Rolled Out On: 8/26/2005 3:57 PM

Your basic light bulb can be controlled by any number of switches, just look in a typical hallway with a switch at each end controlling a light in the middle. It's the switches (know as three-way switches and available at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) and how they are wired that's special, not the fixture. Just like a light fixture, your fan can be controlled by two switches, as long as the switches are three-way and wired correctly, even though there are just two wires coming out of the fan housing.

I'm just guessing but perhaps the third wire the manual refers to is an option that would allow you to control the fan blades and lights (if present) separately. In that case you would need two switches, one for the fan and one for the lights. A black and white striped wire is not a ground wire. Ground wires are always green or bare.

-Rob

Rolled Out On: 8/24/2005 4:38 PM

The black and white striped might be the ground wire?

We had a similar miserable experience with our Harbor Breeze fans. Following the instructions is a mistake, the first took three hours and nearly killed us as we wrestled to get the wires connected while supporting it's 30lb bulk AND standing on a ladder. Built the second two on the floor (in defiance of the instructions) and then raised them up to hang from the bracket...total install time doing it that way = 30 minutes. Assholes, all of them. Instructions written by 9,000 year old illiterates with bad senses of humor.

Rolled Out On: 8/24/2005 10:07 PM

Nahh, I called 'em and they informed me that's the way the high priced fans with a remote work.

And when I found out that the remote holder fits right over the no-longer-used switch using the same screws, I said what the hell.

I'm in agony, but I have a unbelievably quiet, 56", five bladed fan in my room now.

Now to go through it all once again....