I currently have fan installed with black, white & ground into my electrical box. My main power red, black & ground is coming into the 2nd opening of my electrical box.

I'm trying to figure out how to configure the wiring to have the GFI plug & switch work in tandem.

The GFI Plug has 4 screws (2 for line & 2 for load) - the switch has 3 screws (1 gold on side A 1 gold & 1 black on side B).

Can someone give me a quick description of which wires need to go where in order to have the GFI plug & switch work in tandem ?

Thanks for all with any assistance in this matter

Hutchcove

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Originally Posted by hutchcove

My main power red, black & ground is coming into the 2nd opening of my electrical box.

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Doesn't sound right, should be red, black, white and ground. Unless you are non- U.S.

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Originally Posted by hutchcove

GFI plug & switch work in tandem.

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What do you mean? Are you trying to switch the GFI or are you trying to switch the fan. Normally only outlets are GFI protected.

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Originally Posted by hutchcove

The GFI Plug has 4 screws .

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Sure there isn't two more under a strip of tape in the center of the outlet?

Why not give us more detail about what you are trying to do.

I should have specified firstly that I am in Canada

The original way the bathroom was setup before the renovations was such Fan connected to switch - GFI plug was connected to the power source 120V from the box. There was 1 wire (which I cannot remember) that was connecting the switch with the GFI plug in order for the fan to get he power from the 120V. I realize I need power to get to the fan and I guess the original owner of the home decided to add a switch in tandem (or series) with the GFI plug in order to get a full circuit.

Fan to Switch - Switch to GFI plug - GFI plug to 120V - how do I connect the switch to the GFI plug in order to get power to the fan ?

Hopefully that help clarify my question - if you require further info - please keep asking - eventually I will have the answer you are looking for to help me make this happen

Thanks once again all for the kind & speedy responses.

Hutchcove

Trying to determine where the power is coming from and the presents of a neutral. U.S. and I believe Canada neutral is white.

Assuming you are adding a GFI outlet to switch box.

If power is being fed to switch box, you should have a 2 wire cable (black and white) bring power in. You should have a two wire cable going to fan (black and white).
You would add two pig tails to the black and white power wires. Connecting one black pig tail to switch and one to hot side of GFI.

Connect one white pig tail to neutral of GFI and the other to the neutral going to fan. Connect the black of the cable going to fan to switch.

The other way with out pig tails would be to connect the power black and white to the line terminals of
GFI and the black and white to the unprotected load terminals. The unprotected load would be under the warning tape, usually in the center. If you don't have unprotected load terminals you will have to use the pig tails. The protected load terminals are for additional outlets downstream.

Fans, lights and switches are not generally GFI protected. GFIs and motors don't play together very well sometimes. No need to GFI protect lights.

What is confusing me is that you said you have a black and red cable to fan. Usually red is only found in 3 wire cable of black, white, and red. If you only have red and black to fan you need to open fan and determine which is hot and which is neutral.

If by some chance you have 3 wire cable from switch box to fan you could have power coming to fan location, white in that cable would be neutral, either red or black being hot to switch location and the other being the return hot to fan. In that case the 2 wire cable in switch box would not be power in but power going to some other location.

Rereading your first post, the switch you described is a 3 way switch, not appropriate for use here unless there is another one somewhere else (along with 3-wire cable). It could have been used to set up an either/or situation, where either the fan is on and the outlet is off or the outlet is on and fan is off. Kind of screwy but would prevent both from being used at the same time. Are you attempting to switch the outlet?

Still wondering if a 3 way switch or a switch with a ground(3 ways usuall have 2 dark and 1brass, not 2 brass and 1 dark.
Some Exhaust Fans require GFI, if in the Shower.
The Fan would either need to have hot and neutral fed from The Line side OR the load side.