Installing Ceiling Fan with Red wire on electrical box.

You should have two wall switches; one on the red and one on the black.

Perhaps you are simply using the wrong switch. Either try to find the switch on the black wire, or attach the red feed to the black fan wire.

later...

A good clue is how was this wired before? If you know please describe it.

I am assuming these four wires are in one or two cables. If there are two cables then the four like wires are connected or all except the white is connected. If this is not so then describe how it is connected.

You most likely have one of three setups (ignoring a wiring job done by someone dangerous with tools):

1. Switched red, hot black. The four wires are: bare copper or green insulated copper is the ground wire. white is the common or return black is always hot red is switched

If there is another cable it may only connect to the white, black and copper wires.

In this setup you could connect a lamp between the red and black wires that is controlled by the light switch. A remote control would connect to the black and white wires.

1. Three way switch, This requires at least two cables. The two black wires are connected together and the two red wires are connected together. The white wire from each cable is intended for a light. In this setup there will be two three-way switches that control the lamp socket (in rare cases there may be one or more four way switches adding, um, complexity).

In this setup you do not have an always-on wire that will supply continuous power for a remote control Connect the fan between the two white wires and return the remote.

1. Shared common

This will almost certainly have an additional cable or cables. It is unusual in a light fixture. In this setup there is 120 Volts between the black and white wires, 120 volts between the red and white wires, and 240 volts between the red and black wires.

Your fan should have a bare copper or a green wire that will connect to the green wire. If the box or just the cross strap is metal then that also connects to the green wire.

Your fan will have four wires to connect. Green to Green and the box is easy. White to white is even easier. Since you only have fan then you only have one additional wire to connect. The remote control has a circuit for a light that you will not use, the fan may also have a wire for light that you will not use. 'Best to connect the wires for the light to make adding one easier later.

One red wire is consistant with being switched.

Beyond my guess above, you will have to read the instructions on how to connect the fan to the control.

Could the switch be off? Is the breaker off?

If the red is switched then connect it directly to the fan and forget the remote. If the black is always hot then use it as the power for the remote.

Do you have a volt meter or tester light? That will tell you where there is power. Just be slow and careful about where you reach and touch when the power is on. Make sure wire ends do not touch the box or each other.

We need a little more information to solve it online, but I may have given you enough clues to figure it out.

Richard Kaiser Homeowner and Electronics Engineer

[[.. munch ..]]

hire an electrician to do it for you.

You *obviously* don't understand what you're working with, and, therefore, you should =not= be doing it yourself.

to Wade, Richard, Robert thank you very much for the time you spent in replying to my query.

Actually, it is now working with the same set-up that I wrote over the message board. The only difference was by attaching the blades (LOL). (*sigh) I assumed by connecting just the wires you can test if the motor will work. Well... it did not work. I decided to attach the blades and lo and behold it is working!

But that doesn't mean I did not learn on what you guys has just posted. It confirmed on what I knew and added more based on your suggestions and insights. Again, thank you very much.

josh green

Usually the remote controls are only used when people don't have the proper wiring for a fan plus fan light. In your case you do. So the in (connection to electrical box) would have 2 wires plus ground and the out (to fan) 3 wires plus ground. You say the reverse which is strange.

This is a tuff one...is there juice at the fan Get juice to the wirez and it will work.

I don't read news groups so apply direct.

yes CMF. I took out the screws that hold the black plastic thing. Before, I just took them out and did not do anything. That was my assumption and it was wrong.

you're absolutely correct Art. The bad thing is... I'm lazy. So i decided to spice up the connection by adding more complication (the remote) hehehehe...

Thanks HR. I really appreciate your good thoughts and for defending my ignorance.

UPDATE: right now, I have to take it out (the ceiling fan) since it's NOT giving me enough air flow though it's already in High mode. I have to change the ceiling fan itself and get the bigger one. Thanks for all the posts that you provided, I know, I can do this correct for the second time around.

josh green

If it's a three-blade fan you can switch to a four-blade model of the same radius. This will keep the fan scaled to the room for appearance while increasing the airflow as much as adding a few inches to the blade length.

If you want remote control, consider ordering a fan that comes with it. Home automation is indeed an entertaining hobby, but it's not necessary to reinvent the wheel to enjoy it. :^)

FTR, I've been very happy with fans purchased from Home Depot.

Regards, Robert

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