3 Speed Ceiling Fan Motor Wiring Diagram

Ceiling fan motors are a necessity in homes and businesses, as they help keep air circulating, reduce energy consumption and provide better air quality. Unfortunately, if you're looking to install a ceiling fan motor, the wiring diagram can seem daunting. Thankfully, with a little bit of knowledge of electricity, wiring diagrams, and the three types of motors used with ceiling fans — split phase, capacitor-start and shaded-pole — you can make sense of it all and wire the motor safely.

Split Phase Motors are the most common motors used for ceiling fans, having two coils: a main winding and an auxiliary winding. A capacitor is also usually included, which helps increase the torque in the motor, allowing it to start and run more efficiently. In order to properly wire a split phase motor, you'll need to understand the schematic of the wiring diagram and the components it involves. It typically consists of two line connections — one black, one white — a switch, the fan blade and its direction of rotation, and any other necessary wires.

Capacitor-start Motors are slightly more complicated than split phase motors and require careful attention to the wiring diagram. This type of motor uses a capacitor to help it start and run, so the wiring diagram can be more complicated and involve more components, such as a centrifugal switch, thermal protector and a starter winding. As with the split phase motor, understanding the diagram and components will help ensure proper wiring.

Shaded-pole Motors are the least common of the three motor types for ceiling fans but can still be found in some applications. These motors are usually used in exhaust fans; unlike the other two motor types, shaded-pole motors don't require a capacitor to start. The wiring requirements for a shaded-pole motor are simpler as there are fewer components involved: the power source, the fan blade and its direction of rotation, and the switch. All that's needed to wire this type of motor is the three pronged connection and an understanding of the current flow.

With a basic understanding of the three types of motors used in ceiling fans and their respective wiring diagrams, anyone can feel confident in their ability to install a fan safely and effectively. Knowing which components are involved and how the circuit works makes wiring a ceiling fan motor a relatively simple and stress-free task.