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Thread: Missing a wire??

  1. #1
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    Missing a wire??

    Hello, I just purchased a new fan with dimable LED lights. I am replacing my old Concord dimmer switch with the Lutron Maestro CL. Model MACL-LFQH. The back of my OLD switch had two black and one green wire. There was NO terminal screw on it. The wires coming from my wall are two black wires and one green wire. When I hooked everything up without using a terminal (hot) wire connected to a screw, the switch buzzed and click on and off repeatedly. Am I supposed to split one of the black wires to connect it to the terminal screw? I obviously have no idea what I am doing and don't want to burn my house down. Calling over an electrician will cost more than the fan and switch-plate itself!

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cleigh View Post
    Hello, I just purchased a new fan with dimable LED lights. I am replacing my old Concord dimmer switch with the Lutron Maestro CL. Model MACL-LFQH. The back of my OLD switch had two black and one green wire. There was NO terminal screw on it. The wires coming from my wall are two black wires and one green wire. When I hooked everything up without using a terminal (hot) wire connected to a screw, the switch buzzed and click on and off repeatedly. Am I supposed to split one of the black wires to connect it to the terminal screw? I obviously have no idea what I am doing and don't want to burn my house down. Calling over an electrician will cost more than the fan and switch-plate itself!
    In most cases the electrician will pull a 3-conductor (black, red, white) for ceiling fans. Depending on the age of your house, or if the location was not intended for a ceiling fan you may only have 2 conductors (black, white). The red conductor may be pushed in the back of the box.

    If you only have 2 conductors you will need a wallbox control that talks to a black box in the fan canopy. The fan manufacturer may make one or they sell generic kits at the big box stores.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

  3. #3
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    When you say wallbox, do you mean the blue plastic box that is inside of the wall that all the wires come out of? I pulled everything out and there was no red wire hiding anywhere. What I don't understand, is how was the previous ceiling fan, that controlled an up light, down light, and fan speed, only have to black wires and one green wire. The old switch had no terminal screw, and no white wires. Just two black and a green, and thats whats coming out of my wall.. two black and a green. Does this mean I need an electrician to come and drop in another wire from the ceiling fans "receiver box" (which works but went to the old fan) and run it down the wall?

  4. #4
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    https://faucetlist.com/products/conc...l-switch-kitIs that something like your old switch? If so it is actually a remote, and there is a receiver mounted in the canopy of your ceiling fan. That receiver needs a compatible remote to work. The dimmer you're installing is a hardwire system. The yellow wire needs a hardwire connection to the fans motor, the red needs a hardwire to the light, and the black requires power input. If you don't have 3 wires going to your fan, that dimmer/control will not work for you I believe.Julian

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cleigh View Post
    When you say wallbox, do you mean the blue plastic box that is inside of the wall that all the wires come out of? I pulled everything out and there was no red wire hiding anywhere. What I don't understand, is how was the previous ceiling fan, that controlled an up light, down light, and fan speed, only have to black wires and one green wire. The old switch had no terminal screw, and no white wires. Just two black and a green, and thats whats coming out of my wall.. two black and a green. Does this mean I need an electrician to come and drop in another wire from the ceiling fans "receiver box" (which works but went to the old fan) and run it down the wall?
    Yes, the blue box (color varies) in the wall.

    Some controls work by transmitting a high frequency signal over line voltage lines. It used to be called x10. The current name is Power Line Carrier or PLC. 60Hz devices won't see, or don't care about signals outside of the 60Hz range. As JCenergy noted, you can have a control in the wall and a receiver in the fan. Depending on the fan and control you can have a number of options.

    If the dimmer that is integral to the fan is having LED compatibility issues, I would replace the fan.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by JCEnergy View Post
    https://faucetlist.com/products/conc...l-switch-kitIs that something like your old switch? If so it is actually a remote, and there is a receiver mounted in the canopy of your ceiling fan. That receiver needs a compatible remote to work. The dimmer you're installing is a hardwire system. The yellow wire needs a hardwire connection to the fans motor, the red needs a hardwire to the light, and the black requires power input. If you don't have 3 wires going to your fan, that dimmer/control will not work for you I believe.Julian
    The link you sent was a 404 not found. I am wondering if I can remove the reciever from the ceiling and just run fresh wires to a new dimmer switch? 4 wires from the fan to the 4 wires at the switch?

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cleigh View Post
    The link you sent was a 404 not found. I am wondering if I can remove the reciever from the ceiling and just run fresh wires to a new dimmer switch? 4 wires from the fan to the 4 wires at the switch?
    It might. You will need to ask the fan manufacturer. In my experience that works about 1/2 the time. Sometimes the receiver is part of the circuit board that controls the fan and can't be removed. In some applications the fan may be stuck in slow speed. If you send a low signal to a fan already in low is may not even turn. You can try putting the fan on high using the old control and then remove it.
    Convergence Technologies Raleigh, North Carolina
    www.convergenceusa.com

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