Be Excellent To Each Other

As you will probably have noticed, it's been pretty hot recently, so I've bought a ceiling fan under the assumption that I'd somehow be able to blunder through and attach it without killing myself or blowing anything up.
After removing the old light and staring at it for a bit, it's become evident that I've got no idea what I'm doing, so if anyone can tell me what goes where, that would be great.

Diag 1. The existing ceiling wiring:

I've got as far as working out that I've got a loop in pair and a loop out pair, and another pair of wires that go to the switch (as identified by the red-sleeved black wire), and obviously the earth. The live and neutral wires from the old light went into the holes at either extreme of this block.

Diag 2. The terminal block for the ceiling fan

Er, stuff goes in here somehow.

It looks like I've going to have to take down the existing block to fit the fan, so I'm going to be left with all the free wiring from diagram 1 to stick somewhere. From what I can see, I might need another block to pass the loop wiring through, but apart from changing bulbs and fitting a new light switch this is dangerously new territory for me so I could do with some guidance from someone that knows what they're talking about.

This is a combined light and fan, presumably you want to work them off separate light switches on the wall? Do you have two light switches on the wall or only one?

Don't these things take one lot of power and have chains on them for the fan and the light?

I'm sure the ones in the USA were switched on at the wall and then you pulled a chain to turn the light on and on the other side was a chain that clicked as you pulled it for the fan on and speed.

Just found this pic (fan only) and yeah, there's a chain hanging from it to turn it on.

Well rather than guessing I've asked

Although I would guess that Joans isn't trying to recreate the Bat Cave in his living room.

I wasn't guessing. I was asking if they are all like that (well sort of). If not then I am sure we will find out hence -

Don't these things take one lot of power and have chains on them for the fan and the light?

Is a question. Mind you, just looked through a few pics and they are not all like that so I suppose wiring it up will depend on the make up of the thing

Actually, it's the bedroom , but yeah, it has a separate pull cord for the fan, so the light switch just needs to work as it did before.

OK, good. That's easy then.

You want the original switched live going to the light symbol. The "loop" live going to the fan symbol. N to N, Earth to Earth. [edited]

If you are removing that light fitting, I'd pull the wires up through into the loft, screw a new "rose box" onto a joist and then bring a single piece of flex down through a hole into the new fitting. The terminals in the rose box will look pretty much the same as that, since it's doing the same job. You could even re-use the old box if you feel like it.

OK?

Er, maybe?
So, I connect the live to the fan (or the light) and then loop another piece of wire across those 2?
The neutral goes to neutral.
Connect another earth wire from the earth on the fan to the "spare earth" (next to the existing one) on the light fitting?

If I was removing the old fitting, do I need to still make use of that block on it for the loop wiring pass-through thingumy?

Check the edit.

There's only one pull cord on this thing, right? Not one each for the fan and the light, like Coffey mentioned?

If it's not clear yet, I've no idea what I'm doing at all, so please try to bear with me (and thanks for helping).

Apparently it has more than one cord (I'm not going upstairs to check), but they're both related to the fan operation and not the light.

When you say the switched live, do you mean the black wire with the red sleeve, or am I still connecting a live wire from the existing block to the light symbol (or something else altogether)?
Er, which one is the loop live?

OK. You need the light to work from the original light switch, and the fan should work from a permanently-on live (the loop), so that you can have the fan running without the light being on.



Yes, that's the switched live. In case it's not obvious, the hole to the left of it is also connected to it. Use that for the light, as before.

The permanent live is the the 3 terminals in the middle labeled "LOOP" (they are also joined together). There's a spare terminal there, so you can use that for the fan.

You just need to decide whether you are removing the existing junction box or not. Obviously slightly simpler if you can keep it where it is.

Ok, this makes sense now, thanks. I don't think it's physically possible to keep that box there it as and attach the fan over it (which is what I was obviously hoping to do). If I was to remove that fitting and then break off the junction box (assuming I can physically fit that within the fan), would I then connect the earth wire from the ceiling to the earth terminal on the fan, or would I then just not be earthing anything?

If you can break the junction block out of the light fitting without wrecking it all, and it will fit, you could do that. If not, you can replace it with a new box above the ceiling and bring 4 wires down through the hole (preferably using a piece of 4-core lighting cable, I can send you a bit if you want).



You're exactly right, connect the existing earth wire to the earth terminal on the fan. Previously it was not doing anything because the fitting and lamp were plastic. You now need to connect it.

You are remembering to switch off breakers / take out fuses for the light circuit before messing with it any further of course!

I'll try that tomorrow and see if I do it without having to mess about in the loft. If I do need some cable, then I may well take you up on your generous offer though, thank you.



Ok, and yes, the electric will be going off before I do anything else (although I am going to have to drill some new holes to attach the fan at some point).

Cheers Kalmar, if I make it through this alive then I owe you a beer or two next time we meet.

No prob Feel free to ask / send photos for checking if you're not sure about anything.

Can we make threads like this sticky and put them in a really useful threads section?

I have been wanting to fit a ceiling fan for ages. This thread would be super useful.

Let's see if Joans makes it through first, eh?

That sounds a bit worrying...

Top tip: if you don't have one of those fancy electrical test screwdriver things then a tongue or a moistened finger makes a handy substitute.

Heh, I just remembered I got Mark to fit mine in my kitchen.

Why not try that Joans?

Just a thought: you could cram the wires into the fan's terminal block in the following order if they will reach:

Earth to Earth
Both black wires to N
Red sleeved wire to "light"
All 3 other red wires to "fan". Might be tricky to get them to fit.

Should have thought of that in the first place

I don't think it will go in the kitchen, there's a striplight in there.



I think I've got the hang of what's supposed to be doing what now, it's just been a long time since I did stuff like strip the floppy drive power cable on my A1200 so I could power a hard drive off it as well and it's taken me a while to get my head around exactly what on earth everything is. I'm not going to do anything until daylight, but that might be the easier way to do it. I'll have a look at the wiring and see if I can jam three of them in one hole.

For ever and ever, Amen.

Wait, are you preaching from some revisionist book of common prayer?

I wish I'd thought of that before wiring a light that you couldn't actually turn off.

Is Joans still alive?

See, I told you.

Bet he's slowly rotating like a kebab trunk on the fan, ready to be carved.

At least he got it working then.

Yeah, but I haven't tried anything yet.

At least there was no hair to burn.

This thread is far funnier than it should be!

Well, I'm still alive (barely), the fan works, but the light doesn't, so it's back to the drawing board later to see what's come loose.

Make sure the bulb is okay before you start getting technical.

There are 3 bulbs, I'm assuming that if one was faulty the other two would still work?

Yes, yes you are.

Yes. As you were, then.

I can't believe you haven't told them you actually electrocuted yourself.

Oh dear

I alluded to it, but nobody picked up on it.
I kind of preferred it when you didn't post here.

with some and a dash of

with a dash of "consult a qualified electrician".

This was putting the first bulb in...

I'm not dead yet, so I'll have a crack at fixing it (with the power off).

You couldn't get them in either.

I think everyone needs to electrocute themselves just a little bit, at least once. It's formative.

LOL.
_sorry

Anytime I do any work with the mains I get a belt or two. I accept it is going to happen and get on with it.

I didn't even try when I saw what happened to you!

Ah, I remember my first electric shock, or rather, I don't