How does the power feed come into the box with the switches?

Just a guess: To comply with current code (and work with some of the modern switches) you need to have a neutral at the switch box, so maybe they added some wiring. If the 14-2 comes from the fan box, but just provides power to the switch you now have power, neutral and ground at the switch (which complies with code). Then you can use the 14-3 to switch the lights and fan.

Bruce

Bruce, Thanks for responding. There was an existing fan that was controlled by a switch. The can lights were controlled by a separate switch. Better care should been used when seeing how all was wired before replacing the fan. Now all the hots are together, all the neutrals are together and the red from the 14-3 is capped but both the can lights and fan are powered by the same switch which is not what we want. Any ideas on how to rewire so the fan is on one switch and the can lights are on the other switch as before?

The 14-3 my guess is runs from fixture box to switch. The 14-2 my guess is runs from fixture box to can lights.

Does your fan have a light? If this is a new fixture, there should be instructions as to what color wire controls what. More important for what controls the fan and what controls the light.

So you wire your fan switch to the red on the 14-3, then wirenut the red wire to the wire that powers the fan (typically black) if there is a light. If no light with the fan then wirenut the red wire to the black wire on the fan.

For the light switch, if the fan has a light so you would wire the switch to the black on the 14-3, then wirenut the 14-3 black, the fan light power wire (typically blue) and the outgoing black on the 14-2 going to the can lights. If the fan has no light then just wirenut the 14-3 black to the 14-2 black.

For the whites, wirenut them all together. Same with greens.

This is all assuming your incoming power originates at the switch. If it originates at the fixture box that is a whole different ballgame.

More info

https://www.do-it-yourself-help.com/wiring_diagram_ceilingfan.html

Another note: You cant use a light dimmer on a fan. It will cause the motor to make horrid noises and potentially burn out if left on low a long time while making said horrible noise. Use a fan dimmer, they are in the fan accessory section at the hardware store not the light switch section. Fan dimmers have preset selections, Lo, Med, and Hi. That is what you would look for.

The fan has a light but has a pulled chain off/on. My goal is to just have power from the wall switch to the fan and then control the fan light off and on from the pull switch. Will the wiring as you described ensure the can lights turn off and on from the separate switch from the fan?

I thought the same on the current dimmer for the fan. It will be changed to a standard on off switch.

All the lights would be controlled by the light switch in what I described. However you could still turn that light on and off separate from the can lights with the pull chain (only while the light switch is on). It would also be dimmed the same amount.

If you wanted just the fan light on and the cans off, that wiring scenario would not work. In that case since you arent dimming the fan you could just power the fan and fan light with that other separate switch and control the fan light with the pull chain (which is a standard setup).

Thanks Vith!

That's what I did and it worked. I also changed out the dimmer switch for a standard switch.