View Full Version : Wiring Ceiling Fan with Two Ground Wires
stb1134
Jul 23, 2006, 06:13 PM
Trying to install a ceiling fan...
From ceiling: white, black, green and copper wire
From fan: white, black, blue and green
Connected white.white, black & blue to black...
QUESTION: Do I connect green from fan to green in junction box, or to green and copper in junction box? If connection should be green/green, do I ground the copper wire straight to the junction box?
Thx!!
ceilingfanrepair
Jul 23, 2006, 08:12 PM
Your ceiling has a green wire AND a copper wire? Do they both come from the same location, or from two separate cables/pipes in the ceiling? Do you have a volt meter, so you can confirm they are both ground? Are there any other wires in the ceiling box? How was the fan/light that was there before connected, and what were the green and bare connected to?
Hopefully TK will chime in with a more professional opinion. It's possible both the green and bare wires are ground, and it's also possible someone previously did some suspicious wiring using either the green or bare as something other than ground.
The fan will work as is but, legally speaking, it's not safe until it's grounded.
tkrussell
Jul 24, 2006, 02:46 AM
All green and bare wires should be ground, and should all connect together.
stb1134
Jul 24, 2006, 06:30 AM
Ok, well, I did connect the copper and green from the ceiling to the green on the fan. But there seems to be a problem with the fan (and this is the second one I've installed that has done the same thing). It initially works as expected, but then it's as if it only has one speed... low. Almost like the high/med speed do not exist.
I do not recall how the fan I initially removed was connected. This is a relatively new house (6 years), so I was thinking there shouldn't be much that has been 'rigged'.
Further thoughts?
Thx for your replies!
ceilingfanrepair
Jul 24, 2006, 08:55 AM
When you say initially.. . You mean it performs as it should for a period, and then suddenly stops working, or it works on the initial speed, or.. .
http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-general-troubleshooting-and-FAQ.php
stb1134
Jul 24, 2006, 10:23 AM
It initially works as it should. This is an outdoor fan, installed under my back porch. I changed out the fan that was there, and installed a new one back in November. It worked perfectly for a few months, but I noticed in March or April that it was not working on high speed. I changed it out again last week with another new fan. It worked perfectly for a few days, then again, the high speed no longer works. Additionally, medium and low speeds seem to be the same speed.
ceilingfanrepair
Jul 24, 2006, 10:33 AM
So this one you just wired, you just asked how to wire it yesterday. It worked as of yesterday and today it has stopped working?