Familiarize Yourself with Wire Colors

1

The colors of the ceiling fan wiring might be slightly different than other household circuit wires. It’s important to understand what each wire does and how it connects with the others.

Wiring a ceiling fan with four wires is the most common. However, an additional color wire might be included. Here is what each wire color represents:

Household:

• The black wire is the hot wire that leads to the switch.
• The white wire is neutral and completes the electrical circuit.
• Copper or green wire is the ground wire and keeps the fan from experience power surges.
• If there is a blue and black wire coming from the household circuit, there should be two switches on the wall.
• If there is a red wire coming from the ceiling, it is hooked up to the wall switch.

Fan:

• Black wire is for the fan.
• Blue wire is for the lamp if one is included with the fan.
• White wire is neutral.
• Green wire is for the ground.
• Red wire is sometimes included and acts as a conductor to carry power to the light kit.

2

Knowing how to wire a ceiling fan means taking some precautionary steps:

• Make sure all circuit breakers related to the wiring are shut off. The electrical box is commonly located in the garage or a closet. Look for a label or imprint on the box or its door that corresponds with the room location and shut off the electrical circuit to that room.
• If needed, consult a professional electrician to ensure that the breaker box and electrical switches are to code.
• Make sure to strip the coating on the ends of the wires to expose the copper end.
• Make sure the unused wires have caps or wire connectors at the ends.
• Make sure your fan comes with wire nuts and push connectors. Both of these will be needed when wiring your ceiling fan.
• Some manufacturers may use different color coding, so be sure that you follow the instructions included with your fan.

3

This ceiling fan wiring diagram is commonly used when there is no switch in the room where the fan/light will be located. It allows someone to draw power for the fan and/or the light from one connection to a nearby power source.

This method means that you would use the pull chains included with your fan to turn on the light and the fan. For rooms without switches, ceiling fan remotes can alleviate the need of using a pull chain.

• Connect the white wires (neutral wires) from your fan and ceiling together.
• Connect the green wire to your household ground wire (copper/bare wire).
• Connect the black wires together.
• Connect the blue wires together or the blue wire to the black wire for lights. Follow the same step for ceiling fans without lights. This will allow you to add a light kit later on without having to rewire the fan.
• Tuck the wires back into the box.
• Turn the power back on and test the fan.

4

One of the most commonly used methods, this wiring task is for ceiling fans that only require one light switch.

In this scenario for a ceiling fan with lights, wrapping the white wire with electrical tape is recommended to mark that it is a hot wire as opposed to a neutral wire. In order for the light to be controlled by its own switch, the wiring between the switch and the fan unit needs a fourth wire, a red wire, to carry power to the light kit.

• Connect the green wire to the household ground wire (copper/bare wire).
• Connect your white wires together and secure with wire nut.
• Connect the red wire in the ceiling to the black wire in the light kit and the black wire in the ceiling to the black wire in the fan.
• Tuck the wires back into the box.
• Turn the power back on and test the fan.

5

Knowing how to wire a ceiling fan with this method allows you to turn on the fan and the light from a single wall switch, cutting out the need to use the pull chain each time to adjust the fan.

• Connect the green/bare copper wires together.
• Connect white wires together.
• Connect black wires together.
• Connect the lighting wire, typically blue, to the black fan wire and the black ceiling wire.
• Tuck the wires back into the box.
• Turn the power back on and test the fan.

6

This method allows the fan and light to operate separately. It also affords the option to install a dimmer for the light. (Don’t attach a dimmer to the fan’s power. Its speed should only vary by use of its built-in controls.) The power supply line (the black wire) should feed both switches and those switches power the fan (black) or the light (blue).

To do this method, the wire from the wall circuit to your light has to have three wires.

If you are replacing an existing fan on a two-switch setup, there may be an existing three-conductor wire, which means a red wire will be in the box. This will supply power for the light kit.

If you are installing a fan for the first time or adding a separate switch for a light kit for the first time, you will need to run a new wire from the switch box to the junction box in the ceiling, where the fan will be. You need to use a new run of three-conductor wire (denoted as “14-3” – check your local code for the specific gauge).

• Connect black fan wire to the black ceiling wire.
• Connect the blue wire to the red wire.
• Connect white wires together.
• Connect green/bare copper wires.

In the switch box:

• Split the incoming hot wire into a “Y” and connect it to a terminal on each switch.
• Connect the black wire to the screw located in switch No. 1.
• Connect the red wire to the screw in switch No. 2.
• Connect the white wires together.
• Connect green/bare copper wires together.
• Tuck all wires back in their boxes.
• Turn power on and test.

7

Many newer ceiling fans come with wireless remotes for ease and convenience. The ceiling fan remote receiver is placed inside the body of the fan and the control will sit on the wall of your room. For a handheld remote:

• Turn off the electricity.
• Remote receivers will have DIP switches, or a series of button, and three or four wires.
• Insert the battery.
• Once the fan is mounted and in place, slide the ceiling fan remote receiver into the space above the down rod.
• Connect corresponding wires from fan to remote (white to white, black to black, blue to black and green/copper to green/copper).
• Turn power back on and test.