View Full Version : Trouble with Wiring Dual light switch Celing fan
adam3432
May 28, 2010, 08:46 AM
I am having trouble wiring my Dual Light Switch Celing Fan. From the Outlet Box on the Left side I Have Copper, Red, Black, White Wiring. On the Right Side of the Outlet Box I have Black, White and Copper Wiring. From the Fan I Have Blue,White, Black, and Green.
Can Somebody tell me what wires I should hook up from the fan to the Outlet Box?
WallyHelps
May 28, 2010, 03:10 PM
What wires do you have in the ceiling where the fan connects? I'm assuming Black, White, Red, Copper in my comments below.
First, see if you have power on the Right side of your outlet box (the Black, White, Copper set). I'm going to assume you do (between black and white). Now, turn off the power at the breaker panel!
The drawing shows what I'd do:
Connect Ground Wires
The bare copper wires get connected to the green screws on the switches. You'll need a short piece of bare wire to run between the switches. Don't make it too short. 5 inches should be good.
Connect Neutral Wires
Connect the two white wires together with a wire nut
Connect Hot Wires
You'll need a short piece of black wire to run between the switches, again about 5 inches should work. Then run the black wire from the supply (right side in the drawing) to the closest switch screw that the short black wire is connected to. (You might want to use the push-in connection on the back of the switch for the short wire).
Connect Switched Wires
Now connect the remaining two wires--one to each to the empty screws on the switches.
Connect Fan Wires
At the ceiling connection, hook up as follows:
White to White
Black to Black
Red to Blue
Bare Copper to Green
Turn the power back on and check to see if one switch controls the light and one controls the fan (you may have to pull the chains on the fan itself to get those in the "on" position).
Remember that if the assumptions I mentioned above are not correct then my procedure will most likely not work either (and could be dangerous).
Best of luck,
WallyH
P.S. I re-read your problem description and now am uncertain if you needed help with the switch wiring or just the fan connections. If the switch box is already wired up, then just do the "Connect Fan Wires" portion of the procedure above.
P.P.S. Be sure to read and understand Don's answer below. What he describes is another way your wiring was done (and probably the more common way, in fact). Just closely examine what you have to begin with to figure out how things are arranged. Post back with what you learn if it isn't perfectly clear.
donf
May 28, 2010, 06:48 PM
Adam,
Please read this prior to doing the work.
What you are describing is a "Switch Loop" being fed from the ceiling feeder.
On the black and white from the supply, you should find 120 VAC.
That white wire is the "grounded Conductor" also know as "Neutral".
The Second white wire (the one in the cable going to the switch outlet box, that is a White conductor is actually being used as the Hot Feeder to the switches.
There should be either black tape or black ink (from a sharpie pen) on both ends of the white conductor to signify the re-tasked conductor. At the switch outlet box, you should find the white wire spliced together with two black conductors (called a pig tail) each black conductor going to the bottom of each switch. One switch will have a black conductor returning power to the ceiling and the other will have the red conductor returning power to the ceiling.
At the ceiling box, I would expect to find the black from the switch connected to the Black on the fan. The red from the switch would normally connect to the Blue from the light package. The white from the fan, connects to the white from the ceiling feed pair.
The bare ground in the ceiling will connect to the green conductor from the fan and the bare wires from the ceiling and the switches.
I'd do a graphic for you if I wasn't so terrible at them.
ceilingfanrepair
Jun 22, 2010, 12:37 AM
Don is most likely correct.
What was there before and how was it wired?
Ceiling Fan Wiring, Ceiling Fan Wiring Technical Help, Do it Yourself (DIY) - Ceiling Fans N More (http://www.ceiling-fans-n-more.com/ceiling-fan-wiring.php)