View Full Version : Ceiling fan
Papasan
May 5, 2012, 12:41 PM
Am still trying to wire a ceiling fan to a wall switch which also works a wall plug. The switch has a white,black and a copper ground. The wall plug has 4 wires connected to it 2 black and 2 white. I have already fed a new wire Down through the wall to the switch. I was told to take the 2 wires off the old switch and cap them together to make the plug hot at all times. Please tell me if possible step by step how to hook the new switch that would operate the ceiling fan and also make the plug continuously hot. The fan is now feeding off a junction box I installed by cutting a random wire. I'm sure this is probably a simple hookup but I'm thinking I can add another junction box and use the wire going to the fan now and just run it to the new switch and tie both lines together in a junction box after disconnecting the fan from the previous junction box. Also how do I hook up the new switch if I twist the 2 existing wires together going to the old switch. And I don't understand a lot about loops just the basics could you explain in plain English Thanks so much
Stratmando
May 5, 2012, 01:15 PM
If you had a Black and white at the switch, it was a "switch loop".
Turn power off to that circuit.
In the switch box, tie the grounds together and tuck in the back of the box.
Connect the white in the switch box from the receptacle to the white to the fan.
Go to the receptacle and hook the 2 whites to the white screws, and the 2 blacks need to go to the dark screws.
Turn power back on.
Papasan
May 5, 2012, 04:05 PM
I understand tying the grounds together but like I said earlier I have a wire coming from the plug plus I have already pulled a new wire down the wall going to the switch so I now have 2 wires in the switch box so how do I hook up the new switch to the wire going to the fan
Papasan
May 5, 2012, 04:07 PM
I understand tying the grounds together but like I said earlier I have a wire coming from the plug plus I have already pulled a new wire down the wall going to the switch so I now have 2 wires in the switch box so how do I hook up the new switch to the wire going to the fan
Stratmando
May 5, 2012, 05:25 PM
Turn power off to that circuit.
In the switch box, tie the grounds together and tuck in the back of the box.
Connect the white in the switch box from the receptacle to the white to the fan, tuck whites back in the box, now you should have 2 blacks in the switchbox, these 2 conect to a switch.
Go to the receptacle and hook the 2 whites to the white screws, and the 2 blacks need to go to the dark screws.
Stratmando
May 5, 2012, 05:35 PM
Oh Yeah, if the receptacle was half hot/half switched, the tab on the side will be broken off, either install a new recpticle, or connect an additional jumper to complete the hots.
Papasan
May 7, 2012, 05:57 AM
Did as you said now I have no lights in the bathroom across the hall no power to the living room receptacle for the TV plug or outlet on the outside wall or the back porch light. Does the switch possibly get its power from another source. Also I have 2 whites and 2 blacks going to the plug should I disconnect 2 of them and just have a black and a white going to the plug.the black wire is pigtailed off the other black wires inside the plug box.
Stratmando
May 7, 2012, 06:58 AM
Sounds like power goes to the receptacle, then to switch, Remove the switch, connects the grounds and whites and tuck them into the back of the switch box, connect the remaining 2 blacks to a switch.
Now go back to the receptacle and twist the 2 whites together with a short piece of wire(pigtail) to connect to the white screw on the receptacle. Do the same with the blacks.
Should do it.
Plus you may need to deal with the missing tab on the side of the receptacle.