DIY Wiring Diagrams for a Ceiling Fan and Light Kit

The diagrams on this page are for wiring a ceiling fan and light kit. Wiring arrangements for an electrical source at the switch and at the ceiling fixture are include as well as controls for fan speed, light dimmer and a single–pole switch hardwired to the fan and light for pull chain control.

Note: The hot wire to the fan, in a fan/light kit, will usually be black and the light wire will be blue. The white wire is the neutral and it will always be connected directly to the source neutral, either at the source or through a splice in the switch box. The white wire may also be used to carry current when necessary. In these cases, it should be wrapped with electrical tape to mark it as hot. The ground wires will be green and/or bare copper. The ground should be spliced with a short piece of wire and connected to each device and outlet box that has a grounding terminal.

The wiring in these drawings illustrate 14/3 and 14/2 awg cable in 15 amp circuits. Most household lighting and wall outlet are 15 amp, particularly in newer construction. However, existing circuits may also be 20 amps. When working with 20 amp circuits use 12 awg cable and 20 amp switches and controllers.

This wiring diagram illustrates the connections for dual controls on a fan/light kit, a speed controller for the fan and a dimmer for the lights. The input of each is wired to the hot source with a splice. 14/3 cable runs from the controllers to the fan outlet box and the output of the speed controller is spliced to the black cable wire. The output from the dimmer is spliced to the red cable wire. At the ceiling box the black is splice to the black, fan wire and the red is spliced to the blue, light wire.

Wiring Fan/Light Controllers, Source at Fixture

This diagram is similar to the one above but with the electrical source at the fixture. All the wires for the circuit are connected in the same way. At the ceiling box the hot source is spliced through to the controllers using the white wire in a 14/3 cable. The black and blue wires from the fan are spliced to the black and red cable wires. At the wall box the white wire is hot and spliced to the input of each controller. The output of the dimmer is spliced to the red cable wire and the output from the speed controller is spliced to the black.

Wiring a Dimmer to a Fan/Light Kit

This fan/light wiring allows for lowering the lights with a dimmer and controlling the fan with the built–in pull chain. The source is at the ceiling outlet box and 14/2 cable runs from there to the switch box. The hot source is spliced to the black fan wire and the black cable wire. At the switch box the black cable wire is spliced to one of the black dimmer wires and the other black wire is spliced to the white cable wire. At the ceiling fixture the white wire is hot and spliced to the blue wire on the light kit.

Wiring a Switch Loop for a Fan/Light Kit

Use this wiring when the source for a ceiling fan is at the fixture and you want to control the feed to the fan and light with the same switch. This is very close to the wiring for the dimmer above but with the hot source spliced only to the black wire on the 14/2 cable. At the switch the black wire is connected to the bottom terminals and the white wire connected to the top. At the ceiling fixture the white cable wire is hot and spliced to the black and blue fan wires.

Wiring a Switch to Control a Light and Fan

Use this wiring scheme when the power source to a fixture originates at the switch and you want to hardwire the fan and light for pull chain control. The hot source is connected directly to the bottom terminal on the switch. 14/2 cable runs from the switch to the fan/light and the black wire is connected to the top terminal on the switch. At the ceiling box the black wire is spliced to the black and blue wires from the fan.