The wall switch typically when a ceiling fan is installed the red wire is most commonly used for the light and the black is commonly for the fan motor. Well cover the easier scenario first.
Red House Wire
Red white and black wires light switch. But first lets get my disclaimer out of the way. Green wire is for the ground. Electricians often use black red or blue wires to deliver electricity to a circuit from the main panel. The return wire for circuits usually white load. The ground wire also connects to the switch but the white wire gets spliced to the circuit neutral wire and bypasses the switch. Blue wire is for the light if light is included with the fan.
The standard way to power a split tab outlet is to run a three conductor cable to a wall switch. It could be there is or once was a three way switch in play. They may use other colors for. These connect to the black and white wires in the electrical box with the provided larger wire nuts. Ive decided to put this faq together to help those with questions about installing ge 3 way switches. The lower left screw is the common and gets the black wire from the load 3 cond.
The black wire goes to the bundle of black wires. Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture and the black wires are the live wires. Black wire is for the fan. Never work on a light switch with the power on. The upper left screw gets the red wire from the left box 4 cond. The hot wire from the breaker usually black neutral.
In existing 3 way wiring this wire toggles hot between two. Turn off the power at the breaker or fuse box. Then the red wire in your box goes to the non white wire on your ceiling fan which is often blue. The upper right screw gets the black wire from the left box 4 cond. The white wires on the fan go to the bundle of white wires. Be sure to attach a bare copper wire to the green screw on the switch.
The red wire as a spare wire when a ceiling fan is not installed this spare red wire is insulated with electrical tape or capped off with a wire nut. The white wire is the neutral and all other colors are hot. If you only have black wires in your box connect both the non white wires from the fan to the black wires in the box. Light fixtures with more than one lamp may have a pair of black and white wires for each lamp. The cable has a black wire which connects directly to the circuit and a red wire which connects to the switch. White wire is neutral.
If you had a red wire coming from your ceiling it is hooked up to your wall switch. The wire that will be hot when the circuit is completed to your light usually black traveler. Red wire is sometimes included and acts as a conductor to carry power to the light kit.
Gallery of Red White And Black Wires Light Switch
