How to Wire Electric Fans

Shut off power to the circuit that will supply power to the fan. Make sure the fan is secure and properly supported. Read through the fan manufacturer's wiring instructions before beginning.

Locate the three wires from the fan motor. There should be a black wire, a white wire and a green or bare wire. The black wire is the hot wire, which brings power into the fan. The white wire is the common wire, which completes the circuit and brings power out of the fan. The green or bare wire is the ground wire.

Look in the electrical box and pull out the two black and white wire splices. Remove the plastic twist caps off of the two splices. Connect the black wire of the ceiling fan to the black wire splice in the electrical box. Then place a new plastic twist cap on that splice. Remove the plastic twist cap on the white splice and connect the fan's white wire to the white wire splice. Place a new plastic twist cap on that splice as well.

Pull the bare ground wire splice out of the electrical box and connect the fan's ground wire to that splice. Place a new plastic twist cap on that splice and push all three splices neatly back into the electrical box. Turn the power back on and test the fan before completing the installation.