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jt9876 · Aug 22, 2007, 03:42 PM

I have a house that is about 5 years old, and in the last week we have taken a ceiling fan down and moved it into a different room and put up a new one in the room next to it. Both fans are on the same breaker; there are about 4 outlets (2 double outlet boxes) on the breaker along with the fans. On the wall there are 3 switches in each room; both set up the same way, 1 switch is a light, one switch controls the fan light, and one controls the actual fan. Other than the switches all that is on the breaker is as I said about 4 outlets, only one is being used, and that's for a clock. One of the lights on the switch is a desk lamp with a 40 watt bulb, the other lamp has about 5 bulbs 60 watts each I think. So after I got the fan up and connected and all done I went into the garage and flipped the breaker back on. When I got upstairs I flipped the wall switchs in the room with the new fan the desk lamp will flash on and off, so I went back to the garage and of course thebreaker popped so I reset it and tried the fan again, same thing happens, breaker pops again. So next time after I reset it I only turned on the fan light switch and pull the light cord; the fan light flashed on and off and the breaker popped again. This time I decided toleave it popped. I know that sometimes if you have a power overload it will pop the breaker but as I have said before... there aren't many things on the breaker so why would it pop. Please keep in mind that I tried unplugging everything and having all switchs off except the fan and or fan light switch. Any ideas of what might be wrong? And if it is simply a power overload on the breaker how would I fix that?

tkrussell · Aug 23, 2007, 04:25 AM

I don't think this is an overload issue. You may have cut or pinched a wire in a box while installing the fan. Open the junction box and disconnect the fan/light and inspect all the wires for a short.

jt9876 · Aug 23, 2007, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by tkrussell

I dont think this is an overload issue. you may have cut or pinched a wire in a box while installing the fan. Open the junction box and disconnect the fan/light and inspect all the wires for a short.

Well actually when I was stripping the wires from the ceiling the red wire had about a 1/2 inch to 3/4 cut off on accident, so I pulled it out of the ceiling a bit more and stripped about 3/4 of an inch off it and finished up the wiring. Would that have done it?

ceilingfanrepair · Aug 23, 2007, 02:53 PM

Is any of the bare copper wire exposed?
A wire is touching something it shouldn't be. Again, I agree with TK's advice.