Install a Ceiling Fan Light Switch
There are lots of ways to wire a ceiling fan and light unit, much of it dependent on the unit itself. The most common configuration is a unit that has dangling chains to control the light and the fan separately, with one wall switch to control power to both systems at once. This plan assumes that the ceiling electrical box where you're going to hang the fan is well-supported at a ceiling joist. If it isn't, consult a professional to support it before hanging a fan there.
Instructions
1. Turn off all power to the room. Remove the existing switch from the switchbox by taking off the plate and unscrewing the mounting screws on the top and bottom of the switch. Pull all the wires out so that you can see what you've got. You should see a white wire, black wire and bare copper grounding wire coming into the box from the bottom, and another white wire, black and bare wire coming out of the box from the top.
2. Link the two white wires to each other by holding the wire ends side-by-side and screwing a wire nut down over them. Wrap the connection in electrical tape.
3. Bend the black wire from the bottom of the box around the bottom connecting screw on the side of the switch, and tighten the screw. Bend the black wire from the top of the box to the top connecting screw on the same side of the switch, and tighten the screw. Wrap the whole side of the switch in electrician's tape to seal it.
4. Take the longest of the two bare copper wires and snip off half the length with your wire cutters. Bend one end of the loose piece of copper wire around the green grounding screw on the switch, and tighten it. Hold the other end alongside the two ends of the bare copper wire coming out of the top and bottom of the box. Connect all three wire ends with a large wire nut.
5. Tuck the wires back into the box and secure the switch to the front of the box with the provided screws.
6. Remove the existing ceiling fixture and disconnect the wires. There should be a white wire, black wire and copper wire coming out of the ceiling electrical box. The fan assembly should have a , black wire, blue wire and green grounding screw.
7. Walk the fan unit up the ladder. Screw the mounting bracket that come with the fan to the electrical box, using the provided screws. Connect the two white wires together as before. Connect the copper wire to the grounding screw.
8. Hold the black and blue wires from the fan next to the black wire from the box. Connect all three wires together using a large wire nut. Wrap the connection in electrician's tape.
9. Mount the ceiling fan on the mounting bracket as instructed in the directions. Turn on the power and test the unit. The switch should provide on/off control to the whole unit, with the two chains of the fan controlling the light and motor separately when the switch is turned on.
Tags: black wire, copper wire, white wire, white wire black, wire black