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    cwildsmi's Avatar
    cwildsmi Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Jul 18, 2008, 04:43 PM
    Ceiling Fan Wiring
    I have just installed a Hunter ceiling fan and light kit in my spare bedroom that has two doorways.

    The bedroom has a light switch plate on the wall by each door (so 2 switch plate in total) so that you can turn on the lights from either entrance. One of the switch plate just has one switch (for the light) whereas the other switch plate has two switches, one for the light and 1 for the fan.

    When I flip the light switch up or down (from either switch plate) the lights change status (that is they turn off if they were on, and on if they were off) - this works perfectly.

    However the fan is on continuously (unless I pull the cord on the fan to change speed and eventually off ) . This means that by flipping the fan switch on the switch plate, nothing happens. This doesn't seem correct since it basically renders the fan switch on the wall useless.

    Regarding wiring - there are 5 wires from the ceiling (red, black, green, white and bare copper). There are 4 wires from the fan (black, black with white stripe, white and green). I connected the two whites together, I connected the two greens together with the copper, I connected the two blacks together, and I connected the red to the black with white stripe.
    Everything seems correct to me.

    I have also looked at the switch plate wiring - the single light switch plate has one red, black and white wire, the light switch on the "double" switch plate (the switch that does not have on/off written on it) also has 2 red and one white wire. The fan switch on the switch plate has 2 black wires.

    Should the fan switch (on the "double" switch plate) work the fan? I'd think so. If so, have I wired it incorrectly? Please advise.
    hkstroud's Avatar
    hkstroud Posts: 11,929, Reputation: 899
    Home Improvement & Construction Expert
     
    #2

    Jul 18, 2008, 07:15 PM
    Right now it sounds like you have all the wiring correct. The 3-way switches for the light are doing their job and there isn't enough wires left to wire the fan switch wrong and still have the fan operate. I think you have a faulty switch on the fan circuit, one that is stuck in the on position. Remove one of the wires from the switch. If the fan will no longer operate, replace the switch. If the fan still operates come back and we will figure it out.
    cwildsmi's Avatar
    cwildsmi Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #3

    Jul 19, 2008, 05:49 AM
    Harold
    Thanks very much for the quick reply and suggestion.
    I have just removed one of the two black wires connected to the fan wall switch. The fan stopped working.
    I reconnected it, the fan works again, so I removed the other black wire - and again the fan stopped working.
    Thinking that the switch might be faulty, I temporarily replaced it with another one from elsewhere in the house (this one was working) and when connecting both black wires, again the fan comes on permanently - that is flipping the switch does nothing to the fan.

    The only other thing I can tell you about is that the two black wires that are connected to the fan switch are both connected to the same "terminal" on the switch - that is, towards the bottom of the switch. For fun (!) I removed the two black wires from the bottom terminal and put them in the top terminal - but the fan still comes on permanently.

    Based on the above - do you have any additional suggestions?

    Curiously, Chris



    Quote Originally Posted by hkstroud
    Right now it sounds like you have all the wiring correct. The 3-way switches for the light are doing there job and there isn't enough wires left to wire the fan switch wrong and still have the fan operate. I think you have a faulty switch on the fan circuit, one that is stuck in the on position. Remove one of the wires from the switch. If the fan will no longer operate, replace the switch. If the fan still operates come back and we will figure it out.
    ceilingfanrepair's Avatar
    ceilingfanrepair Posts: 5,733, Reputation: 109
    Uber Member
     
    #4

    Jul 20, 2008, 06:01 PM
    Yes, your switch is wired incorrectly. It should have two terminals, one black wire to each.
    cwildsmi's Avatar
    cwildsmi Posts: 3, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #5

    Jul 20, 2008, 06:22 PM
    I've just read your reply on the web, put one black wire in each terminal, and IT WORKS!!
    THANK YOU! It seemed to be the next logical step, but I didn't want to try in case it burnt the house down!
    Once again, thanks

    cwildsmi







    Quote Originally Posted by ceilingfanrepair
    Yes, your switch is wired incorrectly. It should have two terminals, one black wire to each.

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