Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Replacing ceiling fan on 3-way switch with a simple light fixture.

thanks for the responses.

I just ran into the same issue. However, I only have on switch with two 120 running to it one with a black, red, and white. One with black and white. The two blacks are connected and running to the switch with the single red wire. the two whites are connected but not going to the switch.

At the fan I removed I have three blacks, three whites plus the red from the switch connecting to the fan's blue wire. One of the black wires is being used to connect a fan in another bed room (this white is cut and not connected to anything).

With the breaker on only one of the black wires has juice. When the new light is connected to this black/white the light stays on even though the the switch is off.

I tried disconnecting the red at the switch and ran a white connecter from the two that were tied together at the switch.....tripped the breaker.

Maybe all this make since......but I doubt it!! If you hear anything or find a solution elsewhere post it for me....I'll do the same for you.

Good Luck

Have you seen this thread??

***********First and most important: Stop guessing! So far you've only damaged a switch and maybe some wiring (but I hope not). Worse would be to create a situation that works properly today, but electrocutes someone tomorrow. Such a scenario is easily possible when guessing during electrical work.

Shut off the breaker.
Of course you'll need to buy a new switch.
Inspect the wiring at the switch box, the breaker box, and the fixture box to make sure it is undamaged. It can be very dangerous to inspect the breaker box, so you might want to have someone more experienced help you.
At the fixture, connect fixture black to ceiling blue, fixture white to ceiling white.
Cap off and do not use the ceiling black.
If there is a green or bare grounding wire in the box, connect fixture green to that. If not, and if the fixture box is metal, connect your fixture green to the box. If neither, then you'll just have to cap off the fixture green wire.
__________________
Please post back and let us know how your project comes out. Thanks!*********

- Jaden403, I think that you have a switch loop. One cable will be power in, the other cable should go to the switch. If I'm correct, then there will be only one cable at the switch, with a black wire and a white wire connected to the switch. Please describe the cables/connections at the switch.

Look closely at the light fixture cord, one wire should be smooth and one should be ribbed. The ribbed wire is the nuetral.

If all the above is correct, then connect power in black to switch cable white. Connect power in white to light fixture white (or ribbed). Connect switch cable black to light fixture black (or smooth). Connect all grounds together.


- GWalton, I think that power comes in at the switch box, on the 2 wire cable. The incoming black is split and fed to the switch, power leaves the switch on the red wire. The 3 wire cable is probably set up like this: Black wire is constant hot, red is switched hot, white is nuetral. Try connecting the 3 blacks together-without the light fixture black. Connect the 3 whites together and the light fixture white(s). Connect the red wire to the light fixture's black wire. Recconnect the wires at the light switch as they were before.

I have no idea why the white wire from the other room would be cut- could it have broken off when you removed the wire nut? Does the fan in the other room work? I'm thinking that you'll need to re-connect the white wire to the other white wires to get it working again.

Please let us know how everything works out, and I hope this helped!

- Jaden403, I think that you have a switch loop. One cable will be power in, the other cable should go to the switch. If I'm correct, then there will be only one cable at the switch, with a black wire and a white wire connected to the switch. Please describe the cables/connections at the switch.


If the above is correct, then connect power in black to switch cable white. Connect power in white to light fixture white(s). Connect switch cable black to light fixture black(s). Connect all grounds together.

- GWalton, I think that power comes in at the switch box, on the 2 wire cable. The incoming black is split and fed to the switch, power leaves the switch on the red wire. The 3 wire cable is probably set up like this: Black wire is constant hot, red is switched hot, white is nuetral. Try connecting the 3 blacks together-without the light fixture black. Connect the 3 whites together and the light fixture white(s). Connect the red wire to the light fixture's black wire. Recconnect the wires at the light switch as they were before.

I have no idea why the white wire from the other room would be cut- could it have broken off when you removed the wire nut? Does the fan in the other room work? I'm thinking that you'll need to re-connect the white wire to the other white wires to get it working again.

Please let us know how everyhing works out, and I hope this helped!


<><><><> I have two sets at the switch 1) 1 white, 1 black, 1 red. 2) 1 white, 1 black. Red goes to switch. Blacks are connected and then to switch.

<><><><> The fan in the other room did work....the light continues to work but not the fan. The white that is not connected is cut (was cut). So it was not ever connected.

From reading other post it sounds like the red wire is my live connection. If my theory is correct....then the red to new light's black, white to white, 2nd room's fan tied to red/black connection. Should I be concerned about the tie-in with the other fan?

I think that if you connect the red wire to the other fan, then the switch will turn it on and off also-I think it needs to be connected to the black wire.

I orginally thought that the other fan was simply fed from this fan's constant power, ie the black wires. But, with the light working with no nuetral connection, I'm worried about this. The light shouldn't work without a return path for the electricity via the white wire. Does the light work if the black wire is disconnected also? Are both fans and lights on the same circuit breaker? Please describe the cables and connectins at the cieling- do you know where the other cable goes?

I would disconnect both of the wires to the other fan until you can figure out how the other fan is wired and ties into this fan.

I would really like to help you further, but this is starting to sound like it's over my head. I'd suggest we wait for a professional to come along and help us out here.

Okay, got it working. Hopefully this will help someone else...

Power in black to switch black (no connection to fixture - this will complete the circuit).
Power in white to hot from fixture.
Switch white to neutral from fixture.

Thanks for everything...

I think that if you connect the red wire to the other fan, then the switch will turn it on and off also-I think it needs to be connected to the black wire.

I orginally thought that the other fan was simply fed from this fan's constant power, ie the black wires. But, with the light working with no nuetral connection, I'm worried about this. The light shouldn't work without a return path for the electricity via the white wire. Does the light work if the black wire is disconnected also? Are both fans and lights on the same circuit breaker? Please describe the cables and connectins at the cieling- do you know where the other cable goes?

I would disconnect both of the wires to the other fan until you can figure out how the other fan is wired and ties into this fan.

I would really like to help you further, but this is starting to sound like it's over my head. I'd suggest we wait for a professional to come along and help us out here.

I got the light working correctly. However, the fan in room 2 will not turn on (just the fan, the light works correctly) unless the switch in room 1 is on. Or I can have the fan working correctly in room 2....but the light in room 1 stays on....the switch does nothing. I will be replacing the ceiling fan in room 2 eventually so I'm not too worried unless the configuration is dangerous!
Oh well, nothing caught fire:)

you just need to reverse the wires at the light fixture. The fixture's hot should connect to the switch's white wire(which is actually a hot wire in this case). The fixture's nuetral should connect to the power cable's white.

You always want to switch the "hot" side of a fixture, never the nuetral side, which is why I suggest you change the wires around.

I hope this helps!