Installing a cooling fan in a canopy

[amos]

I purchased a cooling fan kit for my canopy that had a grounded powercord and terminal connections to the fan. I connected the black and white wires to the terminal connections, but wasn't sure what to do with the grounded wire. Can I just wrap it up? Also, how do I safely secure the terminal connections. Is electrical tape enough?

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

[Jon Lazar]

I purchased a cooling fan kit for my canopy that had a grounded powercord and terminal connections to the fan. I connected the black and white wires to the terminal connections, but wasn't sure what to do with the grounded wire. Can I just wrap it up? Also, how do I safely secure the terminal connections. Is electrical tape enough?

 

Thanks,

 

Jon

 

When you have a metal appliance, the ground wire is usually attached to the body of the appliance. That way if the hot wire comes loose inside the widget and touches the metal enclosure, the electrons flow back through the ground wire. Otherwise you might touch the metal box and the electricity would flow through you instead.

 

I suspect you're attaching the fan to the side of a wooden hood. If this is the case, I would attach the ground wire to body of the metal fan.

 

If the fan is inside a metal lighting fixture, you should attach the ground wire to the metal body of the fixture.

 

The fan will operate without connecting the ground wire to anything. But you have a better chance of zapping yourself.

 

Do you have a picture of the terminals?

 

Jon

[amos]

When you have a metal appliance, the ground wire is usually attached to the body of the appliance. That way if the hot wire comes loose inside the widget and touches the metal enclosure, the electrons flow back through the ground wire. Otherwise you might touch the metal box and the electricity would flow through you instead.

 

I suspect you're attaching the fan to the side of a wooden hood. If this is the case, I would attach the ground wire to body of the metal fan.

 

If the fan is inside a metal lighting fixture, you should attach the ground wire to the metal body of the fixture.

 

The fan will operate without connecting the ground wire to anything. But you have a better chance of zapping yourself.

 

Do you have a picture of the terminals?

 

Jon

 

That makes sense. And you're exactly right, I'm installing in a woody canopy. Here's a pic. I guess I'll just try to wrap the grounded wire around a bolt.

 

[zygote2k]

need a 4" holesaw?

[amos]

Thanks for the offer, Rob. I used my ghetto tools over the weekend to hack a hole in it. Next time!

 

Jon

 

need a 4" holesaw?