Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Add light to Hunter Ceiling Fan

I have a 6 or 7 y.o. Hunter ceiling fan that I am trying to add a light fixture to. When I hooked up the light as directed, it won't work. The thing works fine on a similar Hunter c.f. in another room. directions say hook the black wire from the light to the black/white striped wire from fan. The fan wire is very long so I wondering if it's disconnected somewhere near the ceiling. I am thinking I need to take the whole fan down to see for sure. Any other suggestions?

Yes, you're on the right track. When the fan was originally installed (without the light kit), the original installer did not attach the light wire, since there was no light. You don't need to take the whole fan down. Just figure out which screw or screws will allow you to lower the bell housing up against the ceiling so that you can attach the light kit wire. If you do not have an extra switch on the wall specifically for the light, then just attach the light wire (either blue, or black with a white stripe) to the same wire from the ceiling that the black wire from the fan is attached to.

Shut off the breaker before you start. Do not rely on the wall switch to remove power.

... don't need to take the whole fan down. Just figure out which screw or screws will allow you to lower the bell housing up against the ceiling so that you can attach the light kit wire.
I left out one piece of information: the fan is mounted to a cathedral ceiling. So I am not sure if I need to get all the way up to the ceiling or just to where the actual fan is connected to the downrod (i.e., where's the "bell housing" exactly? )
If you do not have an extra switch on the wall specifically for the light, then just attach the light wire (either blue, or black with a white stripe) to the same wire from the ceiling that the black wire from the fan is attached to.
There's an extra switch on the wall that my wife and I have been trying to figure out since we moved in. It might be to the light wiring in the fan...At any rate I can say that it didn't do any good even when we had the light attached. So I bet John's right that the wiring was never connected for the light to begin with.

Check the switch wiring first. Sometimes they just don't hook up the switch.

If the light switch is connected, or if connecting it still doesn't work, then you'll need to address the ceiling wiring. Unfortunately, that's at the top of the downrod, not at the bottom of it. If you find a red wire connected to the light switch, you should find a red wire at the ceiling too. That red wire should attach to the blue or black with white stripe wire from you fan (if it isn't already).

Check the switch wiring first. Sometimes they just don't hook up the switch.

If the light switch is connected, or if connecting it still doesn't work, then you'll need to address the ceiling wiring. Unfortunately, that's at the top of the downrod, not at the bottom of it. If you find a red wire connected to the light switch, you should find a red wire at the ceiling too. That red wire should attach to the blue or black with white stripe wire from you fan (if it isn't already).

Okay. The swich has a red wire, the ceiling has a red wire connected to nothing (wire nut on end). Looks like my black/white wire in the fan needs to be attached to the red. BUt while up at the ceiling...the wire nut holding the ground wires popped off. There are 2 green wires. One coming off the mounting bracket and other leading through the downrod. There's also copper wire from the ceiling. But what do I need do with these. Do I need to connect both green to the copper?

Yes, connect your black/white wire from the fan to the red wire to the ceiling. Then connect both green wires to the bare wire. If the wire nut popped off, you might want to throw that wire nut away and use a new one.

Thanks John! You really helped me.

:D Now all I need is to get Hunter send me the pull chain extension and lower chain & breakaway connector that were not in the package. But since everything will be controlled by switches, those aren't critical to this. :D