# Ceiling fan won't turn on - but is receiving power?!?



## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

There should be no voltage between the ground and white wire. Sounds like the neutral(white) wire has an open somewhere. Look for a loose wire nut on the white wires in the back of the switch box.


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## bsulli4 (Jun 8, 2012)

There should be voltage on ground-white when the fan switch is turned on, just like any normal light switch or direct connection. Current in via black and out via white.

And there aren't any loose wires or nuts in the fan wiring or wall switch.


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

bsulli4 said:


> There should be voltage on ground-white when the fan switch is turned on, just like any normal light switch or direct connection. Current in via black and out via white.
> 
> And there aren't any loose wires or nuts in the fan wiring or wall switch.


:laughing:


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## bsulli4 (Jun 8, 2012)

sirsparksalot said:


> :laughing:


Help me out SirSparks!


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## sirsparksalot (Oct 16, 2010)

bsulli4 said:


> Help me out SirSparks!


I can't. Joed has been doing this a helluva lot longer than I, and you dismiss his suggestions.


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

The white wire is normally the neutral, not always. If it is the hot wire, as sometimes happens wiring three way switches, it should be painted black on the end. Assuming your white wire is actually supposed to be the neutral, the voltage on the neutral wire when the switch is on should be very close to zero, since the neutral is directly connected to the neutral bus at the panel, and the neutral bus is bonded to the ground at the panel. Therefore there should be very close to zero voltage difference between the neutral and the independent equipment ground wire. The fact that you are measuring voltage between the white wire and the ground wire when the switch is closed suggests you have a neutral problem, as has already been suggested.

There should be 120 volts between the black wire (the hot) and the neutral, and 120 volts between the black wire and the ground wire, whether or not the switch is in the open or closed position. Try measuring that voltage, perhaps it will help to locate the fault.


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

bsulli4 said:


> There should be voltage on ground-white when the fan switch is turned on, just like any normal light switch or direct connection. Current in via black and out via white.
> 
> And there aren't any loose wires or nuts in the fan wiring or wall switch.


If this is a switch loop then the white should be the constant power wire. The black should be the switched wire.
If this is a miswired switch loop then the problem is at the fan. Does the white switch on and off at the fan?


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## hammerlane (Oct 6, 2011)

Switch loop


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## bsulli4 (Jun 8, 2012)

Daniel Holzman said:


> The white wire is normally the neutral, not always. If it is the hot wire, as sometimes happens wiring three way switches, it should be painted black on the end. Assuming your white wire is actually supposed to be the neutral, the voltage on the neutral wire when the switch is on should be very close to zero, since the neutral is directly connected to the neutral bus at the panel, and the neutral bus is bonded to the ground at the panel. Therefore there should be very close to zero voltage difference between the neutral and the independent equipment ground wire. The fact that you are measuring voltage between the white wire and the ground wire when the switch is closed suggests you have a neutral problem, as has already been suggested.
> 
> There should be 120 volts between the black wire (the hot) and the neutral, and 120 volts between the black wire and the ground wire, whether or not the switch is in the open or closed position. Try measuring that voltage, perhaps it will help to locate the fault.





joed said:


> If this is a switch loop then the white should be the constant power wire. The black should be the switched wire.
> If this is a miswired switch loop then the problem is at the fan. Does the white switch on and off at the fan?





hammerlane said:


> Switch loop


Sorry, I didn't update sooner, I stopped getting the email alerts.
I decided to draw up a diagram in hopes that this would be more helpful. Thanks for the idea hammerlane.

So this is the current situation...any thoughts?


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

Looks to me like you possible tapped into a switch loop.We need to know the connection at the other end of the cable feeding the switch.
White should not be hot except when it is a switch loop. Also never seen a NM cable with brown wire.


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