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Post by trpnbils on Jun 29, 2013 20:44:44 GMT -5
My house was built in the early 80's and I believe the fans I have in the one room are probably original to the house. One has a light kit on it and the other does not. Today I got two Westinghouse 3-light light kits from Home Depot (model 77815) but now I'm unsure if I can even use them on the existing fans.
The fan without the light fixture is the more confusing one for me. It's got a WING TAT label along with a model number of CFA1 PC on another label. This model isn't listed in the "acceptable fan models" list in the light kit directions, but I'm assuming it's because it's out of date.
Would it still be OK to use on that fan? Shouldn't any fan that's wired for a light with the same gauge of wire as the light kit be fine to use it on?
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 29, 2013 20:55:19 GMT -5
On a side note, I just took the bottom off the fan and it is wired for a light fixture...blue wire labeled "for light".
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Post by Andrew G. on Jun 29, 2013 21:57:58 GMT -5
The switch cap will have a threaded hole that will accept pretty much any light fixture.
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 29, 2013 22:12:10 GMT -5
Structurally it will fit...my main concern is electrical. Is there any reason it would be a safety concern? The wiring looks pretty much brand new in the fan.
I'm thinking the other fan (which has a 4-light fixture already) might be better off just updating the bulbs and glassware. They're intermediate base bulbs and right now I've got 40w incands in there and it's so dim.... even with all four bulbs I still need extra light in the room (it's right above my pool table). I'm on the hunt for bright CFL bulbs that will fit intermediate bases. If I can put this light kit on the other fan in the room it will help the cause too.
Incidentally, I've come across a few E17 to E26 converters online but apparently they're not UL listed. Any thoughts on whether or not to give those a shot in the existing fixture?
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Post by Cole S. on Jun 29, 2013 22:26:49 GMT -5
There should be no electrical concern whatsoever as long as you install it correctly (which I think you've got figured out). Almost any light kit you can buy at Home Depot will be fine on any mainstream fan whether it be from 1980 or 2013.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2013 22:49:44 GMT -5
I've thought about replacing the E17 sockets with E26 sockets, rather than using converters.
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Post by Cole S. on Jun 29, 2013 22:55:21 GMT -5
I've done that with a couple of my light kits, was well worth it IMO. I've got converters too, mine are UL listed but I don't remember where I got them.
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 30, 2013 8:42:13 GMT -5
Replacing the E17s with E26s seems like the best choice in my situation. I haven't looked into how to do it, but it can't be that hard... Are the E26 sockets the same outer diameter (i.e. Will the glass globes that fit on it now with the E17 sockets still fit on it after)?
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 30, 2013 9:43:10 GMT -5
okay this is ridiculous.... everything I search online for changing E17 sockets to E26s brings up link after link on buying converters. Is it just a matter of taking the wires from the E17s and wiring the E26s up in the exact same way?
Does it involve replacing any wires with a heavier gauge or anything?
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 30, 2013 10:40:00 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2013 14:36:00 GMT -5
The sockets will probably have wires already attached, but the gauge should be the same.
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 30, 2013 19:46:35 GMT -5
OK so I got the light kit hooked up to the Wing Tat fan tonight...pretty simple...black kit wire to blue fan wire, white to white.... now having turned the power back on, the lights don't work and my non-contact voltage detector says there's no power to the blue/black wires. I'm assuming when the fan was installed the blue wire wasn't hooked to anything (even though both it and the white wire were capped when I opened it up). What do I look for next to get this thing to work?
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Post by Cole S. on Jun 30, 2013 19:52:24 GMT -5
Lower the fan's upper canopy (at the ceiling), tie in the blue wire from the fan with the black wires in the ceiling box, it should just be tucked in there not attached to anything. I assume since there was no light kit originally the blue wire was not tied in with the blacks at the ceiling as you said.
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 30, 2013 19:57:31 GMT -5
Sounds good - that's what I thought!
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Post by trpnbils on Jun 30, 2013 20:13:29 GMT -5
Blue wire is nutted to the heavy-gauge red wire from the house.... not sure if the red has power to it when the breaker is on.
Cap the red and move the blue to the blacks?
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