Today I decided to do a little DIY project. I wanted to install a wall outlet.

I have a westinghouse ceiling fan, with a remote control switch in the wall. It has a white and black cable with a ground cable. The remote control allows for me to DIM the light on the fan, and switch between low, medium and high for the fan speed. The remote has an on/off switch that cuts power to the fan.

Due to not having a lot of electrical outlets, I decided to install a newer tech power2u outlet. I spoke to a friend who is an electrician (He lives in Europe so couldn't ask him for help) and he told me I should be able to run a cable from the light switch down to the power outlet.


So I ran the a cable from the power switch. The cables are White and Black and ground.

I removed the electrical caps from the white cable for the ceiling fan to the house white cable and added the white cable to the outlet, I then did the same for the black.

However the outlet does not seem to work, unless I flip the on switch on the remote to the fan to off. And even when I do that the current isn't that strong.

Any ideas what I may have done wrong, tried calling my electrician friend but he isn't answering :(

I attached a drawing of my setup, and thank you for the help in advance.

Also this is a link to the fan, remote and outlet I have.
Fan: Amazon.com: Westinghouse 7801665 Comet Two-Light 52-Inch Reversible Five-Blade Indoor Ceiling Fan, Matte Black with Frosted Glass: Home Improvement

Remote: Amazon.com: Westinghouse 7787500 Wireless Ceiling Fan and Light Wall Control: Home Improvement

Outlet: Amazon.com: Newer Technology Power2U AC 15A Outlet w/ 2x USB Charging Ports, 2x AC 110/120V (White): Home Improvement

To put it bluntly, it won't work that way.

If, as you have indicated, you only have one cable, with black, white and ground in the switch box, before adding your cable to the outlet, you don't have a neutral.

That single cable in the switch box is what is called a "switch loop". Power, both hot and neutral, is taken to the ceiling box. The neutral is connected to the fan/light neutral. The incoming hot is connected to the white of the cable to the switch box and takes power to the switch box. The power goes through the switch and is returned to the fan on the black wire when the switch is on.

You have no neutral at the switch box, therefore no neutral at the outlet.

Would this fix the problem?

Run a cable from where the fan connects to the outlet? Essentially adding a 4th cable (2nd hot) to the switch box which will be connected to the outlet?

I have a drop ceiling and have access to the cables there.

Run a 2-wire cable from the ceiling box to the outlet box. At the ceiling box connect the white of your new cable to the white of the power in cable which is already connected to the white of the fan/light. Connect the black of your new cable to the black of the power in cable which is already connected to the white of the switch cable.

Thanks Harold.