[snoman523228]

My ceiling fan only has 2 wires and a ground. I want the light switched at the wall and the ceiling fan switched with the chain. I made the ground into neutral and used the black to make fan active. I used the white to switch the light. Is there a problem?

[hkstroud]

You cannot use the ground as a neutral.

When you say that there is only two wires do you mean at the switch or at the ceiling?

[hfcarson]

Snoman:
Using an uninsulated ground wire as a current carrying conductor is forbidden by
The electrical code. Let's say someday... the new homeowner is working in the panel and disconnects this bare (what looks like a) ground wire and discovers there is current flowing through it. This could be a land mine.

How hard would it be to do this correctly?

[tkrussell]

Using the ground as a neutral is a fire and shock hazard.

Is your insurance paid up?

[snoman523228]

It seems no one is understanding what I did. A wire is a wire is a wire!

1- Some old houses don't even use a ground wire.

2- Neutral is grounded at junction box normally.

3- I used the ground at the fan as a neutral, so I grounded the neutral at the fan.

4- To properly wire a ceiling fan with a light, you need 2 hot wires, a neutral, and a ground.

5- I only had a hot, neutral, and ground. This is why I did this. I don't see a problem, but I want to make sure before I do it on another fan.

[stanfortyman]

It seems no one is understanding what I did. A wire is a wire is a wire!

And you are not hearing what they are telling you. A wire is NOT AT ALL just a wire!!

1- Some old houses don't even use a ground wire.

True.

2- Neutral is grounded at junction box normally.

Completely UNTRUE.

3- I used the ground at the fan as a neutral, so I grounded the neutral at the fan.

Once again, UNSAFE!

4- To properly wire a ceiling fan with a light, you need 2 hot wires, a neutral, and a ground.

No, to wire a fan with separate switches for the light and fan you need two hots, neutral and a ground.
If you only have one hot and one neutral your ONLY choice is to have ONE switch.

5- I only had a hot, neutral, and ground. This is why I did this. I don't see a problem, but I want to make sure before I do it on another fan.

Try and justify it any way you want... this IS a problem. An equipment grounding conductor carrying current IS a problem.

I just get the impression that you are not going to be happy until someone comes along and tells you this is OK. No matter what anyone tells you, this is NOT OK.

[hkstroud]

Maybe that what is not being grasp here is the fact that the cable sheathing is not wire insulation. What you are doing is putting 120V on an uninsulated wire.

We understand what you are doing (you are not the first), and you are being advised not to do it.

[snoman523228]

Well, I admit that I don't totally understand electricity, but my understanding is that even ground has electricity but it is at the same potential as earth and therefore the same potential as people usually. I meant to say that the neutral is grounded at the breaker panel. I used the bare wire as neutral. This would be the same as in old houses in which you didn't have a ground, except for the fact that my wire is uninsulated. Then I connected my wire to the fan's chassis, the wall switch chassis, and the ground wire of the cable that brings the power. This is almost the same as when people replace a 2 prong receptacle and jump the neutral to ground, so that they have grounding. The only switches I am talking about are the pull chains and 1 wall switch.

[tkrussell]

While most would assume that you take the risk of any hazards created by doing electrical work incorrectly, what about the innocent people that may come in contact with your improper wiring?

Jumping neutral to create a ground when replacing a two wire device with a three wire device is wrong also.

We wish you and yours luck.

You have created a serious shock and fire hazard, and I do hope no other person is ever affected by your shoddy and unsafe work and installation.



We are trying to give you advice, and you chose to ignore us that you have violated all electric codes and standard wiring practices.

I do not see any reason to keep discussing this matter.

This thread is closed.