How To Wire A Ceiling Fan With 2 Switches? [Full Guide]

Double switches are very common nowadays in home appliances. It works on a very simple mechanism like all other electrical switches. So, why not have a look at how you can wire our fan and light using a double switch all by yourself?

Ceiling fan and light have two input terminals. One of them is connected to the line current and the other is connected to the neutral. In between the wire from line to the fan or light terminal there will be a switch connected in like series to complete the targeted circuit.

In this article I am going to tell about it and show you in details with diagrams that are very easy to understand.

Wire A Ceiling Fan With 2 Switches Full Guide Below:

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When Should I Choose A Double Switch?

Mostly in case of controlling a light and a fan with a fix switch board we use a double switch. And for office or home appliances double switches are smart at the same time.

Well, frankly speaking a double switch serves the same task just like a couple of single switches. But, there is a difference in the way it is put into the switchboard and the way it is connected with the wires.

In a switch board that consists of single switches there are two terminals for each switch. While in a double switch there may or may not be a common terminal for both switches and two separate terminals.

Nowadays in home or office where there is a ceiling fan and a light, double switches are mostly used.

Getting To Know About The Terminals Of A Light And Ceiling Fan:

I am going to show you the basics in a separate basis for both light and ceiling fan, then we will combine the whole circuit.

Terminals and Connections of a light:

Let’s talk about light first. It is a very simple electrical device which has two terminals.

One of the terminals receives the line current the other terminal passes the current to the neutral, thus completing the whole circuit. So, if we connect a switch within the line current, our objective is fulfilled.

Terminals and Connections of a ceiling fan:

A ceiling fan has a comparatively complex terminal scheme. Here I will show you the actual terminal diagram of a ceiling fan and then I will show the wiring diagram.
What are the parts of a ceiling fan? Why do we need a capacitor? How many wires do we see coming out of the ceiling fan? I will give a view to all of these FAQs.

Ceiling fan is an AC motor, with two windings- starting and running. A capacitor is put in series with the starting winding to help the motor start with the AC current source. Then we will have two terminals coming out of the fan.

How to connect the capacitor?

As shown in fig-2 and fig-3, the capacitor is placed in series with the starting winding. In practical we have to connect the terminals of the capacitor to the red and blue wire of the fan.  

After connecting the capacitor the red wire and the neutral black wire from the fan will be connected to the source and neutral through the switch.

To have a more practical view I am going to show you a better image. Thank me later if you find it useful.

Some common questions:

You may have a question in this picture. What is the blue color wire’s purpose or what is it actually?

To understand this, just look at the schematic diagram in fig-2. The blue wire comes from the starting winding that is in series with the starting capacitor.

In many schematic diagrams you may find a fourth wire coming out of the fan. So what is the purpose fourth wire your ceiling fan which is normally green in color?

Yes, in many cases there can be a fourth wire coming out of the fan which serves as the grounding wire for safety purposes. The wire is directly connected to the earthing terminal of the house.

I have skipped the part “regulator” in this picture, which is also set just like the switch. That is, the regulator is connected in series with the switch. The regulator helps to control the speed of the fan.

How To Connect Both The Ceiling Fan And Light To A Double Switch?

Since I have already shown you the basic connection diagrams of wiring a ceiling fan and light, lets now move on to the next level. There we will connect the whole circuit to a double switch. Let’s see the schematic diagram of a double switch first to make things easier.

Now we will see how this switch works. The terminal-1 is a common port that will be connected to the line source. Upon turning the switches on we will get the output in the terminals-2 and 3.

Inversely, there will be no output if the switches are not turned on. So, the main circuit will be simple, we just have to combine the previous circuits and end up connecting to the double switch.

This is the basic circuit diagram. Here you can see that the double switch is connected directly to the fan and light instead of separate single switches.

The line terminal is set at a common port through the double switch. Let’s have a look at the practical wiring diagram for a clear view.

Now, the difference of a single switch and a double switch is very clear. Besides the connection properties there is a difference in the outlook and switch board size.

In modern time small and handy equipment are prioritized. So, double switch is a good choice for sure.

Which Wire to Use?

You may come think of an important fact here. That is, which wire to use for such purpose?

Always select such wire that can carry the rated current of the apparatus you are wiring. The current rating of the wire depends on the size of the copper it is using.

Also Read: How Many Ways Can You Wire a 3-Way Switch?

Verdict

As you can see wiring a ceiling fan and a light to a double switch is not such a hard work after all. In fact it is very easy. Following the proper steps with proper rules and precautions you can wire or repair your electrical appliances whenever needed.

So, why do you need an electrical worker next time? It’s your turn now to try this out and let us know how your experience was. Thank you!!