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Rock-A-Bye-Baby
04-06-2005, 07:19 PM
I am trying to install a ceiling fan where there wasn't one before but there is existing wiring. There is a black, white, red, and ground wire. There are 3 swithces on the wall. I want to control the fan and the light with individual swithces. I hooked the white to white, black to black, ground to ground, and the blue (with a sticker that says Lighting Kit) to the red. I got the fan to turn on the second switch but swithes one and three do nothing. i have no light control.
any ideas?

NorCal Gameshow
04-06-2005, 07:33 PM
i'm thinking that red wire is from a three way switch.so there is more than one wall switch or they just had some three wire romex left over...i'm pretty sure you need to hook the light kit up per the directions from the fan.which means the red wire doesn't factor in...
the remote control fans are a nice alternative

riverroyal
04-06-2005, 07:33 PM
have a few beers,,,lick your fingers to check the wind,then start touching wires

Rock-A-Bye-Baby
04-06-2005, 07:35 PM
i'm thinking that red wire is from a three way switch.so there is more than one wall switch or they just had some three wire romex left over...i'm pretty sure you need to hook the light kit up per the directions from the fan.which means the red wire doesn't factor in...
the remote control fans are a nice alternative
the directions show the blue wire going to a third wire (which wasn't given a color), and i assumed it was the red.
i pulled a switch off the wall and it has a red wire going into it. any connection?

NorCal Gameshow
04-06-2005, 07:37 PM
are you using a standard wall switch or a dedicated fan wall switch ?
http://www.farreys.com/i/ceiling_fans_hunter/accessory_med/27183.jpg
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:BYcI6NS2R4oJ:cache.smarthome.com/images/2206wi.jpg

Mandelon
04-06-2005, 07:39 PM
You want the fan and the light on individual controls. You got it right on the fan side. White is neutral, and should go to white, should be two in the top mounting escutcheon, one for the light, one for the fan.
Black to black will control fan. blue wire is the light control, if you connect that to red, so far so good.
Back down at the switches, make sure the red is energized when the switch is on, but make sure it gets power from the hot lead in the switch box on the wall.
How are the switches put together? Is it one switch with three rockers on it? Or separate switches?
This is like deja vu all over again...f-ing so called handyman.... :hammerhea :wink: http://www2.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68365&highlight=garbage+disposal

Rock-A-Bye-Baby
04-06-2005, 07:41 PM
Mandelon-
there are 3 individual switches on the wall. i only looked at the first switch and it had the black going into the bottom and the red going into the top.

100mbs
04-06-2005, 07:42 PM
The switch that has the red wire on it, does it work with any other switch in the house? Does it work like a hall lights were one is up and the other is down (3-way switch).
If you want a wall switch for the fan and lights. I would hook the fan and lights up to one switch that has all the controls on it for lights and fan speeds.
I would just use a remote control that does it all for you. Then you dont have to worry about a switch or anything.

Mandelon
04-06-2005, 07:43 PM
Do you have a circuit tester?
There will likely be one hot lead into the box with the switches. You may have to pig tail it to the other switches to make them hot.

Mandelon
04-06-2005, 07:48 PM
Find the hot black wire that comes in to the switch box. Connect it to the two switches you want to work the fan/light. You may have to run a short pigtail to the next switch. Put the hot on the bottom lug/screw.
The other black will control the fan, so connect it to the top of whichever switch you want to work the fan.
Connect the red to the top of the switch that will work the light.
The only monkey wrench could be if the box is "rewired". That is when the hot lead comes into the ceiling box and there is no neutral in the wall switch box. Are there two white wires in the wall box? They should be connected together with a wire nut.....if all you have is a black and a red and no whites, then you are fuqued.

Rock-A-Bye-Baby
04-07-2005, 10:17 AM
Find the hot black wire that comes in to the switch box. Connect it to the two switches you want to work the fan/light. You may have to run a short pigtail to the next switch. Put the hot on the bottom lug/screw.
The other black will control the fan, so connect it to the top of whichever switch you want to work the fan.
Connect the red to the top of the switch that will work the light.
The only monkey wrench could be if the box is "rewired". That is when the hot lead comes into the ceiling box and there is no neutral in the wall switch box. Are there two white wires in the wall box? They should be connected together with a wire nut.....if all you have is a black and a red and no whites, then you are fuqued.
I'll try that tonight. thanks.
Love,
F..ing handyman

BoatPI
04-07-2005, 10:27 AM
If you want to do it trick, go to Home Depot and buy a wireless fan control. I even used this for a chandler recently. It is a radio transmiter that replaces your wall switch. The receiver goes into the fan area with the wires. This will permit variable light AND fan controls. Very nice for about $30.

prosthogod
04-07-2005, 10:34 AM
contact MKEPOWER, he's an electrician.

ROZ
04-07-2005, 10:36 AM
top mounting escutcheon,
Now there's something you don't hear everyday :D