Any electrician-minded people on here (ceiling fan connection help)

[forgop]

Ok, my current set up is a 2 wall switch-a light with dimmer and a separate control for the fan with a speed selector.

I removed my old fan and have a red, white, black, and a ground wire coming out of the outlet box. My new fan will have a remote. The instructions state to make the following connections:

Outlet Box White-Connect to AC in N from wire receiver
Outlet Box Red-Connect to AC in L from wire receiver
Outlet Box Black-(NOT MENTIONED)
Outlet Box Ground-connect to 2 green wires on hanger bracket and hanger ball

I've made the black/blue/white connections from the receiver to the fan as instructed, but I'm puzzled as to how to make all of the outlet box connections to the receiver. Where does the black wire go?

While I'm asking another stupid question, my brother thinks this connection will only allow the light/fan to come on with the use of the remote. Is that true?

Thanks!

[SvilleKid]

Did both switches control the past ceiling fan? Is there a three-way switch that's involved? The three wire colors indicate a three-wire with a ground line. Either one wire ran from two switches side by side, feeding two parts of old fan, or there is two switches (like one on one side of room, another somewhere else in room that controlled fan or light.) Makes a difference how you would/could wire it. I'm also thinking that the fan will dictate how you re-wire it, and if it is even possible to wire it around the remote control. It sounds like the new fan may be set-up to have only a single switched line, and may need the remote for control.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Did both switches control the past ceiling fan? Is there a three-way switch that's involved? The three wire colors indicate a three-wire with a ground line. Either one wire ran from two switches side by side, feeding two parts of old fan, or there is two switches (like one on one side of room, another somewhere else in room that controlled fan or light.) Makes a difference how you would/could wire it. I'm also thinking that the fan will dictate how you re-wire it, and if it is even possible to wire it around the remote control. It sounds like the new fan may be set-up to have only a single switched line, and may need the remote for control.

I'm attaching this sketch of how the wires go into the switch box.

3 wire sets-
Set 1 has a red/black/white/ground
Sets 2 & 3 have a black/white/ground

Light switch has red from set one and black spliced from sets 2 & 3
Fan switch has black from set one and black spliced from sets 2 & 3

Whites from wire sets 1, 2, and 3 are spliced/capped
Grounds from wire sets 1, 2, and 3 are grounded to one another.

So, when it comes to the black wire from the outlet box not accounted for in my installation instructions, the red is obviously a hot for the light, so is there any harm in tying in the hot for the fan?

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by forgop

I'm attaching this sketch of how the wires go into the switch box.

3 wire sets-
Set 1 has a red/black/white/ground
Sets 2 & 3 have a black/white/ground

Light switch has red from set one and black spliced from sets 2 & 3
Fan switch has black from set one and black spliced from sets 2 & 3

Whites from wire sets 1, 2, and 3 are spliced/capped
Grounds from wire sets 1, 2, and 3 are grounded to one another.

So, when it comes to the black wire from the outlet box not accounted for in my installation instructions, the red is obviously a hot for the light, so is there any harm in tying in the hot for the fan?

So, is the set-up thus: Two plug/outlet boxes and a one double switch box?

That's what I pick up from the drawing. It looks like the following is taking place. All blacks basically connect from outlet boxes and to fan and light common legs on the common leg on the power leg that feeds the outlet box(s). Of course, all grounds are together. The hot leg (White) is connected together between the outlet boxes, with a leg from the hot leg bundle free free in the switch box (to feed the power to the switches for fan and light - there are two switches, right?) So, there is one power leg into the switch box, and two "switched" legs out of the switch box to the fan.

Assuming this is correct, the past set-up had to have a hot leg between the two switches to bring the power from the white into both switches. When each was switched on, one sent power up the white to fan unit, other sent power to the red wire to fan unit.

I'm not sure why you have a black (common) from the outlet box unaccounted for. The commons should be all tied together, with an unswitched leg running to the common on the fan. That leaves either, or both the white and the red available to be the "switched" leg to the new fan unit. If you can separate out the two hot lines in the fan unit, then you can tie the white hot leg into the switch to two switches, then feed the fan and the light's hot legs from the red and the white leads.

Make sense? Or even answer your question?

[SvilleKid]

OK, the unaccounted common is because they pulled two separate commons to the old fan? instead of simply pulling to a single common in the W-R-B wire, and splitting/tying together a single line in the fan? If so, simply cap off the second common lead at the fan's ceiling box (assuming the two commons in the fan are already connected together).

[forgop]

Ok, I got this wired up, turned the power back on, and believe it or not, it worked. Thanks!

[SvilleKid]

Originally Posted by forgop

Ok, I got this wired up, turned the power back on, and believe it or not, it worked. Thanks!

Now, go smoke a stick!!! Hope I helped, instead of simply adding more confusion!

[forgop]

Originally Posted by SvilleKid

Now, go smoke a stick!!! Hope I helped, instead of simply adding more confusion!

I don't know if I have anything to choose from worthy of smoking.