Electrical Question???

[dakotakid31]

I was going to put a ceiling fan in the bedroom. well i looked at the switch-has 2 three wire(black,white and ground) lines coming into the bottem and a 4 wire(b,w,r and grd)going to the light.B-W-Grd are all tied together and the B is pigtailed to the swithch. The red and black are connected to the terrminals on the swithch(B-top,R-bottem). At the light fixture the R is connected to the B wire from the fixture and there is a Brown wire connected to the W wire from the fixture but the B wire just has a wire nut on it connected to nothing. Dont know where the brown wire came from and why they ran a 4 wire to the light??Maybe for a future fan to switch the lights and fan-would the electrican do that? bought the house new so nobody has messed with the wires.Sorry if i confused ya-i know i confused myself.

[dakotakid31]

anyone?

[PerchPounder]

We'll I have looked at this long and hard several times and I am confused.

Here is what I am thinking.

The two cables coming in the bottom are splicing through coming from and going to who knows what. The two blacks along with the one going out the top are tied together with a tail going to the switch. The whites are tied together along with the white going out the top. The red going out of the top of the box is your switchleg and controls the light.

This would make the red dead when the switch is off. The black is hot all the time and would eventually control the fan.

Im not sure if I am explaining this right but to me it sounds right. It is a very common way to wire lighting circuits for the future expansion of say a ceiling fan. I am of course assuming that what you are seeing as brown is actually white and that there aren't two switches in the box you opened.

[dakotakid31]

cool....i almost made sence..lol..but thanks i believe you answerd the Q. i was hoping that is what was going on. So i would just need to pigtail the incoming black and use the black going to the fixture as the swithchleg to the fan? there is only one switchin the box. so i need to put in a 2 gang box and another switch. Thanks alot for the info and taking the time to read my mumble jumble.

[PerchPounder]

Yeah you almost made sense. I think you are understanding you would need to put another pigtail in with the wires coming into the bottom and run to a second switch and the black going out the top would then be your switchleg for the fan. If you choose to do it this way.

Getting the single gang box out and putting in a two gang can be a tricky task depending on how the box was mounted. Your setup would work as it is now you just wouldn't have a seperate switch to conrol your fan you would have to do that via remote or by pulling the chain depending on the type of fan.

[JohnMickish]

I'd say that the brown was a white, but probably got a bit hot and has discolored. Seen it more times than I care to. When the sticker in the light says "60 watt max" they mean 60 watts. You throw some 75s or 100 watt bulbs in there and the Chinese insulation can't handle it. Other than that, Perch has it nailed.

[dakotakid31]

again thanks for taking the time. they just screwed the box in right where i can get at em. cut a little more sheetrock and i should be good to go. thanks man.

[dakotakid31]

you are right about the brown wire...it is discolored. i have been know to throw in a 75w when i didnt have a 60....lesson learned!!

[Shack]

With out running threw this thread again, I would think the two running in and then 4 wire running out would be for some switch box adjustment for the fan/light combo. I would think this would be fore a reo-stat adjust of fan power at switch area, intead of pulling swith at lamp???? I could be way off track here. Or two switch's between fan power and light power??

[Bass_Bully]

Make life a little easier and get a switch that actually hs two swithces on it. It fits in the single gang box, then you don't have to cut in a two gang...

It is very common to run and black,red,white,ground to lights in bedrooms. Red for light and black for future fan. Sometimes they will put a two gang in on the rough in and the second switch controlls nothing till the homeowner decides to put up a fan.

Just make sure your ceiling box is rated for the weight of the ceiling fan. I'm assuming it is since they prewired it for a future fan.

Good luck installing!!

[dakotakid31]

I did just that Bass Bully. got the switch with 2 switchs. All done and running smooth!!! Thanks to all.