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    RickMoore's Avatar
    RickMoore Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
    New Member
    		  
    #1

    Sep 6, 2009, 06:27 PM
    Spark at Circuit Breaker when installing ceiling fan
    We are changing out our ceiling fan in our bedroom.

    We turned off the circuit breaker and removed the old fan. We then put the hanging "wires" coming from the ceiling, in individual plastic tie things that electricians use.

    After we did this, we went to turn the circuit breaker back on. Got back upstairs and the outlets that were on that circuit breaker didn't work now.

    I installed the new ceiling fan anyway (turning off the circuit breaker to the bedroom again). Installed the new fan, went back downstair to turn on the circuit breaker and the ceiling fan, and the outlets still won't work.

    To make matters worse, after going back and flipping the circuit breaker again to the bedroom, sparks came from the circuit breaker.

    Any advise on what I should do now and why this might have happened?

    Thanks!!
    Missouri Bound's Avatar
    Missouri Bound Posts: 1,532, Reputation: 94
    Ultra Member
    		  
    #2

    Sep 6, 2009, 06:50 PM
    Well... as far as the outlets not working, you probably have something not connected in that ceiling box. How many wires coming from the ceiling? You said you put individual "plastic tie things" on the wires. Are you saying you didn't tie any wires together? And the spark... where does it come from and does the fan work when the breaker is on? Do you have the panel open that you can see this spark or is it coming from the switch part of the breaker?
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
    		  
    #3

    Sep 6, 2009, 06:51 PM

    You have wired something wrong and have a dead short. Shut off the breaker and give me the colors of the wires coming out of the ceiling and the color of wires in the fan, also does the fan have alight kit.
    donf's Avatar
    donf Posts: 5,679, Reputation: 582
    Printers & Electronics Expert
    		  
    #4

    Sep 6, 2009, 08:52 PM

    Is there a wall switch connected to the fan. If so, you more than likely connect a white that was connected to the black supply. The white should have been marked at both ends to show that it is a retasked conductor.
    ceilingfanrepair's Avatar
    ceilingfanrepair Posts: 5,733, Reputation: 109
    Uber Member
    		  
    #5

    Sep 7, 2009, 02:25 PM

    It sounds like you didn't keep track of how the wires were connected together when you disconnected the old fan.

    What wires do you have coming from your ceiling?

    Ceiling Fan Wiring - Ceiling Fans N More
    ballengerb1's Avatar
    ballengerb1 Posts: 27,378, Reputation: 2280
    Home Repair & Remodeling Expert
    		  
    #6

    Sep 7, 2009, 07:28 PM

    Hey Rick, 3 experts and a great electrician all tried to help you, you still out there or did you touch some of those sparking wires?
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