Wiring ceiling fan/light

Have a 50yr. old Hunter fan that has a pull chain for both the fan and another for the light. The fan wiring consist of a 'blu', 'white' and a 'red' wire, the fan is secured by a bracket w/ a ground screw. Have 12/3 to a single gang box and looking to wiring a dual control switch, 1 control knob controls the fan/speed, and the other 'dimmer' knob for the light. There's 12/3 to the ceiling box. If understand correctly I connect the white wires at the switch and fan. The ground wires are tied together at the wall box and grounded to the grounding screw at the fan bracket. The control switch has a blk and blu wire coming from an opening on the back and a red wire from another opening. Have a basic understaning of 'how to' wire electrical circuits but this configuration has me confused, Sorry, newbe who kinda got little winded, hopefully description not too confusing, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forums

You would connect the white to the fan assembly and the red and black from the cable are going to go to the red and blue of the fan, just not sure red/red & blue/black or vice-versa.

Typically, the white does not get connected to a switch, the whites are usually all nutted togther in the switch box. That said, your switch doesn't sound like anything I've used - can you post a picture?

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...your-post.html

 

Mitch17, appreciate the input, incline to believe I may be trying to reinvent the wheel; now that I have thought about it, not sure what I gain by running 12/3 from main to wall outlet, think I will eliminate the extra hot wire (red) by swapping the breaker and eliminate the red wire, just have to find out if I am violating any code having the dead red wire in the circuit. Again, thanx for the input!!.

 

The fan can be run off a circuit fed by a single pole breaker. You do not need to power both the red and black from the breaker. You would pigtail the one hot with two pigtails to feed the two switches. Having an unused conductor in the box is not an issue as long as the box is large enough.

 

Taken out the hot red wire from the breaker. Tied the white wires at wall and ceiling junction box, copper grounded at fan bracket. If understand diagram correctly, tied the blk wire at switch to the blk wire from the main, I then connected the blu wire on switch to the blu wire from the fan motor, and then tied the red wire from fan to the red wire at switch. The result is the fan motor works but in order to operate the light the fan switch has to be turned on; also, did not have control over the light dimmer. I either hooked it up incorrectly, or the switch is faulty, incline to believe the later. Or the switch is designed to operate this way and inorder to operate light separately I need to use the pull chain to turn off the fan. Intend purchasing another switch regardless, posting pic's. mitch17, and pcboss, appreciate input.

Thank you, dave

 

those oil hunter fans do not like the variable speed dimmers for the fan motor.
the motor will hum

 

Have to see if there's a switch where the variable speed feature can be eliminate/isolate from the fan which already has the 3spd pull chain. Found I had to go thru manufacturer to order the rubber bumper and pin for the down rod bracket. Now it's oiled and as soon the switch is installed it's ready to go. Thanks for the headsup, don't want to put any additional stress on the 'ole timer' than necessary, something I can relate to.

 

Spent the day trying to find a switch for the vintage fan/light w/ no success. Home Depot, Lowes, or the local lighting shop does not carry them. Contacted Hunter and apparently they don't carry the switch. Not sure if this is the appropriate forum to ask for resource, if not, as a newbie I plead ignorance, so if anyone can provide a source for the switch, or an alternative I would appreciate it. Curious if there's a switch where the fan is either off/on, and a separate switch for dimmer.

Thank you, dave