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Subject - Replacing ceiling fan
foster Hello,
I am trying to replace a ceiling fan. The original fixture had from the ceiling 3 white wires to the fans white. Black to black and an additional white to the ceiling fans blue as the "light kit"

The new fan has 2 white wires and 1 black.

Isn't black always to black?
If original fan has light kit on dimmer how can I tell which of the two white wires on the new fan is the light and which is the motor?

Is the green ground always necessary and why?

I really appreciate the help. I've put up this fan in three different houses and don't know what I'm missing.

Signed,
Foster
Scott Vickrey Foster,

The additional white wire in the ceiling that was connected to the ceiling fan's blue wire is a switch leg and should have been marked in some way. Usually this is accomplish by wraping a strip of black tape around it. This is the one to connect to the light kit. The black wire from the ceiling is for the fan motor. The three white wires from the ceiling are the neutral wires this is where the fan's neutral will connect. As for the new fan I haven't seen one like that so I cannot advise you there. All the fans I have hooked up come with a white wire neutral, a black wire for the fan , a blue wire for the light kit and a ground which must be connected (usually to the bare copper ground wires with a crimp ferrel). The purpose of the ground is to keep the fan body at zero volts. Without it if the hot wire shorts out to the fan body the circuit could remain energized, leaving the fan body energized to 120 volts. Now the fan is a trap just waiting patiently for some poor person like you to get up on a ladder and grab it. What are the odds of them staying on that ladder? Are they going to be able to let go of that fan? Make sure to always connect the ground wire! Be safe.