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I have a three gang wall plate with switches. One switch controls a receptacle in the living room, for a lamp. There is no room to add a fourth switch to control a ceiling fan. I'd like to add a ceiling fan with an integrated light but direct wire it back to the electric panel, and just use the pull cords to control the light and fan. Is that against any fire/electrical codes?

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    Is there a reason you can't add another box near the existing one, or repurpose the switch controlling the receptacles for ceiling fan control, perhaps replacing it with a double switch or fan controller in the process?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 11:12
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    @ThreePhaseEel is there a reason you think a wall switch is required? I don’t think it is, 210.70(a) says “at least one”, not “all”.
    – Tyson
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 12:55
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    @Tyson -- it's probably not required, just something that causes problems when it's not there :P
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 13:27
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    I installed a number of fans with direct wiring to panel (no wall switch) controlled by pull chain. A wall switch is very nice to have. On one fan my wife and I continually counter each other on whether the fan is on or off and we wore out the pull chain switch in that fan. Wall switches pretty much cannot be worn out and they are a lot easier to change than a pull switch in a Hunter fan with a light kit.
    – Jim Stewart
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 15:31
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    No more than the usual problem of switched receptacles as a substitute for proper room lighting. This is legal because builders have a strong lobby, but then people develop their own weird systems for turning on the light, maybe they turn it off at the light or they didn't like which receptacle was switched. Then a guest comes and gets hurt, or a first responder is trying to resuscitate you one-handed because she needs to hold a flashlight, fireman can't see if the room is clear, SWAT can't see if your son has a computer mouse or a gun. Lights aren't just for you. They should just work.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 15:34

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In your case you are fine. The switched receptacle covers NEC Article 210.70(1). If you feel you would still want a switch at the entrance you can always install a wireless control device.

Reference: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Universal-Wall-Mount-Ceiling-Fan-Control-99111/203690000

Good luck

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    I had two new Hunter fans installed with direct wiring. My wife bought the fans with the Chinese made remote controls and so I saw no reason to put in wall switches (one switch for fan and one for light). One of the fans has lost the high setting and I don't yet know if the problem is in the remote receiver or in the fan.
    – Jim Stewart
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 15:59
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    If you put in a wall switch (even if you don't want lights on the fan now, I think you should run a 3 + gnd cable from the switch to the the fan). This would be black for fan, red for light, white for common neutral. Someone later will thank you.
    – Jim Stewart
    Commented Jul 1, 2018 at 16:05

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