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-   -   Please Help with Installing a Ceiling fan. (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=750504)

  • May 24, 2013, 05:51 PM
    earhlr
    Please Help with Installing a Ceiling fan.
    I know to many of you this may be simple but I'm at my wits end with trial and error and still getting it wrong. Any help will be seriously appreciated.

    I am trying to connect a ceiling fan to the ceiling (LOL) the wall has two switches, and I would like to connect one switch for light and one for fan, but I don't know what is what.

    The fan has a Solid Black wire, a solid white wire, a black and white wire and then a green wire (from the base of fan not in wire bundle with the others)

    The ceiling has a naked wire (no plastic/rubber coating), as solid white and a solid black wire all coming from the wire bundle in the ceiling and then a solid green wire on the bracket on the ceiling.

    So my question is what combination means what and what color wire means what. I have tried a few combinations and I can get the light and fan to work but from only one light switch so I have to pull the cords to turn one off or on. I would like to just use wall switches, and then use cords if necessary to control fan speed.

    Thank you for any assistance you can provide. I'm a total amateur electrician. I'm just a simple Airborne Infantryman by trade. Basically better at destroying stuff than putting stuff together. LOL.
  • May 24, 2013, 06:06 PM
    Kyle_in_rure
    Are you positive your second wall Switch serves this ceiling fixture? Sounds to me like only one switch controls this box. Out of the ceiling the wires are as follows:
    -black: hot from switch
    -white: neutral
    -green/bare: ground wires
    Out of the fan:
    -black; fan hot
    -striped: light hot
    -white: neutral
    -green: ground

    You would need another wire (usually red) coming from the ceiling to control the fan and light separately.
  • May 24, 2013, 09:40 PM
    ma0641
    If there are 2 switches do they say on and off or are they blank
  • May 25, 2013, 06:02 AM
    stanfortyman
    OK, if you only have black, white and ground at the ceiling you cannot do what you want.
    What you are describing is a 3-way switching setup, where both switches (in different locations) work the same light.

    Your only choices are to re-wire the whole thing, add a remote to the fan/light, or leave it so that the switches turn on both the fan and light and you use the pull chains to control them.
  • May 25, 2013, 07:16 AM
    Kyle_in_rure
    They also make wireless switches now. I don't ln
  • May 25, 2013, 07:18 AM
    Kyle_in_rure
    They also make wireless switches now. I don't know if they would fit this application, but you could Always research it.

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