Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Install lighting from fan source

I want to install incandescent track lighting on either side of the fan. I want the fan and the track lighting to work off a dimmer switch. How can I accomplish this. Currently the fan box has three wires. Green,White & Purple attached to a single pole switch. Please explain in simple terms as I am a bit challenged by this. Thanks for any help.

First off, do not try to control a fan with a dimmer switch.

You will need a double gang switch box to accommodate a dimmer for the lights and a switch for the fan.

You will also need a 12/3 cable with ground from the switch box to the ceiling box. This allows separate hots for the lights and for the fan.

Post back with further questions.

Thanks very much for responding. I assume I can get this double switch box at a electrical supply house, as I don't believe a Home Depot carries this. I am not clear on the 12/3 cable. Does this mean I must run this from the switch to the box. The current wires Green,White and Purple are in conduit and I can pull wires through. When I test for hot the Purple/Grounded it reads 120V
Can you explain in simple terms how I go about wiring this. I hope I am being clear.

Since you have conduit this may change a few things. First off does your area require conduit or can you use other methods? What other methods are acceptable, non-metallic cable, more commonly called Romex, metal clad cable called AC or MC?

What wires are in the switch box and attached to the switch. With conduit there should have been no reason to run a white to the switch.

If I understand you correctly there are only the 3 wires at the fan, purple, white and a ground?

A double switch box should be available at the big box stores. If you have conduit you would not be using plastic boxes.

I am in a condominium and the ceiling is a concrete slab. This conduit it a gray plastic tube that the three wires are in. The box in the ceiling is metal that supports the fan. The purple wire (Hot when tested and grounded by a tester reads 120V)and Green and White wire are also in this box. At the single pole switch the purple and a black is on this single pole switch. Again, thank you very much for your help.Since you have conduit this may change a few things. First off does your area require conduit or can you use other methods? What other methods are acceptable, non-metallic cable, more commonly called Romex, metal clad cable called AC or MC?

What wires are in the switch box and attached to the switch. With conduit there should have been no reason to run a white to the switch.

If I understand you correctly there are only the 3 wires at the fan, purple, white and a ground?

A double switch box should be available at the big box stores. If you have conduit you would not be using plastic boxes.

OK, the purple is a switched hot.

Only having 1 switched hot will not allow individual control of the fan from the fan/light nor the proposed track lighting. It also rules out the use of dimmers or speed controls.

Think about your ideal situation as far as switching ie, fan switch, track light switch, fan light switch, fan on pull chains with the fan light and track switched together etc. Post back and let us know.

On a side note depending on the track positioning you may get a strobe like effect from the blades going thru the cone of light from the track.

My ideal project would be to have a fan running, no light attached to it, and it does not have to have variable speeds perhaps just set to slow to medium. My priority is to have the track lighting on a dimmer. Thanks for the input on the strobe effect. Hopefully I can maneuver the light away from this effect.

Couple of questions, how do you plan on running the wiring, in conduit or a cable?

I take it that the light kit will be taken down when the track does up?

Assuming is never good, just sometimes accurate. Since you did not tell us, I will assume the power feed comes into the switch box rather than the ceiling box. If this is accurate, then you need two things; another wire from the switch box to the ceiling box to accommodate the dimming of the lights and, second, a two-gang switch box to allow room for a switch and and a dimmer(Are the walls masonry or drywall?). If my assumption is inaccurate, correct me and we will try again.

Yes I will remove the light kit. I can pull wires through the conduit as it is only an 8 foot run from the box to the switch. I also pulled/nudged the purple wire and it moved freely.

Now you just need to figure out how to get the wires to the new track boxes and how to properly secure the boxes and track.

Do you plan on running from the switch up to the fan and then over to the track, or, from the switch to the track?

The channels are in place already. One on each side of the room, with the box for the fan in the center. I think running the wire from the switch to the box then to the track. Again, thanks for helping to this point.

Just run conduit or an MC cable to the lighting box locations fromthe fan box. If running conduit, choose a yellow wire for the lighting hot, an run that, as well as a white and green between the lights, through the fan box with enough slack in the fan box for connections, and also run a yellow wire from the fan box to the switch.

I'm getting closer to the end of the tunnel, however I am not clear what wires from the light get tied into the box that has the 3 wires, purple,green and white, and what wires are tied into the switch. Also what new wire do I run from the switch to the box. One last thing, what type of switch do I buy and what wires are attached where on the switch to make the lights and fan function. I hope I was clear, and I wish I could understand it by now. BTW I am trying to obtain an electrician, however to no avail. I guess the job is too small. I sought advise from this forum thinking that this was not that involved. Thanks again all for your patience and help.

All you have to do is pickup the airfare from Maryland and your project will be complete. :)

To make the fan a constant hot you will need to run a new hot wire from the switch box. It would be connected to the black hot that feeds the current switch. It can be any color besides white, gray or green.

The new track lights would have 3 new wires run to them from the fan box, black, white and ground. The blacks would attach to the switched purple. Your switch will now control the track lights

Also at the fan box all whites will connect and all grounds will connect.

If you want a dimmer you would buy a single pole dimmer and replace the current switch.

Hope I covered everyting.