I have a combination 2 single pole switch. It has two terminals on one side and a single at the bottom opposite side.
The switch used to control the light and the bottom toggle controlled the fan.
Apparently, the fan quit working before I purchased the home. I bought a fan-light combination.
After repairing the sheet rock to allow for the smaller unit, I found the wiring in the switch to have the fan/heat un-wired. The black wire was pulled free and taped.
When I attempted to remove the switch, each of the wires came out of the terminals.
My one hot wire is white and comes out of the same cable as a black wire that goes to my light.
I have a total of two cables coming into the switch box and two cables going to the light/fan. Not sure how to wire the switch nor the wiring make up in the fan/light

I'm a little confused by your post.


I found the wiring in the switch to have the fan/heat un-wired. The black wire was pulled free and taped.

Does that mean that the old unit was a fan/light/heater combination?

I bought a fan-light combination.
Do you intend to use the old unit or the new fan/light?

A large part of your mystery will be solved when you get to look at the connections in the ceiling.

As to the switch and the wires connected to it as well as in the box behind the switch, can you please attach pictures for us to look at. (use the "Advanced" button and then the "Manage Attachments")

I'm a little confused by your post.


I found the wiring in the switch to have the fan/heat un-wired. The black wire was pulled free and taped.

Does that mean that the old unit was a fan/light/heater combination?

I bought a fan-light combination.
Do you intend to use the old unit or the new fan/light?

The old unit was a heater, vent/fan and light.

I intend to only have a fan/light combination.

I would have thought the taped up heater wire would have been hot.
I thought this because I assumed the old unit heater would be 220-volts.

I guess not.

The exsisting switch has two terminals on one side with no strip to remove.
The switch has only one terminal on the right side.
I currently have the hot white connected to the top of the two terminals.
I have the black from the cable connected to the loan terminal on the right hand side.
The light works.
I now have the one cable, marked heat but I plan to use it on the fan, with the black and the white. I don't know where to connect the white/common or the black.

What you have is two switch loops.
When you have power feeding the fixture as you have, you take power from the fixture box to the switch box on one wire (usually on the white). You return power through the switch(s) on the other wires.

At the ceiling connect the white of the fan/light to the white of the power in cable. You said that the white at the switch was hot, so the black of the power in cable should already be connected to the white going to the switch. Put a piece of black tape on each end of that white wire to desiginate it as hot.

Connect one of the black wires to the light hot, which is probably black. Connect the other black wire to the fan hot, which is proably red.

At the switch connect the hot, white wire to the single screw terminal on one side of the switch. Connect one of the black wires to one of the screws on the opposite side of the switch. Connect the other black wire to the other screw on that same side.

Put a wire nut on both ends of the unused white wire.