I've done a bit of wiring over the years, but I ran into a situation with a new ceiling fan just now and I need some help.

• (Ceiling wires in bold)
• (This is all run through a single wall switch)

1) Took out an old ceiling fan (with light) that was wired
Black - Blue
White - White
Red - Black
Green - Green
The old fan/light was working fine. We'd flip the switch, and just control the fan/light combo with the pull cords. We could run just fan, just light, or both fan and light.
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2) I wired the new one (also has a light) like this
Black - Black
White - White
Red - Blue
Green - Green
The light worked, but not the fan. Tried every pull cord combo, but nothing would get the fan to work.
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3) So I tried this
Black - Blue
White - White
Red - Black
Green - Green
The fan worked, but not the light. Tried every pull cord combo, but nothing would get the light to work (yes, I checked the bulb and the connections...everything was fine)
The fan worked, but not the light
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4) So I did this, and now both the light AND the fan work.
Black - nothing
White - White
Red - Black - Blue
Green - Green
But now I'm left with a black ceiling wire that isn't connected. Is it ok to just cap it and stuff it back in the box?

Thanks for the help!

 

Evidently the black wire isn't connected at the wall box. I'm assuming there is only one switch for the fan? I you want separate control for the light and fan, you could install a larger wall box and extra switch and use the black wire for fan, red for light. Or leave it how you currently have it and just cap the unused black wire.

 

Typically, the blue in the fan/light combo runs the lights and the black runs the fan. The switch in the wall typically switches the black wire in the ceiling and the red is generally always hot. If that was all true in your house, the switch should have run the light and the fan been controlled by the chains with the old fan/light.

From your 3), it sounds like something is not typical and I'm leaning toward the house wiring and what is switched. Should you want to pursue this further, I would want to know the wiring at the switch.

 

I always thought the black was typically constant and the red was the switch leg. At least for a switched plug. Apparently the rule is different for fans?

 

I don't know that there is a rule and it could be regional - around here a 14/3 cable will typically have the black switched and the red not if only one of the two is but you're far enough away from me that I can believe convention is different.

 

There is no code dictating it but I always consider black as hot and red as switched.

Strange.... the black was working as a switched lead originally.
Almost sounds like a defective switch.