wiring for a ceiling fan and light switch?

Question

I am installing a ceiling fan and light fixture. I want the fan and the light to be on seperate switches. How do I do the wiring?

Do I need to use 12-3 wire or can I use 12-2

Answer 1

http://www.lightingfacts.com/Ceiling%20Fan%20Wiring.html

Answer 2

My girlfriend just moved into an old house where I installed 3 ceiling fans with light kits. Their will be 3 sometimes 4 wires on th fan kit. A blue wire that is positive for the light kit a green wire that is common ground not needed and black that is positive power for the fan the white is common negative. You will run a hot and negative pair from the fuse box to the switch. from the switch you run your pair to the socket where your fan is going to be placed. using wire nuts place the blue and black wires from the fan with the black wire from the ceiling that you have just run. Then place the white wire from the fan with the white wire from the ceiling and twist on the wire nut. This should get you hooked up. Secure your fan to the ceiling with included hardware and you are good to go.

PLEASE MAKE SURE POWER IS OFF AT THE BREAKER BOX BEFORE STARTING ANY WIRING PROJECT. SAFETY FIRST.

Your fan is no good to you if you die trying to put it up.

Answer 3

When I replaced a ceiling light with a ceiling fan/light unit, I went to Home Depot and bought a switch unit with 2 rotary switches (Rheostats) that fit in a standard single switch box.
Then I hooked a fish tape to the wire running from the switch box to the ceiling light, pulled the wire until I got to the fish tape, hooked a second wire (solid core, NOT twisted/braided core), and pulled the fish tape back through until I had the second wire running from the box to the ceiling fixture box. (This will not work if the wiring is Romex stapled to the wall studs!).
Now, you can hook up the fore mentioned dual rotary switch, and one switch will control the light, the other the fan.

Answer 4

I've done this in my house. This is not the electricians way, though.
I simply drilled two holes in the base for wires to pass through. wire to the electrical leads in the fan, pass through the holes, run across ceiling with those "swag hooks" you can get at a hardware stores. put a dimmer in the feed to the lights and plug into wall. The downside is exposed wiring. the upside is now the fan can be replaced when it gets old without having to tear out walls.