Ground wire for ceiling fan?

Maybe it is just me but I don't see an orange cap. Just 2 red caps.

Hi Kate, normally ground wires might be bare or covered in green insulation. They also should be connected to the bare wires from the cable. Hope this helps you out

Looks like you are not grounded the orange wire may be a connection for you fan to seperate it from the lights. Easiest way is to test the box to any connections with proper tools. Good luck and be safe. Ask an electrician it may keep you safe in the long run. GOD BLESS

There is no ground wire only hot wires in the box. Also wiring is extremely old. You really need an electrician for this. A ground wire is usually a bare copper wire. Be careful.

Cloth wiring is not safe. Most old cloth wires did not come with a ground wire because that the time of installation grounding was not common or called for. To see why cloth is not safe please read- https://www.theelectricconnection.com/cloth-insulated-wiring/

Old electrical wires are a common cause for house fires.

I agree that this doesn't look safe. Electricity can be very dangerous. Do you have enough experience to do this? An injury or worse is more expensive than an electrician. I paid one for an hour of his time (his minimum) and he fixed an issue that had myself and everyone I asked stumped. He was nice enough to explain it to me so I learned something that I didn't know and it only took him a few minutes. Stay safe!

I agree with others who have said the situation showing in the picture you posted does not look safe. There is visible rust, the wires look brittle, and the old coverings are fraying.

To be safe, I would say call in an electrician to remove the entire housing and rewire a new fan installation according to updated standards and with new materials.

No it is not a ground wire. Trying to ground your ceiling fan in this box with the current wiring isn't possible.

Your pic looks as though you may have old "knob I& tube" wiring runing to your fan.....very unsafe. If you have an electrician look at it you may be in for a surprise and much rewiring in your home. Even so, to be safe, I would contact a licensed electrician who has lots of prior experience and knows the current regulations of your City.

Nope. It's not. The wiring is so old that a ground wire was not used. A ground wire would have green insulation. Connect the ground wire from the fan to one of the screws. That would be your ground. I wouldn't worry about the cloth. Your wires are insulated with a cloth jacket to keep them together. The link Sawhorse provided is for individual wires wrapped in cloth with no insulation.

You should call a licensed electrician , period .

For anyone who is not familiar with knob and tube wiring, here are a couple of pictures showing what it looks like.