How To Update Fan Light From One To Four Socket

Wiring a ceiling fan and light can seem similar a daunting chore, merely it doesn't have to be. Pro Tool Reviews gives you a visual guide and step past step instructions on making the best connections for your item ceiling fan installation. ON a calibration of 1-x, the level of difficulty on this project is a v, though it tin can exist more complex if you lot include the ancillary projects such equally running wiring through walls, etc.

The main thing to consider wiring a ceiling fan and light is determining how you want that fan to exist controlled. For some, that volition be any combination from no switches (using the included pull chains for powering the fan and/or light) and having carve up switches for the calorie-free and fan.

Having the right tools volition assistance the project become smoothly. It also ensures you don't go bogged down trying to use, for instance, a razor knifed to strip wires. A pair of actual wire strippers will do the chore more accurately and nearly 10x faster.

Author'due south Annotation: Codes and Safety Tips
Information technology's e'er important to follow the local codes in your area when wiring a ceiling fan and low-cal. Permits may be required for interior electrical work. When working with electricity, always retrieve to turn off the power, test the wiring with an electric tester (or voltmeter) to ensure the power is off, secure the panel box so no one tin accidentally re-engage ability while you are working, and consult a professional to ensure you are doing things correctly and inside the specifications of your state and local codes. Read all the instructions and safety data that comes with your ceiling fan.

We'll go through each type of switching methodology and hash out what each entails in terms of wiring and controlling your ceiling fan/calorie-free. The four methods are:

1. Powered ceiling fan and/or light without any switches (no switches)
2. Switching the light and using the pull chain for the fan (Single switch)
3. Using the aforementioned switch for switching both the light and fan (Single switch)
4. Switching the light and fan from separate switches (2 switches)
5. Switching the light and fan from the same switch with power at the switch (Unmarried switch)

ane. Powered Ceiling Fan and/or Low-cal Without Any Switches (No Switches)

Nosotros recommend this method when you only cannot run a switch into the room. It does crave that you have the ability to bring ability direct to the fan from a nearby location. Information technology's certainly an acceptable wiring method and the fans all come with pull string switches to command the fans and lite kits. Wiring this type of electrical connection looks like this:

As yous can see, this elementary connection feeds power to both the fan and (optional) light kit. The ground and neutral wires but go tied together as you'd expect. The power for the fan motor will typically exist black, while virtually modernistic-day fans also accept a split up blue wire that supplies power to the lights. Information technology'southward of import to connect this wire even if you lot don't program on using a light kit as it gives the homeowner the opportunity to add together ane after on without having to remove and rewire the fan from to a higher place.

2. Switching the Light and Using the Pull Chain for the Fan (Single Switch)

This method and the following are the well-nigh commonly used. They but require a unmarried light switch. Many older homes never gave any thought to wiring upwards a second switch. More often than not, this happened because homes didn't have a powered ceiling fan. Equally a issue, many homeowners must use a single switch to control the light and/or both aspects of their ceiling fans. The wiring for this type of electrical connection looks like this:

As y'all can meet, nosotros switched the hot line going to the light kit past inserting the switch. Many people use elementary 12/2 (Romex) with a ground wire to make this loop. If you do this, wrap blackness electric record around the exposed white wire. This indicates (to you lot or anyone else who works on the circuit in the future) that it is indeed a "hot" wire and non a neutral line.

While nosotros show a small strip of electrical tape, we recommend really wrapping it around all the exposed white wire. Notation that we opted to wire the fan motor directly to the power source. That lets u.s. use the fan's pull string to turn it on and off. This also keeps the fan usable regardless of the position of the wall switch. Make your connections for the neutral and ground wires, and you're all set.

3. Switching the Light AND Fan from the Same Switch (Single Switch)

This is a slight accommodation of the in a higher place method. It switches power for both the fan and the light kit from the wall switch. This lets yous turn the fan on and off with the wall switch (along with the light). You don't have to walk over and pull the concatenation to finish the fan motor. This wiring method is completely up to you. Some prefer method #ii, while others (myself included) typically opt for this method. Hither's how this electric connection looks:

Note that power is fed through the switch. Both the fan motor and the calorie-free kit get their ability from the switch. Every bit expected, the neutral and grounds are but tied together and all is well.

4. Switching the Calorie-free and Fan from Dissever Switches (Two Switches)

This is the most versatile way to electrically wire a ceiling fan with a calorie-free kit. It allows for split command over both the fan and the lite in the room. There are also lots of actually convenient switches that put this dual command into ane groovy little package. Some even give you the ability to dim the lights – definitely a nice touch! There are endless choices when it comes to combination dimmers/switches y'all can use with your fan or fan/lite.

Of course you can e'er but wire up two single pole switches and yous're all set. And here is what the electrical wiring would look like for this situation:

It looks more complicated, merely don't sweat it. The basic thought is that your ability supply line is feeding both switches. Each switch then feeds either the fan (black wire) or light kit (blueish wire). All that'due south left at this point is to tie together all the ground wires and neutral wires (respectively). Keep in mind again that we causeless 12/two with footing for the lines going to and from the switches, so be sure to conspicuously characterization them equally "hot" wires past wrapping black electrical tape effectually the white ends.

While code makes certain stipulations, there are typically different ways to accomplish a wiring connectedness. Instance in point, the higher up method was shown using standard 12/2 wire. If yous opted for 12/3 wire, you could accomplish the aforementioned dual switch connections with a little bit less work:

What you are doing here is using the single hot (black) wire to ability both the switches. You can do this by jumping a longer length of wire to both switches. Jumping means that you lot strip the insulation away from a small-scale area of wire. Brand it just big plenty to loop around the hot terminal. You and then loop that exposed wire around the hot terminal of the showtime switch. Finally, strip the end and connect that to the second switch. The hot returns are then the red wire and the white wire which you lot tape black (on both ends) to designate it as a hot wire.

You can also jump the ground wire. This method of jumping wires is prissy in that information technology eliminates the need for wire basics. It too makes for a simpler wiring scheme (and gives y'all more than room to piece of work in the box!)

Here'south a similar fashion to practise it using 12/3 wire with wire basics in lieu of a jumper wire:

5.  Switching the Light and Fan from the Aforementioned Switch with Power at the Switch (Single switch)

This is identical to state of affairs #3 above. However we wanted to outline the wiring differences when the ability is actually at the switch instead of in the ceiling. We find this method is encountered in roughly fifty percent of the fourth dimension in older homes. It particularly occurs when electrical wiring originated in the clamber space. Additionally, there is a sort of make clean-ness to this method.

Information technology too offers ii helpful advantages. Commencement, the wires are consistent. You have no re-labeling of neutral wires. Secondly, this method of wiring makes swapping out ceiling fans easy. Cut power at the switch eliminates all power to the ceiling box. Note that we notwithstanding recommend deactivating the breaker and checking your wires with a voltmeter, but it's worth noting nonetheless.

Helpful Tips

Be certain to check the power source before beginning the task – fifty-fifty if y'all've already tripped the breaker. Nosotros've seen several cases where more than than 1 power source was routed to a particular ceiling box. Nosotros got quite a surprise when nosotros reached inside! It'south also important to note that while some power supplies come up in via the switch (and not from in a higher place) the basic methodology described here doesn't change. What does change is that you lot can safely deactivate the ceiling fan box simply by turning off the switch. This is handy when replacing ceiling fans with a similar model. Withal, we even so recommend shutting downwards the breaker, lest someone walk in on y'all and attempt to turn on the lights!

Stripping Wires

When stripping wires, we adopt to use a stripping tool as opposed to a razor blade. There are several on the market, from $2 tools that are unproblematic stripping devices to fancier wire strippers that take cutouts for 10/2, 12/2, and 14/2 cable.

Don't Use the Included Wire Nuts

Never use the included "wire nuts" that come with ceiling fans. They nearly never have a metal inner winding and are normally undersized. That makes them hard to use, if not unsafe. Instead, exist sure to grab a small assortment pack at your local home improvement or hardware shop. While typically not necessary, we recommend taping any wire nuts after you make those connections. Wire basics are ordinarily very reliable, but it never hurts to add together an actress layer of protection to keep them from always unwinding. This is just a good habit to become into and costs next to nothing in terms of fourth dimension or coin to implement.

That's All, Folks!

Hopefully, this guide volition get you lot on your mode to installing a ceiling fan and making all of the required electrical connections to get information technology up and running smoothly. A ceiling fan makes a dandy improver to near whatever room. It's one of the easiest projects to complete and really makes an impact in your habitation. It can too make yous look and experience similar a existent handyman.

Source: https://www.protoolreviews.com/wiring-connecting-ceiling-fan/

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