Interactive diagram

Ceiling Fan Wiring With One Switch

One wall switch turns the fan and light kit on and off together; pull chains control speed and the light. The switched hot joins both the black fan wire and the blue light wire.

Tool

Interactive ceiling fan wiring diagramThree steps: pick your setup, flip the switches, wire it

Step 1 of 3

Which setup do you have?

Look in the box with the breaker off: what matters is where the power cable comes in. Pick the one that matches, or keep the one already selected.

Step 2 of 3

Flip the switch

Tap a switch, button or GFCI on the diagram. Glowing wires are carrying power right now. On a small screen, scroll the diagram sideways.

Show power flow

Black: hot
White: neutral
Red: hot / traveler
White + black tape: hot
Bare copper: ground
Wire nut
Glow: carrying power now

The fan’s pull chains still control speed and the light separately. The wall switch cuts power to both.

Hang the fan from a box labeled for fan support, not a plain light box.

Step 3 of 3

Wire it box by box

Safety first. Turn off the breaker and confirm the power is off with a non-contact voltage tester before touching any wire. Follow your local electrical code; some areas require a licensed electrician or a permit. If you find aluminum wiring, cloth-covered wiring, scorched insulation or more than one circuit in a box, stop and call an electrician.

Switch box

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in, the bare copper wire in the 14/2 cable to fan box and a short bare copper pigtail to the wall switch’s green ground screw under one wire nut.
Neutral splice: join the white wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in and the white wire in the 14/2 cable to fan box under one wire nut.
Wall switch, brass screw (either one) → the black wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in.
Wall switch, other brass screw → the black wire in the 14/2 cable to fan box.

Fan box

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/2 cable to switch box and the ceiling fan’s green ground lead under one wire nut.
Switched hot splice: join the black wire in the 14/2 cable to switch box, the ceiling fan’s black fan lead and the ceiling fan’s blue light-kit lead under one wire nut.
Ceiling fan, white lead → the white wire in the 14/2 cable to switch box.

Other ceiling fan setups

What you need

Fan brace + fan-rated boxInstalls through the hole between joists.
Check price
Ceiling fan remote kitSeparate fan and light control on one switch leg.
Check price
Fan speed control + light dimmerTwo-in-one wall control for 14/3 setups.
Check price
Non-contact voltage testerConfirms the power is really off before you touch a wire.
Check price

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Ceiling Fan Wiring With One Switch

Which setup do you have?

Flip the switch

Wire it box by box

Switch box

Fan box

Other ceiling fan setups

What you need

More wiring tools