# ceiling fan keeps tripping breaker .... help



## jdl508

Ok first of all I wanted to say what a great site this is!
This is the first time I couldnt find an answer that got me through my current jam  so I signed up 
I am replacing a ceiling fan that never worked since we purchased our home. It is a fan / light combo and the wall switch is a Lutron Dual Slide-to-off Fan Control / Dimmer single pole - quiet 3-speed, Ceiling fan / Incandescent/Halogen light, 120 V / 1.5 A / 300 W
Long story short not matter how I wire it in the breaker trips -> here is what I have

at the wall switch I have the incoming wire with black - white - copper (ground)
I have the second wire going to the fan which is black - white - red - copper (ground)
my switch is a lutron S2-LFSQ -> with a green - yellow - black and red wire 
per the instructions 
green is ground
black is connected to the black hot from the breaker panel (incoming wire)
yellow wire powers the fan
red connects the light

I feel like I have tride a million configurations of these wires all to no avail. I also tried to wire just the fan and light with no luck
right now the white wires are connected in the wall box 
black wire from the switch is connected to the black wire coming in the wall box (to breaker panel)
yellow is connected to black wire going to fan
red is capped

HELP?!?!?! I've fiddled with this thing for 3 days and am going a little CRAZY


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## Jim Port

Does the breaker trip regardless of whether you try to turn on the fan or the light? Does the breaker stay on with no switch installed?


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## jdl508

The breaker only trips with the switch powered on While in an off state the breaker is fine


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## Jim Port

Does the breaker trip on the fan or light function? Can you replace the switch with 2 toggle switches for testing?

Have you checked the canopy connections?


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## andrew79

Jim Port said:


> Does the breaker trip on the fan or light function? Can you replace the switch with 2 toggle switches for testing?
> 
> Have you checked the canopy connections?


Yup need to know what goes where at the light. Assuming the threewire goes to the fan for individual control.


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## jdl508

I can go get a toggle switch and try that
I'm out at the moment but unfortunately I only tried the fan to trip the breaker will follow up on that going to lowes now to get the toggle switch

Yes the 3 wire ( red black white) goes to the fan and the 2 wire comes in from a switch in the series


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## andrew79

You have a short. When you flip the switch its shorting out. Either the fans wired wrong or somethings not right load side of the switch. Id pull the fan down and recheck connections.


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## kbsparky

Are you tripping an AFCI breaker?


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## jdl508

It is a type afci / chap made by eaton
I tried to call a few electricians a few days ago but no call back I guess no one is interested in installing something so small so I'm on my own


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## jdl508

Can anyone give me an idea of how this thing should be wired? Is the 2 slider single pole switch ok? Anyone near Philly that wants some side work lol


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## kbsparky

OK, now we are getting somewhere.

You most likely have a ground fault between the switch and the fan.

Remove the connections at the fan, and cap the wires coming from your ceiling box. TEST the switch again: Does the breaker still trip?

If so, you have a pinched wire in your wiring.

If not, then something is grounded in your fan. You may have to check for proper connections, even internally in the fan control cup if necessary.


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## jdl508

ok so i terminated all the connections from the ceiling with wire nuts and viola the breaker did not trip - so this means......

I have something wired wrong at the fan?


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## andrew79

Yup or was just lose.


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## jdl508

ok I am sure I am mis wiring something here but I am really starting to feel clueless 

for goodness sakes there are only so many combinations , I have even tried a different lutron switch that has a single slider and only operates the fan (sfsq-f)
if someone could tell me what they think should be connected to what -> I will try and number all connections 

at the wall switch I have the incoming wire with black(1) - white(2) - copper(3) (ground)
I have the second wire going to the fan which is black(4) - white(5) - red(6) - copper(7) (ground)
my switch is a lutron S2-LFSQ -> with a green(1L) - yellow(2L) - black(3L) and red(4L) wire
The fan has the following wires -> green (1F) red (2F) black (3F) blue (4F) white (5F)
so here is the schematic
1 -> 3L
2 -> 5 ->5F
3 -> 1L -> 7 -> 1F
2L -> 4 -> 3F (power for fan)
4L -> 4F (power for the light kit)
sorry for sounding so desperate LOL


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## jdl508

i think I have come to the conclusion that I need to swap out the afci breaker for a traditional style breaker
This breaker serves the living room / dining room any reason I need an afci on that circuit?


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## Jim Port

The latest codes call for AFCI protection pretty much for any area that is not GFI protected.


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## adgjqetuo

I would check for a loose wire somewhere and test with two toggle switches first then move to the combo if you are unsure.

*Fan:*
black to black
White to white
Blue to red
Copper to copper

*Switch one:*
Live black to switch
Fan black to switch
Fan White to live white
Fan Copper to switch green screw then to live copper

*Switch two:*
Jumper from switch 1 live side to switch 2
Fan red to switch
Fan white to live white (3 total now)
fan copper to switch green screw then to live copper (3 total now)

With this configuration one switch should operate the fan and the other should work the light each independently. If this works without tripping the breaker report back and we can walk you through the combo wiring.


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## andrew79

The grounds can't go to the switch and then to the box. They all need to be wirenutted with pigtails to the switch grounds.


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## Stubbie

I'm not certain but I believe there are some solid state fan controls that you cannot use on a circuit with afci breaker, gfci breaker or load side of gfci receptacle. 
Do the installation instructions say anything about restrictions for this fan control ??


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## adgjqetuo

andrew79 said:


> The grounds can't go to the switch and then to the box. They all need to be wirenutted with pigtails to the switch grounds.


I know that's best practice for permenant installation, I was just trying to hook it up temporarily to see if we can at least get it running without tripping the breaker.

The combo switches typically have a green wire to them which can be connected directly to the main ground for permenant installation.


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## k_buz

So, you have determined that with the fan down, the breaker holds.

I would do what Jim suggested earlier, take the fan/speed control off, install two single pole switches to test if the fan itself is tripping the AFCI.

If it is the fan/speed control, you could look for remote kits you can wire into the fan to achieve the same result as your in-wall control.


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