wiring help for ceiling fan installation

[rexmaster]

I'm trying to install a ceiling fan and need to find a ground wire.
This is what I have figured out so far;

Yellow: light
White: neutral
Orange: fan
Black: ground??? :?:

Can someone identify a ground wire in the picture?
or There is no ground wire?
Thank you
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ed_1004@sbcglobal.net/detail?.dir=8633&.dnm=80ac.jpg&.src=ph

[roger g]

Can't pull up the picture. All these wires I assume are in the fan unit?
Black will definetly NOT be ground. Black should be power. How do you know what the other colours are for?


roger

[Sparks]

Use you multi-meter (you do have one I'm assuming since you're doing electrical work) and set it to the OHMS scale, put one lead on a metal part of the fan assembly, take the other lead and figure out which wire is ground. ( are they discolored from age?) The wire that is ground will have very low ohms to ground, like .1 or so. Do the same thing with meter leads on hot side of bulb socket to figure out what wire that is, the fan motor of course will have some resistance. This is very simple to figure out. I'm assuming you're trying to install an old, used fan, so maybe there is no ground wire, but I'm sure the black is the hot wire, you're probably right on the others, but I would check it with the ohmmeter nontheless.

[rexmaster]

Try the link for the picture!

I have 2 switch (light/fan) roughed in. I traced the wires to each switch, so I'm 100% sure about yellow and orange, but I can't figure out ground.
BTW, all these wires are in wire box in the ceiling. I guess the electrician used different color scheme to distinguish light/fan wire. Is it possible not to have any ground wire or there should be one?

Thank you for helping me out!

[Sparks]

OK, now your link worked, but it's meaningless, it all depends how the electrician did the wiring way back when. This is why they make multi-meters :D . Put one lead of your meter (set to ohms) on the box (if it's grounded) and check to see what wire is ground if there is one. Assume the neutral is white. If there isn't a grounding wire in the box but the box is grounded via bx or conduit or an external wire unseen, then just ground the fan to the metal box via 10-32 ground screw or grounding clip both of which are readily available. I've seen red used for a grounding wire many times but this is something that is not difficult to figure out with just a simple ohmmeter. If there isn't a ground at all either by conductor or raceway (conduit, etc) than this is a different problem in itself.

[Sparks]

rexmaster, my point is you really can't assume what the last guy did and how he wired something. There is all sorts of crazy wiring out there and you just have to figure em out as you go. I've seen red wires used as neutrals and grey wires used for hot's, if I assumed things were always wired the way they should be I probabaly would be dead by now. Although, I took a closer look at the pic when it finally worked and it looks like the box is piped with conduit (emt). In this case, there may be no ground wire, the electrical system was designed so the conduit itself is the grounding path. That being said, you probably just need to ground the fan to the box with a 10-32 ground screw or a grounding clip as mentioned earlier. Are you from Chicago? Dang it, I should have caught this one sooner, I missed your location. NO PROBLEM, everythings probably in conduit ( Chicago and surrounding areas mandate this, no romex allowed ) The conduit is your ground path, just ground box to fan, dang I must be slipping. I should have noticed that first. :?

[rexmaster]

l got your point, it's time to get a multi-meter for me! Better to be safe than sorry. Anyway, there seems to be a grounding screw inside the box. I'll double check it, using multi-meter. BTW, the house was built last year and the same trade (electrician) is still working on 200+ homes. Hope they are in compliant with current standards.

Thanks a lot for your helps!

[Sparks]

More than likely they're compliant. Chicago and neighboring areas have pretty rigid licensing and inspection requirements. On top of that, there isn't a safer installation than all wires enclosed in emt conduit, I like it. Around here it would be cost prohibitive on the bidding process since it is not mandated. The ground screw in the box may be your only grounding means, no wire, which is fine.

[rexmaster]

It's up and running! Wobble free operation :D
As far as I know, all wires are in the conduit, except low voltage wires for the door bell.

Thanks again!

[Sparks]

Great, glad we could help.