Ceiling Fan Wiring and the Ground Wire

When a ceiling fan is wired without the ground wire it will not function as designed. This is a safety hazard and should be corrected as soon as possible by an electrician. The National Electrical Code states that all electrical equipment must be grounded.

Most electrical wiring is sheathed in a cable called Romex and has 4 or 3 sheathed copper wires plus a bare ground wire. The black wire is the hot lead, and the white or neutral wire completes the circuit. The bare copper or green wire is the ground wire and should be attached to the metal chassis of the fan or to a green screw terminal on the electrical box where the fan will be installed.

If there is no existing light fixture that needs to be switched off and on by the switch then the ceiling fan can be powered directly from the house wiring. In this case the black wire from the fan should be connected to the hot lead (usually black but sometimes red/blue striped) from the house wiring. If the fan has a built in light kit it should be fed from the switch cable bundle with the white or neutral wire. If the fan is being plugged into an existing wall control receiver then it should be fed from the switch cable bundle as well with the black wire marked “To Motor”.

Always shut off power to your circuit before accessing a junction box and always use a non-contact voltage tester (little devices that look like large pens) to make sure that the electricity is off before touching any electrical wires. If you are not comfortable working with electrical wiring then it is highly recommended that a licensed electrician be consulted for this type of project.