# Amateur electrician question



## closingtime (Aug 5, 2006)

I'm fairly handy except for when it comes to electrical work. 

So here's my problem. I have 2 ceiling fans in a room controlled by the same fan control that controls light and fan speed. I am replacing the 2nd fan in the series with a chandelier. I removed the fan and there is a basic wire with black, white, and ground. I tried hooking up the wires every which way I could think and nothing is happening.

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

Thanks


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## carryyourbooks (Feb 13, 2009)

no power.

i bet you knew that though. did you alter the switches? did you do anything to the fan (that you kept)? maybe you have a loose wire nut. who knows? you need to troubleshoot.


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## closingtime (Aug 5, 2006)

Did not do anything to the switch or the fan I kept. Guess I'll have to keep messing around with it. I think it might have something to do with the switches since it is a variable speed switch for the fan and light.


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## CoastalBent (Aug 3, 2006)

Have you checked your fuses? If you hooked them up every which way, you may have hooked it up the wrong way and popped a fuse....


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## CoastalBent (Aug 3, 2006)

Also, you may want to get a volt detector:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_169-72068-GT-12_4294820986_4294937087_?productId=3095845&Ns=p_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr|0||p_product_quantity_sold|1&pl=1&currentURL=%2Fpl_Test%2BMeters%2B_4294820986_4294937087_%3FNs%3Dp_product_prd_lis_ord_nbr%7C0%7C%7Cp_product_quantity_sold%7C1

They're pretty handy for home electrical work. You'll be able to see if you're getting any power to the wire or not.


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## Profish00 (May 21, 2004)

Two wire hook up, three wire drag up. Sorry no help.


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## limpline (Sep 15, 2009)

1) did you pull the chain on the fan? maybe it got pulled and your fan is turned off?
2) it could be that the fan control isn't big enough to handle 2 fans.
3) white to white..black to black..green to ground. If your fan has a light kit on it, you may have a blue wire on the fan also.


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## closingtime (Aug 5, 2006)

Didn't have time to mess with this w/e, but it is on the to do list. Will report back with results.


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## JED (Nov 14, 2004)

You may have a loose connection or your switch may be bad. I just went through the same PIA with a four way switch with a light and fan replacements.
My house is old, where they ran the hot/service line to the jbox/light base, to the switch and back to the lights/base. It took me a while to figure it all out, especially with the travelers and commons thrown in. 
If yours is like mine, identify the wiring, get a voltmeter and see if you are getting full 120v service to the fan/lights.check up in the box for traveler wires spliced in, then check your connections. My traveler line was an old splice and wrap connection. I found it was very loose and arching, which was causing the drop in voltage accross the circuit and a potential fire hazard.


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## BigBobTx (Feb 23, 2011)

Tell me about the wires coming from the fan. There should be a black and one white and one blue and one copper. Is that what you have?
If so the black goes to the light and the blue one goes to the fan. White on white and ground (bare copper) to ground. From the switch there should be a ground (copper) and a common (white) and a black and red. the hook up should go like this
black on black (light)
white on white (common) If you have more than one white hook them all together
blue on red (fan)
copper on copper (ground)
If you're using wire nuts make **** sure they are real tight. A loose connection can cause a fire. Tighten the wire nut and give the connect a good pull. If it comes apart do it again.

OK if you have two blacks coming from the wall switch (instead of a black and a red) then you need to determine which is for the fan and which is for the light. You can do this by trial and error or use a meter. Which by the way anytime you're messing with electricity you should use. To use the meter clip one lead to the incoming white wire and then turn on the light switch. Take the other meter lead and check which black wire is hot. Hook that wire to the black wire on the light/fan after you turn off the switch. The other one should go to the fan and hook that one to the blue wire coming from the fan/light. 
Be careful, more people have been killed on house voltage than any other voltage there is!!! I hope this helps.
Bob
PS I worked in a power plant in the electrical field for 24 years. And besides that I just recently installed a bunch of light/fans for my number one daughter. lol
PSS shoot me an email and if you have anymore trouble and we'll get hooked up on the phone.


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## iridered2003 (Dec 12, 2005)

what kind of lighting are you putting up? flo? incandescent?


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