my sister asked me to replace a ceiling fan in her bedroom with a light
fixture. She has two wall switches on/off switch and another switch that is
the fan speed. She will only need the on/off switch with the new light.
Question is how to wire.......what do i do with the red wire? Do I connect
the red wire with the black? TIA

On 11-Dec-2013, wrote:

Tape the spare wire back at both ends (cut the bare conductor at the
insulation, fold it back over itself and tape it)

The spare wire is the red wire???? When I connect the wires black to
black and white to white and the ground to ground and tape the red wire so
it is not connected the light only works on and off with the dimmer
switch..................I want the light to turn on and off with the main
switch.

wrote:
On 11-Dec-2013, wrote:

Tape the spare wire back at both ends (cut the bare conductor at the
insulation, fold it back over itself and tape it)

The spare wire is the red wire???? When I connect the wires black to
black and white to white and the ground to ground and tape the red wire so
it is not connected the light only works on and off with the dimmer
switch..................I want the light to turn on and off with the main
switch.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it doesn't help us help you when change
terminology between posts. Because we want to make sure you are safe and
that you do this correctly, let's make sure we know what you are talking
about.

In your OP you said "two wall switches on/off switch and another switch
that is fan speed". In your latest post you refer to a "main switch" and a
"dimmer".

Again, just to be safe, are the "on/off switch" and "main switch" the same
switch? Is the "fan speed" and "dimmer" the same switch? Even though I
can't see your connections from where I'm sitting, I'll assume that that is
what you meant.

Have you opened the switch box? Make sure you shut off the breaker first.
If you have been working in the fixture box with just the switches turned
off, that's not the safest method, but you shouldn't have power at the
fixture when both switch are off, depending on how the fixture was wired.
However, once you open the switch box (assuming switched hots) you will
have live wires coming to the switches. Turn the breaker off before you
remove the switch plate and then test the wires to make sure they are dead.

Based on what you've described, it sounds like you made changes in the
fixture box and didn't look at the wires in the switch box. Again, based on
what you've described, I would expect to see the black wire attached to the
fan speed switch and the red attached to the on/off switch.

If that is the case, then you need to either swap the black and red wires
in the switch box or at the fixture. I would recommend swapping wires at
the switch box since black is the more common choice for a hot wire when no
other hot wires are needed. Whatever ends up being the spare wire should be
disconnected and taped off at both ends.

If you are not sure what you have, post a link to a picture or call someone
more familiar with residential electrical wiring. We want to keep you
around so that you can enjoy the holidays with your family.

On Wed, 11 Dec 2013 17:33:44 +0000 (UTC), DerbyDad03
wrote:

wrote:
On 11-Dec-2013, wrote:

Tape the spare wire back at both ends (cut the bare conductor at the
insulation, fold it back over itself and tape it)

The spare wire is the red wire???? When I connect the wires black to
black and white to white and the ground to ground and tape the red wire so
it is not connected the light only works on and off with the dimmer
switch..................I want the light to turn on and off with the main
switch.

Don't take this the wrong way, but it doesn't help us help you when change
terminology between posts. Because we want to make sure you are safe and
that you do this correctly, let's make sure we know what you are talking
about.

In your OP you said "two wall switches on/off switch and another switch
that is fan speed". In your latest post you refer to a "main switch" and a
"dimmer".

Again, just to be safe, are the "on/off switch" and "main switch" the same
switch? Is the "fan speed" and "dimmer" the same switch? Even though I
can't see your connections from where I'm sitting, I'll assume that that is
what you meant.

Have you opened the switch box? Make sure you shut off the breaker first.
If you have been working in the fixture box with just the switches turned
off, that's not the safest method, but you shouldn't have power at the
fixture when both switch are off, depending on how the fixture was wired.
However, once you open the switch box (assuming switched hots) you will
have live wires coming to the switches. Turn the breaker off before you
remove the switch plate and then test the wires to make sure they are dead.

Based on what you've described, it sounds like you made changes in the
fixture box and didn't look at the wires in the switch box. Again, based on
what you've described, I would expect to see the black wire attached to the
fan speed switch and the red attached to the on/off switch.

If that is the case, then you need to either swap the black and red wires
in the switch box or at the fixture. I would recommend swapping wires at
the switch box since black is the more common choice for a hot wire when no
other hot wires are needed. Whatever ends up being the spare wire should be
disconnected and taped off at both ends.

If you are not sure what you have, post a link to a picture or call someone
more familiar with residential electrical wiring. We want to keep you
around so that you can enjoy the holidays with your family.
Big question. What did each switch do? Did the fan have a light in
it? Dit the "main switch" control just that light, and the dimmer
control the fan completely? We really need to know a bit more before
attempting to make an intelligent "guess"

On 12/11/2013 12:58 AM, wrote:
my sister asked me to replace a ceiling fan in her bedroom with a light
fixture. She has two wall switches on/off switch and another switch that is
the fan speed. She will only need the on/off switch with the new light.
Question is how to wire.......what do i do with the red wire? Do I connect
the red wire with the black? TIA


Just put an orange wire nut at both ends.

There may not be a red wire anyway if the fan was installed with e.g. a
Lutron Maestro switch which uses a remote controller module mounted in
the fan canopy.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:
On 12/11/2013 12:58 AM, wrote:
my sister asked me to replace a ceiling fan in her bedroom with a light
fixture. She has two wall switches on/off switch and another switch that is
the fan speed. She will only need the on/off switch with the new light.
Question is how to wire.......what do i do with the red wire? Do I connect
the red wire with the black? TIA


Just put an orange wire nut at both ends.

There may not be a red wire anyway if the fan was installed with e.g. a
Lutron Maestro switch which uses a remote controller module mounted in the fan canopy.

nate


Why would you say there might not be a red wire when the OP specifically
asked what to do with with it?

Why would you mention a Maestro switch when the OP specifically said there
was two wall switches, an on/off and a dimmer?

I'm confused....

On 12/12/2013 07:39 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:
On 12/11/2013 12:58 AM, wrote:
my sister asked me to replace a ceiling fan in her bedroom with a light
fixture. She has two wall switches on/off switch and another switch that is
the fan speed. She will only need the on/off switch with the new light.
Question is how to wire.......what do i do with the red wire? Do I connect
the red wire with the black? TIA


Just put an orange wire nut at both ends.

There may not be a red wire anyway if the fan was installed with e.g. a
Lutron Maestro switch which uses a remote controller module mounted in the fan canopy.

nate


Why would you say there might not be a red wire when the OP specifically
asked what to do with with it?

Why would you mention a Maestro switch when the OP specifically said there
was two wall switches, an on/off and a dimmer?

I'm confused....


The Maestro thing *is* two switches... and it sounds like the OP hasn't
disassembled anything yet.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:
On 12/12/2013 07:39 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Nate Nagel wrote:
On 12/11/2013 12:58 AM, wrote:
my sister asked me to replace a ceiling fan in her bedroom with a light
fixture. She has two wall switches on/off switch and another switch that is
the fan speed. She will only need the on/off switch with the new light.
Question is how to wire.......what do i do with the red wire? Do I connect
the red wire with the black? TIA


Just put an orange wire nut at both ends.

There may not be a red wire anyway if the fan was installed with e.g. a
Lutron Maestro switch which uses a remote controller module mounted in the fan canopy.

nate


Why would you say there might not be a red wire when the OP specifically
asked what to do with with it?

Why would you mention a Maestro switch when the OP specifically said there
was two wall switches, an on/off and a dimmer?

I'm confused....


The Maestro thing *is* two switches... and it sounds like the OP hasn't
disassembled anything yet.

nate

You must not have read his second post where he explained what happened
when he connected black to black, taped off the red wire, etc. Tough to do
that without disassembling something.