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View Full Version : Wiring batroom fan/light to 2 switches ?


tumb2
May 19, 2009, 07:28 AM
Hello, I have 3 sets of cables in the bathroom ceiling box, 2 separate switches in the wall (no red cable, each set has a black, white and copper) currently one switch turns both the fan and light at the same time, how can I wire the cables so one switch turns on the fan and one the light? I think power source comes in at the fan/light in 1 set of the cables in the ceiling and the other 2 sets go though the switches. Please let me know if this is possible, thank you in advance.

Perito
May 19, 2009, 07:51 AM
First you need to know where the cables come from and go to. You should use a voltmeter (on the 250 VAC scale) to determine the pair of wires that provide the power. Then use a multimeter on the Ohm scale to figure out which wires connect to the switch box. If two pairs of wires go to the switch box, and one pair of wires supplies the power, it should be possible.

ballengerb1
May 19, 2009, 08:08 AM
If you have 2 switches and 1 controls both the fan and the light can you tell us what the other switch controls? If you want 2 switches to control the 2 fixtures separtely you need a hot wire from each switch to run to each fixture. They can share a common white netral. Your ceiling box appears to carry more wiree/cables than is needed for this situation so another cicruit may be running through this box. You said there are 3 sets of cables in the box, do they all terminate in the box or do some pass right out the other side?

hkstroud
May 19, 2009, 06:21 PM
..

ballengerb1
May 19, 2009, 06:35 PM
Harold, you got to teach me how to make those pics and then how to post them. If you can't did it with a chain saw then I'm not so good at it.

tumb2
May 19, 2009, 07:07 PM
Thank you all for answering my question the diagram really helped, THANK YOU!!

hkstroud
May 19, 2009, 08:28 PM
Bob,

I use Paint. Its really pretty simple, if it weren't I couldn't do it. I can hardly write my name much less draw. Paint lets you make squares or boxes, circles, draw straight lines and curved lines. It also lets you chose the background color. Notice mine are always gray. That allows me to draw a white line.

As far as posting, click on "Go Advance", scroll down and click on "Manage Attachments". Click on Browse to find and open the file. I always put mine on my desktop. Click on Upload.

There is a file size limit. I convert the Bitmap file from Paint to a JPEG before uploading.