How to Wire a Ceiling Fan

Do-it-yourself work saves homeowners money on home improvements and repairs, but it does require some research for many projects. Especially when working with electricity or plumbing, it is important to follow reliable information from competent sources. Here, you can learn how to do the wiring step of a self-installed ceiling fan.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ceiling fan
• Wire nuts

Checking the Wires

1. Hang the motor portion of the fan from the support hook on the mounting plate.

2. Identify each of the wires. You should have a white neutral wire, a black hot wire for the fan, a blue hot wire for the lights (which you only use if your fan includes a light kit), and a green ground wire.

3. Tuck the blue wire into the ceiling unless you are installing lights with your fan.

Connecting the Wires

4. Connect the two white wires together and twist in a clockwise direction.

5. Screw the wire nut into place over the twisted ends of both white wires.

6. Pull on both wires to ensure that the connection is secure.

7. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 with the black circuit wire from the ceiling and the black wire from the fan.

8. Attach the blue wire from the ceiling to the light fixture wire if needed. Do this the same way, by twisting clockwise and adding the wire nut.

9. Connect the grounding green wire to the fan's grounding wire by repeating Steps 1 to 3 one more time.

Finish the Wiring

10. Push some of the excess length of wire through the hole into the ceiling box so that they don't get pinched when the fan is fully attached.

11. Wind the remaining wires loosely into the cup of the fan to keep them from getting damaged as you continue installation.

12. Hold the cup up to the mounting plate to ensure that all the wires have been adequately tucked away.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow safety instructions from earlier steps regarding the current in the area where you are installing the new fan.