Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - New Ceiling Fan Works - Lights Don't

Hello everyone,

We moved into a house that has a living room set up for a fan, but never had one put in. There is a switch on the wall that has a dial for adjusting the speed of a fan and a light switch for the same fixture which was covered and unused, but the wiring was already there.

So I installed everything by the books, but I must be having issues with the wiring. I hooked the ground wires together to a bare wire hanging from the fixture and then I hooked white to white and black to black. The lights (this is a Hunter fan) have a black and white wire and my ceiling had a red wire left over. I figured being colored it was hot so I hooked those together.

Now the fan works just fine and the dial works to vary the speed. However, when I flip the light switch it actually breaks the circuit for the living room. The lights never come on or anything. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

Sounds like someone series wired the switches. Tell us all the wires at the switch and how they are wired. Do you have just a three conductor cable, black, white, red, at the fan or do you also have a two conductor cable at the fan?

What do you mean "it breaks the circuit for the living room"? It trips the breaker? Blows the fuse? Shuts everything off in the living room including the receptacles?

Is there only one switch box controlling that fan?

I'll take a closer look at the switch and get back to you. I can tell you there's two switches and one dial. Our house is split level, so the first switch actually turns the light on right in the entrance at the front door and stairs. Then there's the fan dial and then another switch which does nothing (but I assumed was for fan lights). That is the only switch to control the fan.

At the fan, there's only 3 wires - the white, black and red.

By breaking the circuit I mean it trips the breaker for the room - I lose power to everything in the area and I have to reset the breaker.

Here's what I found at the light switch. I'm not sure that I can trust the colors. The switch for the entryway light (that works) has two white wires, and the one tripping the circuit has two red (one is more pink). The fan control has two black. All three seem to be grounded the same way as well.

Here's what I found at the light switch. I'm not sure that I can trust the colors. The switch for the entryway light (that works) has two white wires, and the one tripping the circuit has two red (one is more pink). The fan control has two black. All three seem to be grounded the same way as well. Are you in the USA? Colors to the entry way light switch make no sense. .Are these cables or is it conduit? If cables how many wires per each cable. Are there any pigtails, short wires fastened with wire nuts first switch actually turns the light on right in the entrance at the front door and stairs. Are there two switches controlling the stair light?
At the fan, there's only 3 wires - the white, black and red. That usually indicates power comes from the switch. If so at the switch there should be one two conductor cable that is the hot in.

There should be a second two or three conductor cable for the entrance light. The entrance light cable would be three conductor if a three way switch.

There should be a three conductor cable for the fan. Red to one fan switch. Black to the other switch. There should be three pigtails. One to each switch.

There should be three white wires wire-nutted together.

The above is only a wiring example I would expect to find. Do not wire it this way at this time. We will need more info before proceeding.