Ceiling Fan Wiring With Two Switches (Separate Fan and Light)

Two wall switches control the fan and light separately. A 14/3 cable runs from the double switch box to the ceiling: black for the fan motor, red for the light kit, white neutral and bare ground.

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 switches

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

Black runs the fan and red runs the light, both from their own switches over 14/3 cable.

Use a fan-rated speed control, never a standard light dimmer, on the fan switch.

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.

Double switch box

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in, the bare copper wire in the 14/3 cable to fan box, a short bare copper pigtail to the fan switch’s green ground screw and a short bare copper pigtail to the light switch’s green ground screw under one wire nut.
Hot splice: join the black wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in, a short black pigtail to the fan switch’s brass screw (either one) and a short black pigtail to the light switch’s brass screw (either one) under one wire nut.
Neutral splice: join the white wire in the 14/2 cable bringing power in and the white wire in the 14/3 cable to fan box under one wire nut.
Fan switch, other brass screw → the black wire in the 14/3 cable to fan box.
Light switch, other brass screw → the red wire in the 14/3 cable to fan box.

Fan box

Grounds: join the bare copper wire in the 14/3 cable to double switch box and the ceiling fan’s green ground lead under one wire nut.
Ceiling fan, black fan lead → the black wire in the 14/3 cable to double switch box.
Ceiling fan, blue light-kit lead → the red wire in the 14/3 cable to double switch box.
Ceiling fan, white lead → the white wire in the 14/3 cable to double switch box.

Other ceiling fan setups

What you need

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

Ceiling Fan Wiring With Two Switches (Separate Fan and Light)

Which setup do you have?

Flip the switches

Wire it box by box

Double switch box

Fan box

Other ceiling fan setups

What you need

More wiring tools