Home electrical question: ceiling fan

[BLAKE]

Short version: I have black, white, green and bare ground wires coming from the ceiling.

Near as I can tell, I have
Bare & green = ground
Black = power
White = switched power?

How do I test this?

Long version: fan, with lights came with the house and was on a wireless remote. (Remote base mounted at the ceiling). It stopped working years ago. Unknown fault, but I have a new remote system.

Theoretically there was a wall switch for this at one time. Previous owner thought he was Bob Vila. He wasn’t.

All breakers are presently on with none tripped, but unlabeled. (Thanks, Bob)

Just poking around with a circuit tester and I’m not seeing any juice, but I’m not super sure which wires to test either.

Somebody save me from myself. And Bob.

[Rafa]

Not an electrician, but this is how I found my hot/neutral



but take your Volt meter


Assuming you meter is set to AC Voltage


Volt Meter negative wire hold to bare wire. Keep this on

Take positive and touch BLACK > if you get power, that is your hot

now

Take positive and touch WHITE > if no power, that is your neutral



note
**not responsible for fried Blake

[DON SVO]

Have you tried shooting it?

[BLAKE]

Not an electrician, but this is how I found my hot/neutral



but take your Volt meter


Assuming you meter is set to AC Voltage


Volt Meter negative wire hold to bare wire. Keep this on

Take positive and touch BLACK > if you get power, that is your hot

now

Take positive and touch WHITE > if no power, that is your neutral



note
**not responsible for fried Blake

Thank you sir. I tried the above with no joy. I’m thinking that I have a root problem that I probably can’t solve myself. Bummer.

Have you tried shooting it?

A tactical solution has not been ruled out. Especially now.

[BP]

If you have attic access you could check the wiring at the wall drop. It's probably on the same breaker as an adjacent room or wall.

[BLAKE]

If you have attic access you could check the wiring at the wall drop. It's probably on the same breaker as an adjacent room or wall.

Yeah that may be what it takes. The challenge is that this fan is in the middle of a vaulted ceiling. Challenges of a ‘70’s house. I may have to climb up there and find out. Not a simple job for a man of my girth, lol.

[Rick Modena]

You have everything correct, even if you have the black and white reveresed it will still work, as long as its grounded.
Black is power and the white is the power interrupt, iirc.
I just installed a couple of light switch timers and aside from turning off the circuit breakers it was fairly easy.
I have a simply pen A/C tester that I was able to use to make sure even after the breaker(s) were tripped to make sure I didn't shock kill myself...

This is what I have, you can get it from Norther or any other brand that does the same will work.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200467176_200467176?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Electrical%20%3E%20Electrical%20Tools%20%3E%20Voltage%20Testers&utm_campaign=Milwaukee&utm_content=19810&&lid=92700046530718372&ds_s_kwgid=58700003118431773&ds_e_product_group_id=803954493243&ds_e_product_store_id=&ds_e_ad_type=pla&ds_s_inventory_feed_id=97700000001662305&gclid=Cj0KCQjwybD0BRDyARIsACyS8msLXOohM3u6Qg0zbUp36StlaJbdIeFp1Yi88MRpryzF0KkGwa04JcUaAmIgEALw_wcB

[ram57ta]

I would ask if the house is modern but it really doesn't matter..it more or less depends on which wire the installer used as the switch leg. If you have a volt meter you can easily test which one is the switched wire. You didn't mention if there was a second switch and a red wire..some electricians use 3 conductor with a ground so that you can switch the fan separately from the light.

[kingjason]

You have everything correct, even if you have the black and white reveresed it will still work, as long as its grounded.
Black is power and the white is the power interrupt, iirc.
I just installed a couple of light switch timers and aside from turning off the circuit breakers it was fairly easy.
I have a simply pen A/C tester that I was able to use to make sure even after the breaker(s) were tripped to make sure I didn't shock kill myself...

This is what I have, you can get it from Norther or any other brand that does the same will work.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...UaAmIgEALw_wcB

I love my little pen.

On a side note I have heard that if you wire it backwards it will work but might cause issues in certain appliances.

[ram57ta]

I love my little pen.

On a side note I have heard that if you wire it backwards it will work but might cause issues in certain appliances.

That is correct. Could also damage the appliance, and in worst case scenario could cause electrocution if the grounds aren't installed or hooked up correctly.

[kingjason]

That is correct. Could also damage the appliance, and in worst case scenario could cause electrocution if the grounds aren't installed or hooked up correctly.

I learned this after putting in a bunch of plugs. Luckily I think, I have always wired them back exactly how they were set up the first time.

[Rick Modena]

I learned this after putting in a bunch of plugs. Luckily I think, I have always wired them back exactly how they were set up the first time.

My first house I bought back in Plano in the mid-90's I repainted the entire interior of house and replaced all the tan colored plugs to white. Most of those fuckers were connected wrong but they still worked. All the appliances were electric and nothing ever happened.
When we sold, it the inspector red tagged all the plugs and said they needed to be wired correctly, which we did and that's when I found out a little bit more about how electricity works...

[juiceweezl]

Where are you testing from? If you pull the switch out, it'll tell you what you need to know. Typically black is load and white is interrupt, with sometimes a red being a second load. Your house is older, so not sure. Fans are often wired in a 2 switch setup with one wire (say red) being the hot for the light and the black wire being hot for the fan. You can turn the fan on without the light and vice versa.

Remotes just need one live wire to perform. When I have added remotes in the past, I just wire nut and tape the end of the live wire not in use and the switch then does nothing.

If you're testing at the fan and the switch is off, you will not see power. That's both switches on I mean if it was setup that way. Check at the switch. The common wire between switches (should be white) will be the interrupt. Whatever is not bare will be live I think.

[Big A]

I'd also look for a tripped GCFI on the circuit.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[ram57ta]

I'd also look for a tripped GFCI on the circuit.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

fixed that for ya.

Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter.