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paryzek · Apr 5, 2004, 08:53 AM

Hi,
I am in the middle of installing a ceiling fan where there had been a light fixture. I have already upgraded the brace to support the fan/light and am now down to the wiring. Here is the issue that I hope someone can help with. The house is old although there was an addition put on 20 years ago that pretty much changed the floorplan of the upstairs.
This fixture has an armored cable coming in that contains Red, Black, and White wires. There is a White cable coming in that has White, Black and Bare wires (maybe to the light switch?). And there is a Black cable that contains White, Red, Black, and Bare wires. And then the fan has Black, White, and Black/white wires. Any idea how to wire this to support the fan? I know for the light some of the wires were dead-ended, but I am not sure which ones at this point.
Thanks for any assistance - Andy

labman · Apr 10, 2004, 09:48 AM

Is the fan on a 2 way switch? They must have a 3 conductor cable running from one to the other. There are a number of different ways to wire them up. A retrofit adds complications. You might check the switch or switches for the light and also the fuse or circuit breakers to see which wires run to the switches and the light. Also, check any mystery switches near the room to see if you find either the BX or black cable 3 conductor 2 way switch connections. I am not going to try to cover how to wire up a 2 way switch. Most basic homeowners books show the more common ways. It could be that none of the 3 conductor wires are used anymore and you only need to verify the 2 conductor black is hot with the switch on, and the white one is grounded. The housing of the fan should be connected to the bare wire.

Do you have instructions for the fan? The white wire should be connected to the neutral. The black and black/white may be separate hot wires for the fan and the light.

If you are new to home owning, and plan to do much of your own maintenance and occasional upgrades, you do need some tools. Even a cheap multimeter is a big help. Also less loss when dropped. I have recently discovered a tool I wonder how aI got along without. It is a Santronics AC sensor. If you touch a hot wire with it, the tip lights up red. It was $15 at Ace Hardware, and the home centers carry similar tools. To see if a wire is hot with a multimeter, you must have access to bare metal and a known ground. Great when troubleshooting.