We removed a builders ceiling fan with no light from our home. We re trying to upgrade to a Hunter Ceiling Fan with a light kit. There is a one way dimmer switch that worked the other fan. The old swich works the new Hunter fan but there is an apparent humming sound now.
We baought a new dimmer switch specifically for a ceiling fan . Now neither the light or fan works. Another trip to Home Depot to find they don't have a switch that will work.
What kind of switch do I need. Can I use a ceiling fan with only one wire to control fan speed and no wire for the light? I don't have a problem with using the pull chain to turn on the light.
But could that be why the new switch didn't work ? Please help.
KayCee:

First of all, put in an ordinary wall switch and see if the fan and light work.

Second of all, what wires do you have in the ceiling box?

The ordinary switch worked the fan but it was a switch for a light. We found the right switch but the fan continues to hum. I think we have a defective fan.
There are one black wire, one white and one ground in the switch box and the same in the ceiling fan box.

FYI - "CeilingFanRepair" is our local expert in this field.

With respect to your wiring, what you wrote does not make sense. Long ago, Hunter switched to a Blue or a White/Black striped wire for connection of the light package to the supply side circuit.

Are you getting the supply side from the wall switch or is the supply in the ceiling and routed to the switch via a switch loop?

You will need to purchase a speciality switch to work both the fan and light from one switch.

By NEC code, you cannot use a light dimmer switch to control a fan motor. A dimmer switch is for the lights. You would at the very least need a #14/3 conductor and two switches (if you can not find the speciality switch to control both fan and light) to properly control the light and fan independently of each other.

Begin by turning "Off" the breaker that feeds this circuit.

If your supply side power is in the ceiling, then using the 14/3 conductors, you would connect the Black from the supply to the White going to the wall switch. Place a small amount of black tape around the White wire's insulation at both ends to signify that this wire is now a hot conductor.

Connect the Black from the SW2 to the Black from the Fan together using wire nuts.

Connect the Red wire from SW1 to the Blue or Black/White stripped wire the feeds the Light connector.

Connect all Ground wires together. Connect the White conductor from the fan fixture to the White conductor on the Supply side.

At the switches, (SW1 = light / SW2 = Fan), make a pig tail with the re-coded White wire from the supply and two short lengths of #14 AWG so that you can feed each switch. Connect the pig tailed Black wires to the bottom terminal on each switch.

Connect the Red conductor to the Top terminal of SW1 (Light). Connect the remaining Black conductor to the top terminal of SW2 (Fan).

Switch the breaker for this circuit back to the "On" position and then test each switch to make sure that the both the fan and the light work properly.

Please let me know if I've given you the plan to follow. If the source of the supply electricity is to the bottom of the switch, then it is a different process to follow. You wold still need a second switch, the pig tailed supply conductor and the 14/3 conductors.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kaycee97

the ordinary switch worked the fan but it was a switch for a light. We found the right switch but the fan continues to hum. I think we have a defective fan.
There are one black wire, one white and one ground in the switch box and the same in the ceiling fan box.

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If an ordinary wall switch causes the fan and light to work properly, then nothing is wrong with your fan. I assume you do not have the proper wiring to switch the fan and light separately.

Thanks you! I did get the colors wrong, sorry. The fan is now working and no hum. The builder had put a dimmer light switch on when we changed over to an oprdinary switch and with a little help from this message board everything is wired and working.
Thanks again!

Glad you got it working.