Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - Fan Wiring Help
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rsanborn
11-26-08, 05:58 PM
"I have moved my kitchen fan 2 feet. When I took the fan down it had 3 set of wires going into it. 2 sets of 12-2 and 1 12-3. The 12-2 were tied together and attached to the fan. The 12-3 was was also attached to the fan. The fan has 2 black wires and 1 white wire. I have installed a junction box and tied the 2 12-2 wires together and used a "jumper" (one 12-2 wire) out of the box to hook to the fan. The 12-3 wire I just tied to the 12-2 jumper and the fan. I connect all the black wires and the red wire together. And of course the white together. The fan works but it's like I by passed the switch. The fan light will not turn on and off my the wall switch on at the fan. When i made the junction it looked like the red wire was not used before. It was not as long as the black and white and the end was not bare. I really don't remember if it was tied to the fan before. Any ideas of what is wrong? "
John Nelson
11-27-08, 01:35 PM
There are a lot of ambiguities and missing information in your post. Could you please help clarify?
The fan has 2 black wires and 1 white wire.Look more closely at the two "black" wires. Does one of them have a white stripe?
The 12-2 were tied together and attached to the fan.This is imprecise. Each 12/2 has one black wire and one white wire. Can you identify all the connections by individual wire rather than by cable?
The 12-3 wire I just tied to the 12-2 jumper and the fan.Again, could you identify the connections wire by wire?
I connect all the black wires and the red wire together.If this isn't exactly the way it was connected previously, then it's not going to be the right way to connect it now.
How many switches are on the wall, and what did they previously control? I.e., how did you turn on and off the light previously, and how did you turn on and off the fan previously?
The most common way this would be wired is that all three black wires from the ceiling would be connected to the black wire from the fan. This allows you to turn on and off the fan with the pull chain, independently from the switch.
Then the red wire from the ceiling would be connected to the black wire with the white stripe from the fan. This would allow the wall switch to control the fan's light.
All the white wires should be connected together.
The fan has 2 black wires and 1 white wire.Look more closely at the two "black" wires. Does one of them have a white stripe?
The 12-2 were tied together and attached to the fan.This is imprecise. Each 12/2 has one black wire and one white wire. Can you identify all the connections by individual wire rather than by cable?
The 12-3 wire I just tied to the 12-2 jumper and the fan.Again, could you identify the connections wire by wire?
I connect all the black wires and the red wire together.If this isn't exactly the way it was connected previously, then it's not going to be the right way to connect it now.
How many switches are on the wall, and what did they previously control? I.e., how did you turn on and off the light previously, and how did you turn on and off the fan previously?
The most common way this would be wired is that all three black wires from the ceiling would be connected to the black wire from the fan. This allows you to turn on and off the fan with the pull chain, independently from the switch.
Then the red wire from the ceiling would be connected to the black wire with the white stripe from the fan. This would allow the wall switch to control the fan's light.
All the white wires should be connected together.