Wiring a Ceiling Fan

Any ceiling fan, weighing up to or more than 35 lbs, needs an electrical box and has to be secured to the structural frame. Make sure you have someone to help you with holding the fan as you are wiring it. Install the fan with at least 2 feet of distance between the blades and the wall, and at least 8 feet of distance between the fan and the floor. And now, we will move on to find the exact directions on how a ceiling fan can be wired properly.

Wiring a Fan to the Switch

Wiring the fan to a switch is not as difficult as it sounds. Follow these simple steps mentioned below and you too can perform this task without the help of any electrician.

1. Before you begin, make sure the power to the circuit is turned off, as you have to work on the main breaker box. Put a note on the breaker box, so that no one turns it back on or messes with it while you're wiring the switch.
2. Take the cable strippers and peel off the insulation where the wires lead from the fan to its switch. Keep both the white and black wires to expose at least ½ inch.
3. Now with the help of the cable strippers, peel off the insulation where the wires lead from the power source till the switch itself. Again both white and black wires will be ½ inch exposed.
4. Tie both the white wires together with the help of marrettes or wire nuts. Hold the wires in one hand, slide the marrettes on top of the open wires, and twist it till you get a strong connection.
5. Now it's time to connect the black wires to the switch, with each wire linked to the screws. Set the switch into your gang box, with the help of the mounting tabs and some screws.
6. Now it's time to turn the power on and inspect if the fan and switch works. Voila, you have been successful in wiring the fan to a switch.

Wiring a Fan With Two Switches

The idea behind a ceiling fan with two switches is to control the brightness and the speed of the fan as well. It is often used for decorative purposes at homes and offices. You pull the switch once if you want low light and speed on your fan; you pull the switch again, the light will get more bright and the fan will increase in speed as well. If you have the right tools, the task can be a piece of cake. But just to be on the safe side, if you haven't done this before, call an electrician to avoid any problems.

1. With the help of a drill and 1 inch wood bit, make a hole near the breaker box. Take a measure tape and evaluate the distance of the 110 wire which starts from the breaker box till the light switch. You need to keep the switch box in with the light switch.
2. On the right side of the light box, place the black wire, and both the copper and white wires will go on the left side. Now measure the distance from the switch till the location of the ceiling fan. Cut the excess wires near the switch. Tie the black wire on the right side, and the copper and white wires on the right side of the light switch. Take a flat-head screwdriver to fasten all the three wires.
3. Now it's time to screw in the fan bracket with the help of a screwdriver. Pull the wires through the bracket. The black wire goes on the other black wire, white goes on white, and the copper wire will go on the green slotted screw.
4. Keep the wire nuts on top of each wires, fasten them in clockwise manner, and cover each wires with the help of an electrical tape.
5. Take some screws and a screwdriver to connect the ceiling fan to the bracket. Keep the white and copper wires inside the ground bars of the breaker box and the black wire in the breaker box itself. Keep the breaker box off while you're performing this step.
6. Now, it's time to turn the breaker on and inspect if everything is working as it is supposed to. If everything is OK, you just got yourself a ceiling fan with two switches wired and ready to use.

Apart from the steps mentioned in the article, perhaps you want to know how to balance a ceiling fan for more information.

If you don't know what you're doing with the wires and the tools, don't try it yourself. Always seek help from a professional electrician before you take a risk on wiring a ceiling fan on your own.