Wiring WiFi Ceiling Fan w/Lights


  #1  
Old 07-12-20, 03:50 PM
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Wiring WiFi Ceiling Fan w/Lights

Hi All,

I am installing a new ceiling fan/light in my daughter's room. I removed the old fan/light and am now somewhat confused by the wires in the ceiling. To start off, there is one wall switch that controls it.

In the ceiling, there is a copper ground wire, two white wires twisted together, a red wire, and two black wires twisted together (the green-yellow wire in the below picture is from the first part of the fan that I installed; its not from the ceiling). I didn't think to write down the old connections, but I do know that the white wires were connected to something in the old fan/light (presumably to the white wire), the copper ground was connected to the green in the old fan/light, and the red wire was (I'm 99% sure) connected to a blue/black wire in the fan. (By blue/black, I mean that the old ceiling fan had a blue wire and a black wire, and they were twisted together, and then they were connected to the red ceiling wire. I know they were twisted together because I still have the old part, and they are twisted together. I am 99% sure that the black/blue twist was connected to the red wire.)

The two black wires in the ceiling were not connected to anything. I am 100% positive of this because the wire connector nut is still on them, and I didn't need to remove it to disconnect the old fan/light. See below picture.

I am attaching a picture of the ceiling wires now. Can anyone tell me how to connect these wires to the fan wires (which have black, white, green-yellow ground [as in the picture already], and blue)?

Also, is using electrical tape over the wire connector nut overkill, or is it worth doing? I've heard both.

Thanks!
<img src="https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/1024x768/20200712_183410_f2585b6719105624f0a6ddba1ff3359541328a14.jpg" width="1024" height="768"/>
 
  #2  
Old 07-12-20, 03:54 PM
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You have two cables in the ceiling box. You have a 14-2 cable for power in and a 14-3 down to the switch.

At the ceiling the two whites stay together and the white from the fan joins them.
The two black wires are always live.
The red wire is switched.
Since you only have one switched line..... you cannot switch the fan and lights separately.

Wifi control..... what is that ?
If there is a wireless control..... you could connect the fan blue wire to the red.
Connect the black to black. The remote would control the fan.

If there is no wireless remote..... connect both blue and black from fan to red.
 
  #3  
Old 07-12-20, 04:19 PM
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Hi PJ,

Thanks again for the info. By WiFi, I meant that you can control it by voice via Amazon Alexa/Echo, etc. Its this one: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hunter-C...0477/311956706

I'm figuring that we will use the wall switch to just turn power on to both, and then turn the light or fan on/off separately by speaking to it or by using the included remove control (its controllable by voice or by remote).

So with that, is this what you mean I should do:
1. connect ceiling copper ground to fan green
2. connect ceiling twisted whites to fan white
3. connect ceiling red to fan blue
4. take connector off ceiling twisted blacks and connect to fan black

Do I have that right? I was hesitant to take connector off twisted blacks because they hadn't been attached to previous fan.

What would happen if I left the twisted blacks alone and not connected to the fan, and then connected the red ceiling wire to both the fan black wire and fan blue wire?

Thanks again.

(How do you pretty much know the answer to everything I ask, no matter what subject it is?!!
 
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Old 07-12-20, 04:24 PM
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Apparently that fan has some type of logic in it because if you only have one switch.... you don't use the blue wire. You'll connect the fan black to the red wire.

<img src="https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.doityourselft.com-vbulletin/815x460/fan_c6a51bdb6ee0cbc556bb3b09f342c0ca663cded6.jpg" width="815" height="460"/>

Actually.... I'm wondering what would happen if you put the fan black on the black splice and connected the blue fan wire to red. Basically.... if it's wifi controlled..... it should be always live. The switch may just control the light in this setup. Worth the try if you have the time.
 
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Old 07-12-20, 06:21 PM
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Seems odd to me that a fan controlled by a remote would be connected to a switch. If you turn the wall switch off the remote won't do anything. The fan won't have any power.
 
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Old 07-12-20, 06:38 PM
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Yes..... I agree. That why I'd try the alternate wiring I suggested. Keep the receiver live all the time.

This fan has a quirk. I've posted the installation instructions below. There may be a problem keeping the fan live all the time. You may not be able to program it. I found this on the programming page...

Hunter Pro Tip:
Need to install the app later?
When ready, turn the wall switch off and then on.
Wait three minutes before downloading the app.


Installation manual
 
  #7  
Old 07-13-20, 05:16 AM
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Hi All,

Success!

I connected the grounds together, the whites together, and the black fan wire to the red ceiling wire. I didn't touch the black wires in the ceiling, and I left the blue fan wire alone. Everything works! The wall switch does switch power on/off to both fan and lights at the same time. I guess its strange, but its how a few other fans in our house were installed prior to us moving in - guess it never dawned on me that its strange. It also allows us to turn on/off if remote fails, etc.

The remote does work the lights and fan independently of each other. I can't get the Alexa-enabled part to work, but that's a problem with the app recognizing that my wifi network is secured (it keeps saying its not secured; I've emailed the company, as this is a software issue).

PJ - I had seen that diagram in my manual, but it never mentioned a red ceiling wire, which is why I sought help here.

Also, your earlier message had mentioned the "blue fan wire." I'm not sure if you were just short-handing it, but the blue actually was coming up from the light kit portion.

So, thanks to everyone - my daughter now has fan that actually matches her room!

 
  #8  
Old 07-13-20, 10:18 AM
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Good you got it working.

In fans of the past..... the blue wire went directly to the lamp sockets. The lights only worked when the blue wire had power on it. It can't on that fan because even if you don't connect the blue wire..... the lights work. That blue wire is a light logic control line.
 
 

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