My buddy and i are trying to install a over head fan in the living room. There is 3 wires out of the ceiling...

1. copper (ground)
2. black (hot, dont ask me how i know)
3.white (hot?)

I wired the black and white to the black and white on the fan and the green on the fan to the copper. I can get the fan to work. Any suggestions. BTW it sucks since i dont have my tester. BTW i know automotive electrical, i dont know much about household.

Originally posted by Rwhat

. I can get the fan to work.

Do you mean you can't get it to work?? You wired it correctly, turn the light switch on if it is switched. Other than that, check for power with a meter. The white is neutral.

That's how I have wired them up in the past. Did you turn it on? Did you check that the wire has current(sounds like you did, when you shocked yourself! :laughing: )? Does the ceiling fan even work?

I've never had a problem when I wired them up like you said you did.

Green = ground =bare copper
Black = hot =110/120V
white = neutral~=ground
If you have power to the fan connections (dont ask) and you havent turned the light switch off.




Did you turn on the fan itself??

There is usually a pullchain switch on the fan that controls the fan speed. Off Low Medium High

It is still probably OFF:flipoff2:

Did you flip the braker?

I have done everything, can't figure it out.

Originally posted by Rwhat
I have done everything, can't figure it out.

bad fan???

Is it a remote controlled fan, if it is, bypass the remote box and wire up the fan straight. see if that works.

black from ceiling to black on fan
white from ceiling to white on fan
ground to ground

Originally posted by yellow01tj
black from ceiling to black on fan
white from ceiling to white on fan
ground to ground

Did you read his post? He did that. Quit padding or you'll have a bunch higher post count than me DAN!

In addition, most fans have a black with white stripe. That's for the lights.