Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Fan wiring

is it a big deal to switch a dimmer back to simple on/off?

also, re: fan install...we have 3 wires from fan (black, blue, white) from ceiling (yellow blue white) the boyfriend attached blue/blue, white/white & black/yellow...is that correct? there was a fan there that's being replaced but the wiring is different so it didn't help.

thanks!!

nikki

Your first question is a bit too ambiguous to answer. But in most cases, it's trivial.

As to your second question, then the answer is maybe. Certainly white-to-white is correct, but which of the other two wires goes to which is not certain without more information. Are there one or two switches on the wall? What kind of switches are they? If there are two identical switches on the wall, then probably one switches the yellow and one switches the blue, so as long as you don't care which switch works the motor and which works the light kit (assuming there is a light kit--is there?), then it doesn't matter.

So, does it work? If not, what happens?

P.S. Thanks for providing your location.

Hi there, thanks for the reply.

There is one switch for the entire unit (fan & light together). That's where the dimmer to standard question came in...it was a dimmer and I'm changing to the regular cuz I don't think a dimmer is necessary.

So if I'm putting the entire thing on one switch, i would attach which?

:)

If there is only one wall switch, then I don't know why you have both blue and yellow wires in the ceiling. If you can explain the wiring in the switch box, it should clear this up.

And yes, you will have to change out the dimmer, and not only because it isn't necessary. It may damage your fan.

Hi there,
Thanks so much for taking the time to help with this.

The switch box has 2 blue and 1 yellow wire. They were all connected to the same place on the dimmer/switch.

Like I said, I'm now going to the basic on/off switch.

Thoughts? :-)

Nikki

Well, those three wires were not "connected to the same place", and the exact details make a difference. If you can provide more details, that would help.

But, it is logical to assume that the two blue wires are both unswitched hots and that the yellow is a switched hot.

Try this. It might not work, but it won't be dangerous. Connect the blue from the ceiling to the black from the fan. This will provide unswitched power to the fan motor, and you can then operate the fan motor with the pull chain independently of the light. Connect the yellow from the ceiling to the blue from the fan. This will provide switched hot to the light, and allow the wall switch to control the light. Then connect the white from the ceiling to the white from the fan.

Reading between the lines of your post, it seems maybe you have already removed the dimmer (based on the use of the past tense in your previous post). To install a regular switch in its place, use a wire nut to connect the two blue wires to each other, and also to a short section of new blue (or black) wire in the same gauge wire (called a "pigtail") to one screw on the switch. Connect the yellow wire to the other screw on the switch.

the blue and yellow wires were definitely connected at the same place on the dimmer. i promise.

i will have the bf try it tonite.

so there's no way to have the light and the fan all connected to the switch? that's fine I'll always have the fan on anyway I was just curious.

thanks so much!!

Nikki

If the 2 blues and the yellow were connected to the same spot on the old dimmer there would be no switching.

A normal single pole switch or dimmer needs at least 2 wires + a ground wire to operate. One provides power to the switch. The other is the output or switched hot to the fixture.

I completely understand what you're saying.

Thanks so much again for all of your help. I told my BF what to do on the phone and when I got home it was hooked up and working, however the switch works the fan and we have to use the pullchain for the light...not how I wanted it, but it works. He probably didn't do exactly what you told me though...he's a little stubborn like that.

thanks again, i appreciate your time!

Nikki

To get the light working off the wall switch would require you to switch 2 wires at the ceiling canopy. In about 10 minutes you can have the switch work the way you want it to.

Move the blue or black light kit wire to where the fan wire is currently. Attach the fan wire where you just removed the light kit wire. Make all changes with the power off.

Your BF connected blue-to-blue at the ceiling. Notice that that's not what my instructions said. This can be fixed either by rewiring the switch or by rewiring the fan.