57
votes
Why has my 10 year old ceiling fan suddenly started shocking me through the fan pull chain?
DANGER!!!
This sounds like a ground fault. They are particularly dangerous if you get wet, which is why Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters have been required for many years in kitchens and bathrooms, ...
17
votes
Why has my 10 year old ceiling fan suddenly started shocking me through the fan pull chain?
Your pull chain switch is probably starting to fail. The switch and chain wouldn't be grounded because it in a plastic housing so if the switch contacts are leaking over to the chain, that's where ...
- 68.6k
17
votes
Spark and pop when installing light switch
It happens to the best.
When squishing the wires back there is litle control how they bend.
The pesky naked Ground bend so that it touched one of the Hot wires.
You do need someone to open and take ...
- 11k
15
votes
Is it safe to have an unused bulb socket in my ceiling fan?
That is safe. The concern is if the socket is (a) uncovered and (b) within easy reach. You indicated it has a glass cover and ceiling fans are generally not within easy reach. Don't worry about it, ...
13
votes
Accepted
Mount ceiling fan without electrical box
Electrical boxes serve several functions. They protect wiring where insulation has been removed. They prevent inadvertent contact with exposed components. They contain sparks when the worst occurs. ...
- 115k
12
votes
How to hang a ceiling fan in a metal gazebo
I would drill suitable sized holes and fit 4 or even 6 rivnuts in M6 or M8 size.
Rivnuts are easily found and once the hole is drilled, you nut them up and they collapse on the far side like a rivet. ...
- 24.1k
11
votes
Accepted
Is it OK to use 12-3 awg to wire a ceiling fan and light?
There's no problem at all with what you've done. In fact, that's the way it's supposed to be done. If you were to use two /2 cables, you'd either be paralleling the neutral (310.4), and/or not ...
- 130k
11
votes
Accepted
Can I mount 3 blades on a 5 blade ceiling fan?
No, it will not be OK.
A fan blade system is meant to be balanced. Even when all of the original equipment blades are in place, minor imbalances can occur and need to be corrected with weights from a ...
- 33.4k
11
votes
Accepted
How to hang a ceiling fan box in gazebo with no parallel joists?
A lot of this comes down to aesthetics and practicality, so you will probably get lots of right answers. Here's my take:
I would run your short piece of 2x4 level at the peak alongside 2 of the ...
- 4,877
11
votes
Accepted
Can I Swap Ceiling Fan and Light Wires?
Yes, you can do that and it will swap the power to the light and fan. Just remember to turn off the power at the breaker before doing any work.
- 68.6k
11
votes
What is this thing I found in my ceiling fan?
"Hunter" is the fan manufacturer. I haven't been able to find the model number or part number imprinted here on their website; there may be another model number somewhere on the fan that you ...
- 21.3k
10
votes
Strange fan/light switch wiring - what in the world am I looking at
They did a naughty thing, from the look of it.
They were too cheap to buy /3 cable, so they converted white to neutral and they are bootlegging ground to be the neutral.
They didn't even bother to ...
10
votes
Is it safe to have an unused bulb socket in my ceiling fan?
If it isn't where someone will stick their finger or other object into the open socket, it's entirely safe. To make it even safer, leave the old bulb in place until you get the new one.
- 21.3k
9
votes
Spark and pop when installing light switch
Would turn the power off to that switch and recheck for any other damage.
The ground wire with the notch should be replaced. Should not use damaged wires. They can break or have higher resistance(...
- 16.8k
9
votes
Found a surprise wiring
Grouped from top to bottom in the photo you have:
2 Green from fan with 1 slightly paint-covered Bare from box (ground)
1 White from fan with 1 slightly paint-covered White from box (neutral)
1 Blue ...
- 5,813
8
votes
why does my ceiling fan change direction 2or3times before it finally stays in one direction?
It's probably an optical illusion. The "wagon wheel effect"
You are probably viewing it in light produced by a fluorescent lamp rather than an incandescent lamp.
There do exist electric motors that ...
- 24k
8
votes
How can I replace a recessed light with a ceiling fan?
That is a recessed light. That flex whip goes to a junction box mounted on the frame of the light. You need to remove the whole light, after removing the circuit cable from the junction box. DO NOT ...
- 16.2k
8
votes
Accepted
How can I verify that my ceiling fan is properly grounded
Do you have a multi-meter and an extension cord? If you do plug the cord into any outlet then drag it over to the fan and measure between the fan case and a ground pin on the cord... It should read ...
- 1,342
8
votes
Is there a reason I should NOT install a ceiling fan in my kitchen?
It can be done, but the fan blades will need cleaned more often from any smoke/oil/residue from cooking in the kitchen as compared to elsewhere in the house. That may result in increased wear and ...
- 420
8
votes
Accepted
Is this ceiling fan going to fall and cut off my head?
Is this ceiling fan going to fall? There is nothing in the photo that tells me a fall is about to happen, but the installation looks poor, and I think you need to get under that cover.
Will it cut ...
- 366
8
votes
Accepted
New ceiling fan with internal aluminum wiring and leads. Is it still safe?
First of all, Aluminum wiring is not unsafe in and of itself. When properly installed it's just as safe as any other kind of wiring. Its poor reputation comes from improperly connecting it to ...
- 22.7k
7
votes
How do I determine whether the existing fixture can support a ceiling fan?
You'll have to look at the inside of the box where the light is mounted. It should have printing inside it - although at the age of the house, it may not. Boxes that can support ceiling fans will be ...
- 526
7
votes
Accepted
Is there a reason I should NOT install a ceiling fan in my kitchen?
Is there any reason not to install a ceiling fan in the kitchen? If so, what is that reason?
There's no reason not to. However, here's my anecdotal reason why you shouldn't. I installed a ceiling ...
- 640
7
votes
Accepted
How to verify electrical box is secured strong enough for 16# ceiling fan?
Okay, stop. The 10-32 screw requirement is for the lower screws which attach the fan to the box, not the upper screws which attach the box to the wood. You can see the holes that the 10-32 screws ...
7
votes
How to hang a ceiling fan box in gazebo with no parallel joists?
Return that bracket and get a box only (no metal bar) rated for a fan. Run a length of 2x4 or 2x6 horizontally across from one rafter to the opposite one. Mount the box on the underside of this 2x. It ...
- 19.8k
7
votes
Can I Swap Ceiling Fan and Light Wires?
That should be fine. The only question is how many neutral (white) wires are connected and if two, are they connected to separate wires to the fan. If there are two and they connect separately, you ...
- 11.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Ceiling fan speed also controls light current - wired wrong?
You'll have to remove the canopy at the ceiling and locate the receiver up there. There's usually a diagram on it that shows how it should be wired. The diagram will look something like the one shown ...
- 68.6k
7
votes
Accepted
Light turns on with no hot wires, but has hot wires after turning light switch off
Using a non-contact tester (that I verified works with other wires/outlets in the house), I find no hot wires when the light switch is on (and the lights/fan are on) but when I turn the light switch ...
7
votes
Accepted
Strange fan/light switch wiring - what in the world am I looking at
First of all, repeat after me:
WHITE IS NOT NEUTRAL!
Neutral is white. But white is not neutral. White can be part of an old switch loop (in this case likely done incorrectly, but that is a separate ...
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible