Hi Everyone,
I have a Minka Aire fan all installed on the ceiling - that part was pretty straight forward. Now that I crack the decorator plate off the switch I realize that it is configured as a 3-way switch, and it is somewhat confusing to me (the non-electrician).
I put a picture up of the box here:
DSC02868 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Where the fan is installed (used to be a light), well, that switch is the rightmost one (three wires going left in the picture, red, white and black).
The switch that I need to connect is a model UC9040T, and it has three wires, two of which have labels:
1. Ground
2. [Black-To Power Supply-Do not connect to neutral white wire]
3. [Black-To Fan-Do not connect to neutral white wire]
Not sure what to do inside the box (picture) to successfully connect wires 2 and 3 on the switch.
Thanks.
We need a photo that shows the switch not just the wires.
Where the fan is installed (used to be a light), well, that switch is the rightmost one (three wires going left in the picture, red, white and black).
Which sounds like a three way switch or duplex switch.
The switch that I need to connect is a model UC9040T, and it has three wires, two of which have labels:
1. Ground
2. [Black-To Power Supply-Do not connect to neutral white wire]
3. [Black-To Fan-Do not connect to neutral white wire]
Which is not a three way switch and can not be used with out re-wiring the circuit or using a different switch if available for your fan. If it was a duplex switch not a 3-way then it can be used.
Was the light previously controlled from two switches at different locations? That is a three way switch. Check if the manufacturer of the fan provides them. If only in one location was it a duplex switch, were there two toggles on the switch you removed?
Thanks for the help Ray, much appreciated.
More pictures uploaded to:
Sep 19, 2010 - a set on Flickr
I've labeled them, but to be thorough:
1. First of face of switch.
2. Same as first in thread, but with switch in view
3. Digging around the house I found the other switch behind a plant.
Was the light previously controlled from two switches at different locations?
Yes, precisely. We don't really care for the one I discovered just now, and the fan itself is actuated by wireless communication.
Is there a way to rejigger things such that the manufacturer switch can be made to work? They don't make an alternative, and this is a damned expensive fan.
Take the black from the old switch and connect it to the fan wire of new switch,
Take the black to power supply wire of the new switch and connect to all the blacks hooked together with that big blue wire nut.
Cap off the red and white wire of the old switch, note: 3 way will no longer work behind plant
All done, worked like a charm -- thanks for the help guys. Where I am definitely someone to research problems, home electrical is just somewhere I'm not willing to take any risk. Where trial and error is not an option, especially where my family's safety is concerned, it's nice to have a place like this where folks such as yourselves can help.
Thanks again.
Tags: switch, confusing, wireless, control, white wire, connect neutral, connect neutral white, connect neutral white wire, neutral white, neutral white wire, three wires
