PIMkings home renovations.... - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

PIMking · 07-28-2011, 09:41 PM

I'm taking the old light out of the master bed room and install a new ceiling fan. Well I turned the power off at the circuit breaker and then removed the light. This is an older house and once I got the light off there are only three wires and two of them are tied together. None of the wires have any color codes at all, they're all black.

Any ideas?

First Lady · 07-28-2011, 10:29 PM

Install a camera while you're at it.

4X4 · 07-28-2011, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

I'm taking the old light out of the master bed room and install a new ceiling fan. Well I turned the power off at the circuit breaker and then removed the light. This is an older house and once I got the light off there are only three wires and two of them are tied together. None of the wires have any color codes at all, they're all black.

Any ideas?

Somebody tied the ground wire to the negative wire.

AvsJerk · 07-28-2011, 10:36 PM

Call an electrician. If there is one wire attached to a screw, that will be your ground.

Hockeyguy15 · 07-29-2011, 07:26 AM

I bought my ceiling fan from Signature Lighting and they installed if for free...

Rhettzky · 07-29-2011, 07:39 AM

Make sure the light box is supported. Being tied on one side won't support most fans as they're too heavy and when spinning can wobble badly.

Bindair Dundat · 07-29-2011, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PIMking

I'm taking the old light out of the master bed room and install a new ceiling fan. Well I turned the power off at the circuit breaker and then removed the light. This is an older house and once I got the light off there are only three wires and two of them are tied together. None of the wires have any color codes at all, they're all black.

Any ideas?

The single wire will be your switched hot (switch leg), the two wires "tied" together will be your neutral (common). Strip back the tape/wire nut from the common bundle and tie a "pigtail" onto this; the white wire on the fan should be connected to the pigtail. The black (or dark colored) wire is connected to the switched hot wire. As another poster mentioned it is imperative that a ceiling fan is mounted to a fully supported device box.

This may require a trip into the attic to install a block between the trusses, fully supporting the device box. Prior to installing the fan, test the circuit by attaching a plastic bulb holder with a normal bulb to the wires as I've described above. Turn power on and throw the switch...

-light goes on/off? Install your fan...
-breaker trips/ switch doesn't work? shut the breaker down and call an electrician...

That's the best I can do without seeing/testing the wires, and I'm not coming to Alabama to do so...

Good luck, Ron

speede5 · 07-29-2011, 11:39 AM

Best to post a pic. wiring can be done so many ways it is hard to know exactly what you have. Sounds like knob and tube wiring, and you probably have one hot, one switch and one tapping off to another light, either to supply or draw from. You probably don't have a proper nuetral/ground wire either. Depending on the age.

Bindair Dundat · 07-29-2011, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speede5

Best to post a pic. wiring can be done so many ways it is hard to know exactly what you have. Sounds like knob and tube wiring, and you probably have one hot, one switch and one tapping off to another light, either to supply or draw from. You probably don't have a proper nuetral/ground wire either. Depending on the age.

Hadn't even considered the "It's that old" possibility...as you said, a picture is worth 1000 words in any case like this...

Ron

PIMking · 07-30-2011, 11:15 AM

Okay so what I did was go out and get a tester to find the hot wire, Once I found out which one was hot I wired it up accordingly. There is no "gangbox" in the ceiling but I installed one and added a brace to make sure the fan is good and steady

The house went from this:

to this

The hard wood after being sanded down

after gloss coat

our new living room set

and the fan in question

I'm going to install new light fixtures throughout the house since the others were pretty old and crappy looking.

zamler · 07-30-2011, 04:49 PM

Your place looks amazing. I love the hardwood especially, and the fans are very nice as well. You have good taste.

PIMking · 07-30-2011, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zamler

Your place looks amazing. I love the hardwood especially, and the fans are very nice as well. You have good taste.

Thanks, I'm installing another light in the dining area but that will have to wait until tomorrow after the movers leave. I've got some landscaping to do and I will continue tO update everyone

AvsJerk · 07-30-2011, 08:26 PM

Damn, that's one magical gangbox...can you get those at the Home Depot?

Seriously though, nice work.

PIMking · 08-01-2011, 07:35 AM

Well got the patio stained yesterday but I was BEAT from the move. Going to install a new light in the dining room today and try to set up the satellite dish so I can have tv until directv comes to set it up

PIMking · 08-02-2011, 08:28 AM

Directv won't be at the house until Friday to actually set up the system so yesterday I Jerry Rigged a set up so I can watch TV.

I was by myself so I took the dvr outside and a smaller tv so I can hear the PINGING of the sat signal finder.

I also stained the upstairs patio. It was a bit darker than I expected but once it dries I can come in and touch up some of the edges and repaint the guard rail.

I also did some landscaping yesterday waiting for the Comcast guy to hook up our cable internet. (which he never showed...) It was hot as hell outside yesterday heat index around 44* with oppressive humidity.

PIMking · 08-02-2011, 08:29 AM

the patio looks much better when it dried. I will get some more photos today.

SportsJunky · 08-02-2011, 08:38 AM

When did you buy this place PIM? Would it be rude to ask what you paid for it? I assume it's in Alabama?

PIMking · 08-02-2011, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

When did you buy this place PIM? Would it be rude to ask what you paid for it? I assume it's in Alabama?

I didn't buy it, Kate's dad left and took another job in Indiana leaving it to us. I told him I would do some work around the house because we're going to start showing it in the spring. Plus I like antique look but on crap old stuff like the crap shades.

I think her dad paid like 150-160k for it. It comes with 2 1/2 acres of land too. Even though the Tornado took out a lot of trees it's still pretty densely wooded. We're in the middle of Tuscaloosa but it has a feel of a country house.

Barnes · 08-02-2011, 11:15 PM

Cripes. $160,000 would buy you half a one bedroom apartment here.

Deegee · 08-03-2011, 06:20 AM

Looks really good. We are doing the same colour scheme with our ongoing renovation project. We were going to sand down and gloss coat the hardwood in the living room, but once we pulled up the carpet we only hard hardwood on 2/3rd of the room and 3/4 inch plywood on the other half.

Due to budget constraints we ended up replacing all of the sub floor and laying down a laminate, and although it still looks great and doesn't creak anymore, I am still a little upset for cheating a bit and not going with hardwood.

You learn a lot renovating older homes.