A ceiling fan is one of the most popular comfort products of our daily life. In hot conditions, a ceiling fan gives us a sense of relief and comfort. The ceiling fan is also cheaper than air conditioning which makes it affordable for people of all economic classes.
Today, we are going to discuss what the blue wire on a ceiling fan is and what its functions are.
What is the blue wire on a ceiling fan?
The blue wire on a ceiling fan is basically responsible for controlling the flow of power that goes into the light kit. All the ceiling fans that come with a light kit have a blue wire on them. The blue wire of the ceiling fan needs to be connected to the black or red wire of the ceiling box.
Let’s look at the hunter ceiling fan to see what the blue wire is on a ceiling fan.
Hunter ceiling fan:
There are different colors of wires on a hunter ceiling fan. There is a black wire that is responsible for handling the power of the fan. There is also the white wire that acts as a neutral wire. The blue wire is very uncommon in the electrical circuit system.
Blue wires are usually found in ceiling fans because these blue wires are key to controlling the lights of the ceiling fan.
Many ceiling fans come with the special feature of a light system. The hunter ceiling fans have blue wires inside them in order to control the lights that come with them.
The light controlling wires come in blue color in order to keep them separate from white and black wires.
If you wish to control the power of your fan and light using the same switch, you will need to connect the black and blue wire together. If you want them to have separate switches, you can connect them to two switches instead of the same switch.
Hunter ceiling fans that have led lights inside them come with blue wire too. When installing a hunter ceiling fan, you can put the blue ceiling fan wire with the black wire in order to operate the fan with a single switch.
Blue wire can be operated by a different switch too by wiring to a different switch.
So ceiling fans that come with additional lights do have blue wire on them that helps them to control the power of the lights. The job of blue wire on a hunter ceiling fan is simple. It can be implemented easily if the wiring is done in the right way.
What does the blue wire on a ceiling fan hook to? Does the blue wire go to the black wire?
Ceiling fans have blue wire in an attempt to control the lights attached to them. The blue wire on a ceiling fan usually hooks to the second live wire that comes down from the ceiling. The color of the second live wire is usually black or red.
The blue wire of the ceiling fans is connected to this red or black live wire of the ceiling. As a result, you can control the power of your fan lights with the help of a second switch.
The blue fan wire does go to the black wire if you want to control the power of your fan and lights with one switch only. The blue ceiling fan wire is connected to not only the black ceiling fan wire but also to the black wire that comes down from the ceiling.
This unique connection enables you to operate your fan and its lights with a single tap on the one switch only.
Is a blue wire positive or negative on a ceiling fan?
A blue wire is usually positive on a ceiling fan. The blue wire is the hot wire that powers the lights of the ceiling fan that come along with it. Blue wire has a blue color to make it exceptional from the other wires.
The ceiling of the fan does not have any blue wire in them. But the ceiling fan does come along with the blue wire inside it.
This blue wire is connected to the red or black wire of the ceiling. The blue wire is positive on a ceiling fan because it is used to carry power to the lights with the help of the black or red ceiling wire. The blue wire is critical for controlling the power of the lights.
It is very important for the installation system of the ceiling fan.
What does the blue wire do on a ceiling fan?
The blue wire has several functions on a ceiling fan. Let’s discuss in detail some of them.
Powers the light:
The blue wire is a common feature in ceiling fans nowadays. There are different kinds of ceiling fans available. There are ceiling fans that come with a light kit. The light does not run on the same power as the ceiling fan.
It requires a separate connection in order to function. That is where the blue wire comes in.
The blue wire is responsible for providing power to the light kit. The blue wire of the ceiling fan is connected to the black or red wire of the ceiling. The light kit functions with the help of this connection.
The primary job of blue wire is to provide power to the light kit that comes along with the ceiling fan.
Lessens the load:
The black wire of the ceiling fan is responsible for providing power to the fan blades. If a load of providing power to the light kit fell upon the black wire, then it would not be able to perform its core function properly which might have caused problems in functioning.
The blue wire is crucial in this case as it provides power to the lights of the ceiling fan and lessens the load on the black wire. The blue wire and the black wire can work separately or together depending on how they are connected to the ceiling wires.
If the black wire and blue ceiling fan wire are connected together to the black ceiling wire then, a single switch will be enough to operate the fan.
Why does my ceiling fan have a blue wire?
The ceiling fan has blue wire on it for several purposes. Let’s discuss them in detail and shed a light on them.
For light kit:
The sole purpose of the blue wire on the ceiling fan is to provide adequate power to the light kit. If you have a ceiling fan that comes with a light kit, you are definitely going to see a blue wire attached to it.
Old model ceiling fans did not have blue wire on them because they did not come with the option of a light kit. That is why you are not going to see any matching blue wire on the ceiling of your floor.
The blue wire is usually connected to the black or red wire of the ceiling.
For double switch purposes:
You can control the power flow of your light kit with a separate switch with the help of a blue ceiling fan wire. The power of the fan blades is controlled by black ceiling fan wire.
If you connect both the black and blue ceiling fan wire to the red or black wire of the ceiling, then you can control the power of your fan and light kit with a single switch. But connecting the blue ceiling fan wire gives you the option of using a double switch.
The second switch can be used to operate the light kit as you might not want to turn on the light and the fan simultaneously. It gives you greater control over the power flow of your fan and its light kit.
What can I use if I don’t have a blue wire for my ceiling fan?
The fan manufacturers put blue wire on their fans to control the power that goes into the light kit. If you are installing a fan that has a light kit, you are definitely going to find the blue wire on it.
If you do not find the blue wire on a ceiling fan, then you should contact the concerned authority and get it changed. There is no alternative to blue wire for ceiling fans that come with a light kit.
Your ceiling might not have blue wire in it but your ceiling fan that comes with a light kit must have a blue wire in it. The blue wire of the ceiling fan should be connected to the black or red wire of the ceiling box.
Final Thoughts
The purpose of blue wire is to monitor the flow of electricity that goes into the light kit of a ceiling fan. The blue wire of the ceiling fan can be connected to the same switch as the black wire of the ceiling fan or it can be connected to a separate switch.