Home Wiring Question

[abethedog]

So I want a ceiling fan in my bedroom. I'm decent at home wiring (not scared of electrocution

). Heres my problem.
My bedroom has two ceiling lights that are connected to two switches. So, I can turn the two lights on and off by the bedroom door and the bathroom door. One light is in my bedroom hallway and the other is centered in the bedroom (fan location).
I would like to be able to use the lights as they are. But, I would like the ability to have the fan run while I'm sleeping. Do I need to wire a seperate source to the fan portion that is constant? Do I wire the existing wiring to the light portion? Or is there a constant in the existing wiring that the two switch scenario would allow the fan to remain powered while turning the lights on and off? Should I clean my fish tank today?

 

[salty blues]

Originally Posted by abethedog
http:///forum/post/2620476
So I want a ceiling fan in my bedroom. I'm decent at home wiring (not scared of electrocution

). Heres my problem.
My bedroom has two ceiling lights that are connected to two switches. So, I can turn the two lights on and off by the bedroom door and the bathroom door. One light is in my bedroom hallway and the other is centered in the bedroom (fan location).
I would like to be able to use the lights as they are. But, I would like the ability to have the fan run while I'm sleeping. Do I need to wire a seperate source to the fan portion that is constant? Do I wire the existing wiring to the light portion? Or is there a constant in the existing wiring that the two switch scenario would allow the fan to remain powered while turning the lights on and off? Should I clean my fish tank today?
One or the other of the fixtures should have a "hot" and a "neutral" unless these were originally run to one of the 3-way switches(I know, there's only 2 switches, but it's called a 3-way switch circuit). The only way to know is to pull the fixtures and check.
If there is a constant hot(not a switched hot)in your bedroom fixture, simply connect it to the fan lead and connect the fan light lead to the switched hot.
Warning: Be careful! I am not responsible if you get shocked or worse! YOU ARE!!

 

[trainfever]

Replace the light in the center of the room with a ceiling fan that has a built in light. There will be two pull chains, one to control either the light or the fan.

 

[jennythebugg]

i would just get a remote control cieling fan, hampton bay makes some nice ones

 

[abethedog]

Originally Posted by salty blues
http:///forum/post/2620565
One or the other of the fixtures should have a "hot" and a "neutral" unless these were originally run to one of the 3-way switches(I know, there's only 2 switches, but it's called a 3-way switch circuit). The only way to know is to pull the fixtures and check.
If there is a constant hot(not a switched hot)in your bedroom fixture, simply connect it to the fan lead and connect the fan light lead to the switched hot.
Warning: Be careful! I am not responsible if you get shocked or worse! YOU ARE!!
Thanks, I can tell you understand my problem. Understand: only I am responsible for voltage through my body. Is, typically, the black the constant hot, red the switched hot, white the neutral?
Because than it would make sense to make the black to the fan portion and red to the light portion. That make the fan constant and the light switchable. Therefore the fan would be controled only by the chain/remote and unaffected by the switching?
I'll just take it all down and use my volt-o-meter.

 

[bionicarm]

You're making it too complicated. Go with Jenny's suggestion. Get you a nice fan with a remote control. I just installed two, one with the exact scenario as yours.

 

[salty blues]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/2620994
You're making it too complicated. Go with Jenny's suggestion. Get you a nice fan with a remote control. I just installed two, one with the exact scenario as yours.
You still need to supply power to the fan. The remote control only solves the switching/control issue.

 

[michaeltx]

I would just replace the fans one with the controls you want. even if you rewire it your going to need to add another switch just for the fan. if I am correct on what you are looking to do.
the remote ones work the turn off and have the controls for fan speeds atleast the ones that I have looked at due.
Mike

 

[bionicarm]

Originally Posted by salty blues
http:///forum/post/2621003
You still need to supply power to the fan. The remote control only solves the switching/control issue.
virtually every ceiling fan I've ever installed are pre-wired internally for both the fan and a light kit. All you need are the neutral, hot, and ground wires that are already up in the ceiling. Everything else is wired within the fan. The fan I just installed in my game room has a remote that controls three speeds for the fan (one set of buttons), and two other buttons to turn on/off two separate lights. If I hold the light button down, it even brightens/fades the light.

 

[salty blues]

Originally Posted by bionicarm
http:///forum/post/2622044
virtually every ceiling fan I've ever installed are pre-wired internally for both the fan and a light kit. All you need are the neutral, hot, and ground wires that are already up in the ceiling. Everything else is wired within the fan. The fan I just installed in my game room has a remote that controls three speeds for the fan (one set of buttons), and two other buttons to turn on/off two separate lights. If I hold the light button down, it even brightens/fades the light.
I think the poster understands that part. He originally was asking about locating a constant hot, neutral, etc. to feed power to the fan.

 

[phtby]

Cooper Wiring Devices
Single Pole Switch/3-Way Switch
Single pole and 3 way switch 15A-125V AC
For residential use

[hr]
terminals with ground

[hr]
Break off tabs for splitting circuits
Single pole switch operation for one location
3-way switch for two locations
Meets UL 20 and UL 498 requirements

this would solve the problem .........you can get them at lowes or home depot

 

[abethedog]

Had to do some light wiring. Very successful. I'll illustrate this because I am so damn proud of my self for not getting juiced and doing something right the first time.
I have two lights in my bedroom. There are two three way switches that control them. Both lights must be on or off. Both switches perform the same function on both lights together.
Bedroom entry to light one daisy chains to light two and than to switch. All of these were wired ground/neutral/red (switched power). The electricity enters the light pair from the switch by the door. The switch by the bathroom is the end of that chain.
The switch by the door had a black (typically constant) that was capped and unused. I removed the light that was going to be replaced with the fan. This contained a capped black as well. I verified that the black in the switch and the black behind the light were the same wire with a voltage tester.
I hooked the black behind the switch into the other blacks that came from the power supply.
When I wired the fan I wired the black (constant power supply) to the remote control reciever along with the white (neutral). The green (ground) hooked to the frame of the fan and the wiring for the green stopped there.
The remote control reciever has two blue wires. Light power in and light power out. I didn't wire the red (switched power) into this remote control reciever. I bypassed the remote reciever and wired the red directly into the blue coming from the fan/light.
Therefore: My two wall switches only control the two lights in the room as before a fan with a light was installed. The fan portion is always recieving power and is only controled with the remote control/chain.
Now I can sleep with the fan running and BOTH of my ceiling lights off.
Sorry about the long post. I just wanted everyone to understand what I was trying to do and how I did it.
I don't recommend that you try to do your own wiring if you do not feel confident. I did not do any work "hot." The only time that I had energized wires exposed was to touch a voltage tester to. Don't work hot! (been there, done that.)