my friend told me he thought that there are multiple wires to be hooked up, are these just hooked up to the hot wire? guess I am looking for a step by step if anyone can help!
2006-06-26 08:45:12 · 8 answers · asked by cucucurry 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
I have installed the fans and lights before, and on that end i know what i am doing but at the dimmer switch is it simply black white green? I am goin to install this for my friends grandfather and havent actually spoke to him about what kind of switch he purchased....
2006-06-26 09:30:14 · update #1
First off there are 4 wires on a dimmer A hot(black), neutral(white), ground(green) and a switch leg(red). Black goes to the power red goes to the fan white to white and ground to ground. The electrician mentioned by another answerer is absolutely correct. They do make variable switches for fan motors but they dont last. When you set it to low it wears out much faster. If you have a 3wire cable going to the fan good use one leg for dimming the light and one leg to switch the fan motor. If not then just pull the chord.
2006-06-26 12:35:44 · answer #1 · answered by NubbY 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This can get tricky, but I've found that in most cases, you are better off getting a remote control. They cost about the same, and work better than most hard-wired devices. If you are saying that there is already a dimmer in place, there may be another option or two, but I recommend the remote to most customers. You end up with a dimmer for the light and a speed control for the fan, without any extra wiring.
2006-06-28 00:56:03 · answer #2 · answered by MARK R 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The kits have excellent instructions in them. Black is your
hot wire, white your neutral, and green ground. Keep those paired together and there should be no sparks. They will give you
wire nuts to join the wires with make sure they are tight with
no bare wire showing. Make sure you pick a fan with head clearance.. even wooden blades hurt. Make sure that outlet box
is stable enough to handle the weight. Most are but sometimes people stick one up that isn't connected to rafters or joists. It
is really bad to be chased around room by a fan dangling from wires. Your dimmer switch should be sufficient to handle 15 amps
on 14 gauge wire. If you find cracked and crumbly insulation on wires call an electrician ... Stay Cool..
2006-06-26 16:10:04 · answer #3 · answered by buffalosjokes2001 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not use a lighting dimmer switch to control a fan. They are not designed for that. Use a fan speed control. The answer to your question is yes, If you do not have 14/3 going to the fan from the switch you can tie all of the hots together. You will have use the chain to control fan speed.
2006-06-27 17:20:05 · answer #4 · answered by electric_bob58 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Coincidence you ask this question, I was just talking to an electrician who said dimmer switches are bad ideas for ceiling fans period. He said he has installed them before, and every time the customer has called him back and he has to replace them. Seems that for whatever reason the dimmer feature just can't carry enough electricity to work well and it affects how well the fan turns/blows. Might want to think about it. Good luck.
2006-06-26 17:35:23 · answer #5 · answered by JC 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need a 3 wire up to the fixture
and you should use a split slide dimmer so you can control the light and the fan seperately
2006-06-26 16:42:51 · answer #6 · answered by bo_hic_a 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
invariably the dimmer will fail as they are not meant to control the surge a motor takes when starting. incandescent lamps only.
2006-07-01 22:54:49 · answer #7 · answered by BrettO 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well...touch all the wires first and if you get electrocuted then you know which one(s) to beware of!
2006-06-26 15:48:45 · answer #8 · answered by A.Marie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋