Hooking up fan wires will vary depending on the wiring you have. To use a switch for both the light and the fan you will need wiring that has an extra wire in it. This would be 14-3 or 12-3 Wire.

Power from the box would be attached to each switch and then the black and red wires would be attached to the other side of each switch. This gives you the ability operate the light and fan separately.

For a fan that was not wired this way originally you may be stuck using the pull chains to control the lights and fan. You will still need to use the pull chain to change the speed on the fan no matter what you do.

Installing new wire for wiring a ceiling fan is a difficult problematic project. You would have to run a three conductor cable from the switch to the fan. This may be possible if you have an attic above the fan. You would still need to fish the wire down through the wall into the switch. This article is not intended to address this type of upgrade.

The course of wisdom would be to just use a pull chain. Not that hard really. Do you have the red and black conductors? Yes, follow the wiring diagram for the fan and hook one lead to each conductor. Hook up the white wire and ground wire as indicated. Tuck the wires up into the box and you are done wiring a ceiling fan. Well your not really done, but the wires are hooked up.

Only one conductor? You will hook both leads up to the single conductor. Again follow the wiring diagram provided. The black wire will provide power to both the light and the fan and you will use the pull chains to adjust.

Mount the motor unit to the base plate, following the instructions provided. Install the blades and lights as indicated. Some fans will have an additional electrical connection to make for the lights. Sometimes it is just a plug in. Use the instructions and the wiring diagram to complete. Add light bulbs and presto, you should have a working ceiling fan.

Setting a fan baseplate is not too difficult. Before you install the new base plate you want to take a look at the wiring in the box. Many newer fans will have an option for having the light and fan on separate switches.

Did your old fan have this option? No, then it is likely you don't have enough wires to make it work. You need an extra switch wire in the box.

You should get a new base plate and screws with the new ceiling fan. There is something else in the box that you will need to take a look at. Yes, it is the instructions. The mounting of the base plate should be fairly straight forward, but it is good idea to check.

The new fan will have a sequence that the parts need to be installed in. Not following the instructions can result in taking it back apart. Not fun.

When you are wiring a ceiling fan, support for the electrical box is important. The box needs to be nailed or screwed into a framing member. Ideally, extra wood blocking should be added to support the fan and heavy duty screws should be used to attach the box to the blocking. A box that is just attached to drywall may support a normal fixture. It will not support a ceiling fan.

You should be all right if you had a ceiling fan there before. Changing from a standard fixture to a ceiling fan could be a problem. Check the weight on the new fan and see if you think the box will support it. You could wire a pail of sand or something else heavy and do a test. Just a thought.

Assembling the Ceiling Fan

Assembling a ceiling fan will be a lot easier if you follow the instructions. There are generally four basic steps involved:

(1) Installing the motor unit. (2) Wiring the motor and light. (3) Installing the fan blades and (4) Assembling and installing the light.

At this point you will need to look at the instructions. Every fan is different and different manufacturers have different ways of doing things.

The sequence of installing certain parts can be critical. As a rule you put together the motor unit first, wire it and then attach the blades. The lighting will usually be last.

At this point you want to assemble the motor unit with the trim rings. After you get it put together you will hang it on the maintenance hook. Hope you got one. Otherwise you will need someone to help you while you hook up the wires.

The box won't support the weight? Not good news. You could cut a hole in the drywall and add some blocking between the joists or rafters. This will leave you with a drywall repair to do. See the article 'Drywall Hole Repair', for instructions on how to repair the drywall.

Removing a ceiling fan is a bit of a job. Your old fan will be heavy, so you might want some help for it. For related information, see the article 'How to Install a Ceiling Fan' and 'Ceiling Fan Troubleshooting'.

Shutting Off the Power

Shut off the power to the fan at the breaker box. Tag the breaker so that no one will turn it back on. Remember, electricity can be dangerous.

Removing the Fan Blades

Ceiling fans are awkward to handle with the blades installed. The blades should have screws or bolts on the top side of the blade that goes down into a metal bracket that is attached to the fan motor.

Each blade will have three or four screws that hold it in place. Remove the blades one at a time. Save the screwes if you are planning on installing the fan somewhere else.

Removing the Light

To help reduce the amount of weight you are dealing with and reduce the chance that you will break the fixture, it is a good idea to remove the globes and light bulbs from the fan. Usually these come apart similar to other light fixtures. They use thumb screws to hold the globes in place. The light bulbs should unscrew like a normal light bulb.

Removing the Fan Housing

Loosen the screws to take the fan unit off the base plate. With an older fan you may need someone to hold it, while you unhook the wires. Check the box with a non contact tester before you mess around inside. Look to see if there is a maintenance hook. Hang the fan there, if it is available. Unhook the wires and put the wire nuts back on.

It is unlikely that the old base plate will be suitable for the new fan. You can compare them if you want to. Remove the old base plate and mounting screws. Hang onto the mounting screws, you may need them. So far so good, on this wiring a ceiling fan project.

Unhooking the Wires

You will likely have three, possibly four wires that are connected to the fan from the electrical box. If you have three wires, one will be a hot, the other a neutral and a ground wire.

If you have not already done so, you want to turn off the breaker that controls the power to the fan. Do not rely on just turnin off the switch. It is too easy for someone to accidently turn the switch back on.

If you have four wires attached to the fan then you have a separate switch for the light and the fan.

With the power off, you can safely unhook the wires at the connections. Place a wire nut on the hot wire(s) for safety, in case you need to turn the power back on before the new fan is installed.

Why are you thinking about wiring a ceiling fan? Is the old one ugly? Is it not working? You need something to do? Ceiling fans are great, they keep the air moving. They add to the decor. Replacing a ceiling fan or adding one to replace another fixture is common. Your ceiling fan may be broken, noisy or in general not working properly.

Not sure if you need to replace your ceiling fan? See the article 'Troubleshooting Ceiling Fan Problems' for a listing of possible repairs that could get your existing fan working again.

After attempting to repair it you have decided that a new one is the way to go. Got your spouse involved? Looks like a shopping trip. You will now find that wiring a ceiling fan is the easy part. Picking one out, now that is tough.

Read the information below and check out the evaluations to see if this is something you want to tackle. The hardest part is getting it up there. They are kind of heavy. Most of the newer ones, especially the better quality ones have a hook arrangement that makes the job a lot easier.

Wiring a Ceiling Fan - Information

Well you have to buy the fan. Got that cost no matter what you do. Assuming the box in the ceiling is suitable for a ceiling fan it is about an hour project. Conservative cost for an electrician would be $60 to $85. Could be more for a high end unit or where extra backing needs to be added.

Wiring a ceiling fan can be a little bit of work. I mentioned the heavy part already. Makes it a little more difficult than putting up a hall light.

If you got here you probably tried every simple thing. Breakers, switches, weighting the blades and so on. If not go back to the article on Ceiling Fan Troubleshooting for more information.

Dropping the heavy ceiling fan will not do it much good. Get a helper, just a few critical lifts that you need help for. The box in the ceiling needs to be able to support the weight. Make sure it is adequately supported before you hang it. Boom, could be the outcome otherwise.

Installing a Ceiling Fan – The Steps Involved

When you replace your ceiling fan, you will need to remove the old one. The article 'Removing a Ceiling Fan' provides instructions and information on safely taking down and old fan.

Wiring a ceiling fan is not too difficult. However, there are multiple configurations for hooking up the wires. One big factor is whether you are controlling the light and the fan separately from the switch. See the article, 'Ceiling Fan Wiring Diagrams', for information and instructions.

Newer fans have better mounting brackets for installing the fan. One new development for many fans is a hanging hook that supports the fan while the wires are hooked up. The article 'Installing Ceiling Fan Mounting Brackets' discusses how to install the fan safely.

An important last step in installing a ceiling fan is making sure that it is balanced. A poorly balanced fan can wobble and be noisy. See the article  'Balancing a Ceiling Fan' for information.

Summary

As a rule you are left with the wiring that is already in your home when it comes to a ceiling fan. In newer houses you may have options for switching. Most of us have to rely on the pull chains to change the function of the fan.

It is too bad that your old ceiling fan gave up and left you. Look on the bright side, you now have a new ceiling fan. Better looking, great air flow, quiet, life is good. This job was not that hard, especially if you got a little help at some critical points.