Ceiling Fan wiring question - 2 white wires and 2 black wires in ceiling?

Question

I'm trying to install a ceiling fan and I'm looking for some help given my home's wiring. I have a single light switch in the room, and here's what's coming out of the ceiling: 2 white wires, 2 black wires and a ground wire. It seems like a set of white and black originate from the same location (in both cases). My celing fan with light has a remote connection, so there's one black, one white and one ground wire coming from my fan to connect to the ceiling. Can someone let me know how to hook it up so the fan and light both work? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

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Answer 2

I hope you made notes of which wires were attached to the light you took down.  Just wire the fan/light assembly in place of the light.  One set of those wires is from the switch, the other is from power.  

You forgot to do that?  

OK, here's what I would do in this case.  Get your self a 'Volt Stick'.  This is a small probe that looks like a carpenters pencil that lights up when it is placed next to an energized wire.  Best $20.00 you'll spend if your planning on doing anything with electrical wiring.  Disconnect and spread the wires apart from each other.  Use the Voltstick to find out which of the wires coming from the ceiling is 'hot' (supplying power to the light).  Mark this wire and turn off the breaker.  This should be paired with one of the white wires, mark that one as well.  This is your return wire.  The other two should be to the switch.  Test this by hooking the black source wire to the white switch wire.  Now turn the breaker on.  If the breaker doesn't kick out right away then you can check (using the Voltstick) if there is any power to the second black wire.  Turn the switch to the next position and see if there is a change.  There should have been.  This proves that the power going to the switch is interupted when the switch is thrown. Any other result means that your place is wired weird and you may need the help of a professional.

  So to hook up your fan/light, you are going to attach the black source wire to the black switch wire, the white source wire to your white fan wire, the white switch wire to your black fan wire, and the green wire to your green fan wire.

Answer 3

if you have separated the wires from one another you have created a small problem which will require that you determine which pair are bringing  the power in (line) You can buy a cheap 2-wire tester which us always a useful tool to have around.

with the power on, carefully touch the the tester to one  pair at a time (a black and white wire- don't let any of the wires touch each other, and the tester should light up. the other pair are running to the switch. note which pair is which.

Have the switch extended out of the wall so that you can examine the wiring.

Using wire nuts, ( the plastic s***w-on caps) attach the hot black to the white wire of the non-hot pair and shove deep into the box out of your way...you are done with it.. that will deliver the power to the switch and now the black from the non-hot pair will bring it back to the fan becoming your "new hot wire controlled now by the switch.. the switch should have the white wire and the  black wire from the same pair attached to it..)  

the white wire from your remote receiver will attach to the white wire from ceiling box and the black and blue  (light)wires from the receiver will connect with wire nuts to the newly established hot black. SWITCH AT WALL SHOULD NOW BE OFF. you can now continue the fan installation. Be mindful of the fact that the remote receiver slides into the space in the fan mounting bracket and there is very little room to get the receiver and all the connected wires in and under the canopy/cover. being as neat as posible with your wiring and wire placement is essential. good luck.

Answer 4

In most cases in would be all blacks and all white and grounds together...........but some electricions will take heat back to the switch on the white leg............if they switched wires you can tell by opening the switch box and look at the colors..........try a light bulb first..........to see what switches it. Nothing to it..........just look........you'll get it.......also you will find if it's been changed......normally a white wire will have a black piece of tape around it...........that's telling you that white leg is now black and going to be hot . nite

Answer 5

My guess is its' for the light-twist the black wires together,and then to the black ceiling wires,same with rest- might have pull switch for light and fan,independently.

Answer 6

Are the 2 black and 2 white wires twisted together? (white with white and black with black). If not then you should connect the black (power wire) to the white going to the wall switch, connect the black from the switch to the black and blue (in the fan). The white of the incoming power line to all the white wires of the fan. The blue in the fan is for the fan light. In the bottom of the fan where the light goes will be a white and blue taped together with wire nuts on the ends. These will be connected to the light black and white.

E-mail fireman492000 if more is needed.