Wiring a ceiling fan

ValHaller

AndyPK wrote: »

With wire colours red and blue it can only been 3 core and earth.
Very odd.

Of course! D'oh I missed the obvious.

This needs investigating.

datimms

Ok, I've had another look. What comes out of the ceiling is:

3 main wires wrapped in white. Each main wire contains
1 blue, 1 red and 1 yellow wire (can't see any green stripes).

The yellow wires are only connected to each other. i.e. there does not seem to be any additional earth.

ValHaller

datimms wrote: »

Ok, I've had another look. What comes out of the ceiling is:

3 main wires wrapped in white. Each main wire contains
1 blue, 1 red and 1 yellow wire (can't see any green stripes).

The yellow wires are only connected to each other. i.e. there does not seem to be any additional earth.

have a look inside the light switch

AndyPK

Yellows Must be the earth.

All 3 wouldn't been connected for 2 way lighting.

datimms

I don't really like the look of this _pale_ ....

http://i693.photobucket.com/albums/vv295/datimms/Ceiling%20Fan/2013-08-03171935.jpg

Should that yellow be connected to something?

ValHaller

datimms wrote: »

Should that yellow be connected to something?

Er, yes. But I am not hazarding a guess to what.

Obviously a right bodge job on the electrics and I suggest you wait until it is cooler to think about how to handle it. I would forget the fan till you are satisfied.

AndyPK

Well only that terminal top left.
In the back box.

AndyPK

I think it's fairly clear what has been done.
The yellow has been used for an earth rather than the bare wire.
Maybe some foreign electrician did the work.

Nothing dangerous. You could confirm having a look in a metal light fitting if there is one.

ValHaller

AndyPK wrote: »

Nothing dangerous. You could confirm having a look in a metal light fitting if there is one.

I have to disagree. While there is nothing DIRECTLY dangerous, this renders the whole installation potentially unsafe because wiring colour codes and conventions cannot be relied upon.

The risk which springs to mind is that OP decides to earth all switch backboxes and uses a yellow from a 2way switching circuit to earth a steel flush mount wall box, (perhaps the free connector block in an intermediate switch) with the consequences that the screws on the light switch are now live.

A can of worms has been uncovered.

keystone

It looks to me as though someone has used three core and earth as twin core and earth for me like others have suggested and snipped the earth cores off. I think I see a suspicion of a glint of copper on the rose pic inside the RHS cable sheath.

I have a similar fan/light setup in my kitchen. As far as the fan is concerned it needs 3 connections earth, line and switched live. I'm presuming the ensemble has two pull cords? If so then you configure it for 2. by having the light pull cord permanently on using the single wall switch to provide power to the unit so when you switch it on the light comes on but you have to use the pull cord to operate the fan. If you want both operated by pull cord just leave the wall switch permanently on. BTW these things are NOT very efficient as a fan!!!!

You will not manage to get all the different cores present ion the rose into the plate which you fit to the ceiling - well you might but it will be a challenge. The simplest way to deal with that is to use a (n accessible) JB up in the ceiling and wire it as the ceiling rose exactly as it is currently wired. Then use another length of cable to come out of the JB just providing you with switched live, line and earth. That will easily be fitted to the fan/light mounting plate connector block.

Although this a nice piece of bodgery if it worked before whilst you were totally obvlivious of the situation you were in it will work again.

In the switch it is likely that the loose yellow core was in the earth terminal on the patress but not tightened up properly and the act of removing the faceplate has just pulled it out.

Cheers