Jarret TT Camp

Archive for December 5th, 2009

Wiring a ceiling fan can be challenging depending on the way your home is constructed and how your lighting circuits are configured. The control unit that allows you to vary speed and direction will require additional wires run between the switch position and the fan point, and you need to ensure you have some kind of secure mounting in the ceiling able to support the weight of a spinning motor. There are a few tips and tricks that will guide you through the process of installing your ceiling fan, with time and a little patience you can save yourself a few dollars in the cost of hiring an electrician.

Your new ceiling fan will require assembly and some pre-wiring before being attached to the ceiling and connected to power. Some fan kits include a light fixture and you may discover the bell housing that sits against the underside of your ceiling to cover theses connections will be fairly busy’ with numerous different wires connected within. Study and carefully follow the pre-wiring instructions and double check each connection when you are finished. Check the connections are secure by tugging on each wire and ensure there are no visible copper strands poking out from terminal positions. It is easier if you leave the fan blades off the unit at this assembly stage because they get in your way when time comes to attach the fan to your anchor point and connect house wiring.

Having pre-wired and assembled the unit up to but not including the blades, set it aside and study the connections diagram to determine how many new wires you need. Generally your light switches will only have two wires per light switch; your fan controller is going to need at least two additional wires, sometimes more depending on what type you have purchased. It is important to make sure you are using the correct size and type of electrical wire and don’t just use anything you put your hands on.

Before you start playing with switch wires you must first test the circuit using either test lights or a multi-meter do not use a test pencil for this job because they are unreliable. Use your test device first on a powered source (a nearby power outlet is always good for me) to ensure it is functioning correctly then remove the switch cover and test the wiring. You may need an earth wire if your switch circuit does not have a neutral wire included, that will depend on the method used to wire your lighting system. Make sure you can measure full voltage at the switch position and then go and repeat the test procedure at the lighting point. Turn the circuit off at your switchboard then re-test the switch and light positions to make absolutely certain you have correctly identified the circuit. Do not rely on what your switchboard legend tells you; always make certain for yourself because a miss-labelled circuit can sometimes be a fatal discovery that could have easily been avoided with a simple confirmatory check. Do not forget to either lock the switchboard or clearly mark the circuit to make it known you are working on it.

There is no one method that will work for every installation when it comes to installing additional wires from your light switch position to a lighting point and you will nearly always need an assistant. If you have reasonably free access in the ceiling space above the switch and light positions then attach a draw string to pull the switch wires up into the ceiling, your assistant will need to make sure the string does not get snagged on the way up. Attach additional wires then tape the joint (this is essential) and have your assistant carefully pull the draw string back down while you keep some tension and guide the wires. Do not jerk or sharply pull, if it gets stuck then pull it back a little and try with a slightly firmer but steady pull. If it still gets caught then pull it all the way back up and make the joining point as slim and tapered as possible before trying again.

If you cannot find any way to conceal the additional wires from your switch position the only other option may be to surface-run cables and use some rectangular duct covers. This installation method can look like part of the door frame and if neatly installed and painted it is barely noticed. Check the wiring instructions and make sure you mark all wires on both ends so they can be identified once in place otherwise you will add considerable time (and frustration) to the job by having to test and confirm each individual wire.

Once you have installed the additional wiring from the switch to the fan and light position your next step is to fix a hook or anchor point for the fan. There are a variety of different ways to fix the fan to your ceiling and it will also depend on the brand of fan you have purchased. Some use a flat plate screwed directly to the ceiling using plaster anchors or wood screws as appropriate, others supply a hook that can be screwed directly into the wood frame of your ceiling. Worse case is if you have nothing into which you can easily fix your anchor point. If you do find yourself in this situation an option is to insert a piece of wood between ceiling joists so you have something behind the plaster solid enough to take the weight of your fan unit. If you are using plaster anchors then make sure you use a minimum of four or risk having an out of balance fan pulling loose; and do not over tighten plaster inserts.

On to the connections hang the fan unit and from a ladder (unless of course you are incredibly tall or have a very low ceiling!) connect in accordance with the wiring instructions provided with the fan. Your minimum connections will be an earth to the metal frame of your fan unit (this can sometimes be a terminal connection), the neutral wire then connect (in no particular order) the power wire, light switch wire and the fan motor wire. Ensure you have no copper strands poking outside the connection terminals and be neat. Slip the bell housing up and fix it into position using the grub screw located around the collar and you are half way there.

Next you need to secure the mounting plate for your speed control and switch unit. Pull the wires through before you do this and check the base is straight. Connect the switch and fan controls then secure the unit onto the mounting plate and you are about done.

Last job is to climb the ladder and fit the blades. It is easier to have someone hand you the parts while you are doing this job and do not forget to install spacers and washers supplied. Now here is a really important tip: As you fit each blade, do the screws up but do not fully tighten them yet. Once all blades are secured you should pull firmly outward on each individual fan blade as you fully tighten the screws. Most fans are not really symmetrical and characteristically have a slight wobble when in motion but if you do not pull back on the blades before tightening them this wobble can be quite severe.

Insert the lamp if required and check to make sure all covers are on and the job is done. Return to your switchboard and turn the circuit back on. This is a quick tour and description of what you will encounter in the process of installing your own ceiling fan. Each house construction is a little different and no one process will work 100% of the time. Variables such as wiring method, ceiling space and access as well as materials used to construct your house all serve to make each installation a little different. Take your time and don’t allow yourself to become complacent because you are working at home. Electricity can kill and if you do not turn power off as you work on the circuit you are in a high risk situation.

As an electrician of 30 years experience and hundreds of ceiling fans later I can assure you that no one task is the same. It requires a little thought and without exception you must treat all wires as live’ and dangerous irrespective of whether or not you know’ the circuit is turned off. On countless occasions I have isolated circuits only to discover later that a previous electrician or amateur crossed wires somewhere else in the building and set up a back-feed loop. This becomes a rather nasty problem when neutrals are separated and it can be a lethal discovery if you are not aware of the danger; don’t ever make the mistake of assuming electrical cables are safe to handle.

Exercise care at all times, test and re-test, do not rush into any job, treat every situation as dangerous and think about what might happen each time you do something. Sometimes it is better to simply stop, take a step back and rethink what you are doing. Pay attention to that instinctive’ niggling feeling if it occur and if you think something does not seem quite right then assume it is not!

139600_m Learn more about this author, Ian Loft.