switch.

 

Blue, Red & Purple wires at the switch - each wire to its own individual screw.

Thank you.

 

Then that is almost certainly a 3-way switch. There should be a second switch some where that controls the fixture. As wired you can't use the slider switch if this is a three way circuit.

 

If I recall it correct one of chicago electrician told me their colour codes so the purple is the travller { they use pink or yellow as well }

Look at the other three way switch location and due you have conduit it pretty easy to add a new conductor in there.

I did read the whole thing and the purple is your power source for your fan lumianire

I know you mention bleu conductor in there it possiblty that can be used for fan motour as well.

The last question here the switch you are looking at it do you have one more switch that control this luminaire ? if not then possiblty you have duplex switch. { it common to have duplex switch with single gang box when you have one for fan and second one for light }

Merci,Marc