Question – Ceiling Fan Replacement

What are the right wiring connections for my ceiling fan? © By: Dave Rongey

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I’m installing a ceiling fan with lights. The problem I have is that there are two cables coming from the ceiling. Each cable has a black and white wire coming out. I tried every way I can and it does not work…Please, how can I make the connections. The fan that was on it before I took it down was working fine. I think I crossed the wires or something. It has a switch on the wall to shut it off and on. Please help..or my old lady will send me to sleep with the dogs.

[ad#block]It all depends on where the power enters the circuit. It’s either going to be at the switch box or up at the ceiling box.
If you originally had 2 switches – one for the fan and one for the light then it sounds like the power is at the switch box. In this case the white wires in the ceiling box go together and connect to the white of the ceiling fan/light, and one of the black wires to the fan, the other to the light.
If you had only 1 switch – then the power is most likely up in the ceiling box. You will need to identify which pair is the power by either using a tester or connect the white and black from the ceiling fan to one of the pairs white and black – color to color.
When you identify the pair with the power, here’s how to wire it: The white stays with the ceiling fan neutral. The black power goes to the other pair of white which goes to the wall switch and the only wire left is the black coming back from the switch.
I show this scenario in Diagram #2 at the website on this page