How To Install 3 Way Fan Light Switch

Wiring a ceiling fan and lite can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn't have to exist. Pro Tool Reviews gives y'all a visual guide and step by stride instructions on making the best connections for your particular ceiling fan installation. ON a calibration of 1-x, the level of difficulty on this projection is a five, though it tin can be more circuitous if yous include the ancillary projects such equally running wiring through walls, etc.

The chief thing to consider wiring a ceiling fan and calorie-free is determining how you want that fan to be controlled. For some, that volition be any combination from no switches (using the included pull bondage for powering the fan and/or low-cal) and having dissever switches for the lite and fan.

Having the right tools will help the project go smoothly. Information technology besides ensures you don't get bogged down trying to use, for example, a razor knifed to strip wires. A pair of actual wire strippers will do the chore more accurately and most 10x faster.

Author's Note: Codes and Safety Tips
Information technology's always important to follow the local codes in your area when wiring a ceiling fan and light. Permits may exist required for interior electrical piece of work. When working with electricity, always call back to turn off the power, test the wiring with an electrical tester (or voltmeter) to ensure the power is off, secure the panel box so no one tin can accidentally re-engage power while you are working, and consult a professional to ensure you are doing things correctly and within the specifications of your state and local codes. Read all the instructions and safety data that comes with your ceiling fan.

Nosotros'll go through each type of switching methodology and hash out what each entails in terms of wiring and controlling your ceiling fan/lite. The four methods are:

Powered ceiling fan and/or low-cal without any switches (no switches)
Switching the light and using the pull chain for the fan (Single switch)
Using the same switch for switching both the calorie-free and fan (Single switch)
Switching the calorie-free and fan from dissever switches (Two switches)
Switching the light and fan from the aforementioned switch with power at the switch (Single switch)

1. Powered Ceiling Fan and/or Light Without Any Switches (No Switches)

Nosotros recommend this method when you simply cannot run a switch into the room. It does crave that you have the power to bring power directly to the fan from a nearby location. It'southward certainly an acceptable wiring method and the fans all come up with pull string switches to control the fans and light kits. Wiring this blazon of electrical connection looks similar this:

As you can see, this simple connection feeds power to both the fan and (optional) lite kit. The ground and neutral wires simply get tied together as you'd expect. The power for the fan motor will typically be black, while nigh modern-day fans also have a split blueish wire that supplies power to the lights. It'due south important to connect this wire fifty-fifty if you don't plan on using a light kit every bit information technology gives the homeowner the opportunity to add one later on without having to remove and rewire the fan from above.

ii. Switching the Light and Using the Pull Concatenation for the Fan (Single Switch)

This method and the following are the most normally used. They only require a single light switch. Many older homes never gave any thought to wiring up a second switch. Mostly, this happened considering homes didn't have a powered ceiling fan. Every bit a outcome, many homeowners must utilise a single switch to control the calorie-free and/or both aspects of their ceiling fans. The wiring for this blazon of electrical connexion looks like this:

Equally you can see, we switched the hot line going to the light kit by inserting the switch. Many people use unproblematic 12/two (Romex) with a footing wire to make this loop. If you lot do this, wrap black electrical record around the exposed white wire. This indicates (to y'all or anyone else who works on the circuit in the future) that information technology is indeed a "hot" wire and not a neutral line.

While we show a small-scale strip of electrical tape, we recommend actually wrapping it around all the exposed white wire. Note that nosotros opted to wire the fan motor directly to the ability source. That lets united states of america use the fan's pull string to turn it on and off. This as well keeps the fan usable regardless of the position of the wall switch. Make your connections for the neutral and ground wires, and you're all prepare.

3. Switching the Light AND Fan from the Same Switch (Single Switch)

This is a slight adaptation of the above method. It switches power for both the fan and the light kit from the wall switch. This lets you turn the fan on and off with the wall switch (along with the light). You don't have to walk over and pull the chain to cease the fan motor. This wiring method is completely up to you. Some adopt method #ii, while others (myself included) typically opt for this method. Here'southward how this electrical connection looks:

Note that power is fed through the switch. Both the fan motor and the light kit get their power from the switch. Equally expected, the neutral and grounds are simply tied together and all is well.

four. Switching the Light and Fan from Carve up Switches (Two Switches)

This is the near versatile way to electrically wire a ceiling fan with a low-cal kit. It allows for carve up control over both the fan and the low-cal in the room. At that place are besides lots of really convenient switches that put this dual control into one groovy lilliputian package. Some even give you the ability to dim the lights – definitely a overnice touch on! There are endless choices when it comes to combination dimmers/switches yous can utilise with your fan or fan/lite.

Of grade you can always merely wire up ii unmarried pole switches and you're all set. And here is what the electrical wiring would look like for this situation:

It looks more complicated, just don't sweat it. The basic thought is that your ability supply line is feeding both switches. Each switch then feeds either the fan (black wire) or light kit (blue wire). All that's left at this point is to tie together all the ground wires and neutral wires (respectively). Keep in mind once again that we assumed 12/2 with ground for the lines going to and from the switches, so be certain to clearly label them equally "hot" wires by wrapping blackness electric record around the white ends.

While lawmaking makes certain stipulations, at that place are typically different means to accomplish a wiring connexion. Case in point, the above method was shown using standard 12/2 wire. If you opted for 12/3 wire, you lot could accomplish the same dual switch connections with a little bit less work:

What you lot are doing here is using the single hot (black) wire to power both the switches. You lot can practice this past jumping a longer length of wire to both switches. Jumping means that yous strip the insulation abroad from a small area of wire. Make information technology just large enough to loop around the hot last. You lot and then loop that exposed wire around the hot terminal of the kickoff switch. Finally, strip the cease and connect that to the second switch. The hot returns are and so the red wire and the white wire which yous tape black (on both ends) to designate it as a hot wire.

You can also leap the ground wire. This method of jumping wires is nice in that it eliminates the need for wire basics. It also makes for a simpler wiring scheme (and gives yous more room to work in the box!)

Hither's a similar way to exercise it using 12/iii wire with wire basics in lieu of a jumper wire:

5. Switching the Calorie-free and Fan from the Same Switch with Power at the Switch (Single switch)

This is identical to state of affairs #3 above. However nosotros wanted to outline the wiring differences when the power is really at the switch instead of in the ceiling. We detect this method is encountered in roughly fifty percent of the time in older homes. Information technology especially occurs when electrical wiring originated in the crawl space. Additionally, in that location is a sort of clean-ness to this method.

It likewise offers 2 helpful advantages. First, the wires are consistent. Y'all accept no re-labeling of neutral wires. Secondly, this method of wiring makes swapping out ceiling fans like shooting fish in a barrel. Cutting power at the switch eliminates all power to the ceiling box. Note that we however recommend deactivating the breaker and checking your wires with a voltmeter, but information technology's worth noting nonetheless.

Helpful Tips

Be sure to check the power source earlier beginning the job – even if you've already tripped the breaker. Nosotros've seen several cases where more one ability source was routed to a particular ceiling box. We got quite a surprise when nosotros reached inside! It'south too important to note that while some power supplies come in via the switch (and not from to a higher place) the basic methodology described here doesn't change. What does change is that you can safely conciliate the ceiling fan box simply by turning off the switch. This is handy when replacing ceiling fans with a similar model. Withal, nosotros yet recommend shutting down the billow, lest someone walk in on y'all and attempt to turn on the lights!

Stripping Wires

When stripping wires, we prefer to use a stripping tool equally opposed to a razor blade. There are several on the market, from $2 tools that are simple stripping devices to fancier wire strippers that have cutouts for 10/2, 12/two, and 14/2 cable.

Klein-Kurve Dual NM K1412 Wire Strippers

Don't Employ the Included Wire Nuts

Never use the included "wire basics" that come with ceiling fans. They almost never have a metal inner winding and are normally undersized. That makes them difficult to use, if not unsafe. Instead, be sure to take hold of a small-scale assortment pack at your local home improvement or hardware store. While typically not necessary, nosotros recommend taping whatsoever wire nuts after y'all make those connections. Wire basics are normally very reliable, simply it never hurts to add an extra layer of protection to keep them from ever unwinding. This is just a good habit to get into and costs next to nothing in terms of time or money to implement.

That's All, Folks!

Hopefully, this guide volition get you on your style to installing a ceiling fan and making all of the required electrical connections to get it up and running smoothly. A ceiling fan makes a great addition to near any room. Information technology's one of the easiest projects to consummate and really makes an affect in your home. It can also make you await and feel like a real handyman.