Often this is done by having “the light that is on the fan” be the main light in the room, and that would suck if there wasn’t separate fan control. Hence the extra wire.

Why do I have 4 wires on my ceiling fan?

In order for the light to be controlled by its own switch, the wiring between the switch and the fan unit needs a fourth wire, a red wire, to carry power to the light kit.

What do you do with extra wires from a ceiling fan?





What do I do with the unused wire for ceiling fan installation?

  1. Use one switch on the wall to turn on/off the light.
  2. Use the other switch on the wall to turn on/off the fan.


What do I do with the extra green wire?

These safety ground wires are also meant to be connected to a common ground point of the electrical box as well. If one of these wires (green or bare copper) coming out of your box already attaches to a safety ground point in the box then you have no more to do than the “party of three” connections.

Why does my junction box have 4 wires?

Electrical junction box with multiple circuits. Connecting a 4-wire and a 3-wire circuit at a junction box is used to connect two 120-volt circuits to one 240-volt line. This configuration is used most often for large lighting arrays.

What wire do I use for a ceiling fan?





For most home ceiling fan wiring the electrical box should have either 14 or 12 gauge solid copper wire in it. 14 gauge wire is for 15 amp 120VAC circuits and 12 gauge wire is for 20 amp 120VAC circuits. The copper wires are sheathed in a cable (Romex Cable) and include a black, white and bare copper wire.

How many wires can you connect in a junction box?

Choose the Right Junction Box



For example, the smallest 2-by-4-by-1-1/2-inch-deep box can comfortably splice only two cables (four or five conducting wires), while the largest 4-by-4-by-2-1/8-inch-deep boxes can handle as many as four to six cables (up to 18 individual conducting wires).

Do I need the red wire?

The red wire is most likely a spare wire that was intended to be used when wiring for a ceiling fan. Typically when a ceiling fan is installed the red wire is most commonly used for the light and the black is commonly for the fan motor.

When wiring a ceiling fan what is the red wire for?

What does the red wire do when a ceiling fan is installed? The red wire is the ungrounded (hot wire) conductor of one switch, while the black wire is the ungrounded (hot wire) conductor of the other switch. One switch would energize the red wire in the original installation, causing the fan to turn on.

Can black and red wires go together?



These wires are typically used for switch wiring as well as the interconnection between smoke detectors hard-wired into the power system. You can link two red wires together, or you can link a red wire to a black wire. Since red wires conduct current, they are considered hot.

What is 4 wire used for?

Four-wire is used for “two-way” circuits, and for cases where two circuits are running to the same place (independent control of a ceiling fan and its lights, for example). In the US color coding conventions, red is the “second hot” needed for these applications.

What is the difference between 3-wire and 4 wire?

3-wire is the industry workhorse for good reason. It provides solid accuracy that typically exceeds industrial needs and is the most economical with respect to simplified electronics and less wire (more on this below). 4-wire will give you better accuracy, especially with long wire runs.

How do you connect 4 wires to 2 wires?



The first option is to use the black wire of the 12-3 cable as the hot wire. Connect the black wires of both cables together, and connect the common white wires together. Cap the red wire and leave it untouched in the junction box. Place plastic twist caps on all splices.

What is the difference between 2 wire and 4 wire?

Quote from the video:
Quote from Youtube video: Now let's dig a little deeper a four wire transmitter has two wires connected to a power supply. And two signal wires connected to the PLC. The power supply can be AC or DC depending upon the vendor.

Why does my wire have 4 wires?

Since the switch cuts the power on and off, there will be a black wire coming into the switch and a black wire leaving. The whites are normally just connected together with a wire nut and the coppers are connected together with a wire nut or grounded to a metal junction box. So the new switch has four wires.

What are the 4 wires in Romex?

So 14/3 w/ground represents 14 gauge wire, 3 insulated conductors and 1 bare copper ground wire. Now some wire manufacturer’s will put a green insulation on their ground wires but then it will typically count as a conductor. Kinda confusing isn’t it.

What is the difference between 12-2 and 12 3 Romex?



A 12-2 Romex will have a black(hot) and a white(neutral) wire as well as an unsheathed copper wire for ground. A 12-3 Romex will have a black(hot), red(hot), white(neutral), and bare copper.

What are the 3 types of wires?

Three types of wire used are :

  • live wire ( Red colour)
  • neutral wire(Black colour)
  • earth wire (Green colour)


Does Romex wire copper or aluminum?

Most residential aluminum wiring installed in the mid-1960s and 1970s was plastic-sheathed or cloth cable (NM type wire, otherwise known as “Romex”). Both are difficult to tell apart from a copper cable because they look so similar. Residential wires will be most visible in unfinished basements, attics, or garages.

Is Romex wire illegal?



While allowed in houses, it is important to note that the NEC prohibits the use of Romex conductors in residences higher than 3 stories, while the wires are prohibited altogether in commercial buildings.

What does NM mean on electrical wire?

nonmetallic sheathed

Type NM stands for nonmetallic sheathed. The cable consists of a factory assembly of two or more insulated conductors within an overall nonmetallic jacket. Additionally, there is an equipment-grounding conductor that is bare or has green insulation.