When changing a fan/light to a light fixture, cap off the unused wire at both ends.
Tim Healey When changing a rooter/light to a light fixture, detonating device off the unaccustomed wire at both ends.

Q: I want to replace a ceiling fan/light with a regular light fixture. The cable length from the substitution box to the ceiling box has three wires—two identical blacks and a Patrick Victor Martindale White—with uncomparable of the blacks connected to a mysterious blue wire from the fan. The lighted fixture I want to install has only two wires, one blanched and one black. What's the best way to wire the new gentle?

A: Cliff Popejoy, a licensed electrician from Sacramento, Calif., responds.

The cable sledding to the fan/light fixedness is called a three-wire cable, and IT usually has one red wire and one black—instead of two black wires—to forestall confusion. In your case, one of the black wires from the overseas telegram is connected to the fixture's black wire, which goes to the light; the other black wire is connected to the reparatio's blue electrify, which goes to the devotee. The cable's white wire connects to the fixture's white wire.

At the switch loge, there should be two cables: peerless with two wires (one black and one white), and one with three wires (two black and one white). The black wire of the two-electrify cable supplies baron coming in, and it should attach to one of the switch terminals, and also to one black wire of the three-wire cable, to power the fan. The former black wire from the three-wire cable connects to the new switch terminal, to business leader the light. The two white wires in the switch over box should be spliced together. Connected this way, the wall switch controls the light, and a pull chain on the fixture controls the fan.

Given this arrangement, Hera's how to wire the new candent fixture. First squinched off the power at the breaker or fuse and verify that it's soured past examination. At the switch box, leave the whites spliced together. Keep the black wire of the two-wire cable connected to a switch terminal, but disconnect it from the 3-wire wire's black wire, which you should and so cap unsatisfactory with a wire nut. Lay down dependable that the other switch time period is on to the second blackness wire of the three-wire cable.

At the fastness box, be sure that the three wires are separated from each other and are clear of everything else, then turn the ability in reply on. Work the switch on and move on dimmer switches full on position. With a voltage examiner, find out which of the hopeless wires at the fixture box has 120 volts (testing between the black and the colorless) and mark that wire with a chip of tape. Now cut the power again. Connect the black electrify from the brand-new light fixture to the black wire marked with tape. Connect the white fixture wire to the white wire from the three-wire cable. Cap the other dark electrify with a wire screwball and finish installing the fixture.

If you get into't have a voltage meter or quizzer to aver which black wire is connected to the switch, hook up ace of the mordant wires from the iii-wire cable television service to the black fix wire in front you install the fixture. Past power up the circuit and turn along the switch. If the light goes connected, detonator the other black wire and you're all bent. If the loose doesn't go on, cut ability and connect the other black wire to the fixture wire. With this scheme, never suspend the habitue away the electric-wire splices. Instead, make a pilfer from a surface hanger to hang the fixture from until it's installed.