I have installed ceiling fans before with no problems until now. I just moved into this old duplex where the ac is crap and it's hot as balls outside. I finally break down and get a ceiling fan to install. So I get up to the light fixture,pop it off and to my surprise there aren't enough wires. There are four wires coming from two lines,both sets are black and white. The black wire from one line is connected to the light and the white wire from the other line is also connected to the light. And then the other black and white wires from the seperate lines are connected together. And oh I almost forgot there is no ground wire in sight. What do I do here???
2006-07-31 17:34:19 · 12 answers · asked by BLT79 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Do It Yourself (DIY)
The wires in your light box are wired correctly. The black connected to the white is called a "switch loop". This is the only time you are allowed to connect a black to a white wire. The power is sent down to the switch on the white wire and it returns to the light on the black wire. However, this white wire needs to be identified as a hot wire. To do this, wrap a piece of electrical tape or use a permanent marker around the white (the one that is connected to the black) in your light box and switch.
There is another answer here that tells you to connect your white wire to the ground wire, this is incorrect and very dangerous. DO NOT do this! The same answer also states that you are switching your neutral wire, this is also incorrect.
If your wiring is romex and not in BX or conduit, there is not a ground and there is no place to terminate your ground wire. If your wiring is in a conduit, I recommend pulling a new ground wire back to your electrical panel. I also recommend installing a new romex with a ground if your wiring is romex.
None of the other answers mention installing a special box for a ceiling fan. This is REQUIRED. A ceiling fan needs to be mounted to a metal box that is rated for ceiling fans. This box is rated for the weight and motion of a ceiling fan. A regular metal box will probably handle the weight but, it will definately not handle the motion. You can find these at Home Depot, Lowe's or your local hardware store.
You should also check to see if your electrical panel is grounded or not. If not, I highly recommend hiring a licensed electrician for this.
If you need further assistance, please visit -
http://electricalblog.gilchrist-electric.com
To PAL L:
I did not see your question or I would have answered it. Unfortunately, I'm not always available to answer electrical questions on Yahoo. Your simple question is closed to answers right now, but I voted for answer #4 as this is the correct answer. To dim your lights from 2 different locations, you need a master and slave combination of 3-way switches.
2006-08-01 02:05:13 · answer #1 · answered by gilchristelectric 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Okay....the first thing to remember. If your house was wired by an electrician....black is always hot, and white is always neutral. That means if you measure the potential from the black wire to ground the black will have 120 volt or whatever you maximum single phase voltage is. The white wire is called the neutral. That means that there is no electrical potential from the white wire, relative to ground.
Before I go....there is one other thing you can do. You said you had four wires....two black...two white. At Radioshack you can buy a cheap multivoltmeter for around ten dollars. With that tester, you can check the potential relative to the neutral and ground potentials on you junction box. That will tell you definitively which wires are connect to hot and which go to ground. Just be aware thay you have to do this with the circuit energized...so BE CAREFUL when making measurements.
You can touch the white wire and ground without being shocked if everything else in the house is wired correctly.
Now....if you look inside your breaker or fuse box - with the front cover removed - you will see that the white wire is connected to the same point (or electrical potential) as the ground wire coming into the house.
Ordinarily this is not a problem. Builders save money by using two conducter wire instead of three conductor wire, and they complete the circuit by tieing the neutral to the ground wire at the box.
If understood your question correctly, you don't know what to do with the "extra" ground wire on your new fan. Unless you can easily run 3 conductor wire to the breaker box or some other ground, the best thing you can do is to connect it to the white neutral wire. This will provide protection if the rest of the house is wired the same.
Where you run into a problem is when you wire a single pole, switched device into your house, and connect the switch to the white wire. The device you install will turn off an on just fine, but instead of openining the "hot" lead with the switch, it is opening the common or return path. This can indirectly result in what is called a hot neutral, somewhere else in the house.
Bottom line....remember....black is always hot relative to ground....and white is always neutral or equal to ground. If you practice that you should be okay.
2006-07-31 18:37:00 · answer #2 · answered by richard Alvarado 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Old Electrical Wiring
2016-09-29 05:38:22 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get an inexpensive wire tester. You can usually find a ground with a third wire (that you provide) that you can connect with the junction box—which should run to ground.
I'm concerned about the black and white wires that are connected—an electrician may well be in your best interests.
2006-07-31 17:50:25 · answer #4 · answered by DrB 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
No ground in old electrical wiring???
I have installed ceiling fans before with no problems until now. I just moved into this old duplex where the ac is crap and it's hot as balls outside. I finally break down and get a ceiling fan to install. So I get up to the light fixture,pop it off and to my surprise there aren't enough...
2015-08-10 09:09:44 · answer #5 · answered by Sulema 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
your older house just has no ground!! in the early days many houses were built this way,, even some of the newer mobile homes are!! just look in your breaker box (remove the panel front but don't touch) and see if there any green wires any wheres,, are they connected to anything?? some cables didn't even have the ground wires in them!! that is some OLD wiring!!
2006-07-31 22:27:02 · answer #6 · answered by fuzzykjun 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
our home was built in 1956. We have owned it for 35 years. Never had an electrical problem. We recently added all new circuit breakers. All outlets have plastic covers. Is this safe.
2015-10-24 05:19:19 · answer #7 · answered by mcmooz4 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In older wiring, a "ground wire" is not needed for a ceiling light.
In newer wiring, a ground wire is required by electrical code (official rules) but it has nothing to do with the lighting circuit. It's purpose is SAFETY.
2017-02-05 22:18:56 · answer #8 · answered by M. 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
LISTEN TO GILCHRISTELE. The other guys giving you answers can get you hurt or much much worse. Hire an electrician if you don't get it. You will know the sixty an hour was worth it after your home is in ashes.
2006-08-02 17:13:17 · answer #9 · answered by retrac650 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check with a voltmeter, but this is one possibilty:
On the light
W1 -- neutral from circuit breaker / fuse
B2 -- connected to wall switch
B1 & W2 connected together
B1 -- hot from breaker to the wall switch
W2 - switched hot from the wall switch
I think (but check it out) B2/W2 run from the ceiling to the wall switch.
Good luck.
2006-07-31 18:08:16 · answer #10 · answered by Tom-SJ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋