help with wiring fan


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Old 01-28-06, 12:23 PM
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help with wiring fan

ok i ran new wire from the celing fan to the switch and a new wire from the source to switch i bought a combination 2 single pole switch. Will this switch work or should i make it easy and get two single pole switch's.What i want to do is use the two switchs for light and fan that way my son wont break the strings on the fan.. any help would be great
 
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Old 01-28-06, 12:44 PM
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ok i ran new wire from the celing fan to the switch
What cable type? 14-3-G NM-B?



I bought a combination 2 single pole switch. Will this switch work?
Yes.

It has one common screw. It connects the black wire from the source.

The other two screws connect the red and the black wires going to the light and fan.
White wire from source connects through to white wire from light & fan with a wire nut.
 
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Old 01-28-06, 12:56 PM
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The wire is 12-2. the swith i have has two black screws and two copper screws one ground screw.
 
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Old 01-28-06, 01:30 PM
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The wire is 12-2.
That will not work. You really need 12-3-G. (I doubt that your fan and light have two neutrals.)

the switch i have has two black screws and two copper screws one ground screw.
That is fine.
You will need to make 6" pigtails from both of them in a U-shape and use a wire nut to join them with the black wire from the source.
 
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Old 01-28-06, 01:53 PM
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the fan has one black(fan) one black with white stripe (light) and one white and one green.i have 12-2 from source to switch then 12-2 from switch to fan.Or the other way i could do it is run another 12-2 from switch to fan.im not sure what you mean buy loop and pigtail to black wires if i jumper both black wires together that would make one switch work everthing right?
 
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Old 01-28-06, 02:04 PM
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You need to run 12-3 from the switch to the fan/light. Do not use a second piece of 12-2. While some will say this is okay, it just complicates things.

At the combination switch connect the power black wire to the common terminal of the switches. This is the side with a small tab connecting the two screws. Connect the red wire for the fan/light to one of the screws on the other side, and the black wire for the fan/light to the other screw on the same side as the red wire. Connect the white wires together with a wire nut.

At the fan/light connect the black wire to the black wire and the red wire to the black/white wire, and the white wire to the white wire.

At both locations connect the ground wires together, and to the switch, and to the metal box.
 
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Old 01-28-06, 10:09 PM
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Actually the NEC prohibits the use of 2 separate cables in this type installation. Article 300.3(B) requires all the conductors of a circuit to be contained in the same cable.


UNK
 
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Old 01-28-06, 10:57 PM
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Originally Posted by builditmymself
the fan has one black (fan) one black with white stripe (light) and one white and one green.
Then you can have only one white from the switch to the fan/light.

> i have 12-2 from source to switch
This is fine.


> then 12-2 from switch to fan.
This is not acceptable. You need to run 12-3-G.


> Or the other way i could do it is run another 12-2 from switch to fan.
Absolutely not an option.



> I'm not sure what you mean buy loop and pigtail to black wires
> if i jumper both black wires together that would make one switch
> work everthing right?
No. I am talking about on the source side coming into the switch box.


On the side going out, one is black and one is red coming off the switch and going to the fan/light (no reason to pigtail either of these!).
 
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Old 01-29-06, 05:58 AM
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Originally Posted by itsunclebill
Actually the NEC prohibits the use of 2 separate cables in this type installation. Article 300.3(B) requires all the conductors of a circuit to be contained in the same cable.


UNK
This has been debated in many discussions and will continue to be debated. I would not do this, and do not recommend that it be done.

However, there are those that will argue for, and there are inspectors that will accept, two cables run next to each other and run through the same clamp for each box.
 
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Old 01-29-06, 11:47 AM
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300.3(B) has exceptions which are stated in 300.3(B) 1,2,3 and 4. nonferrous wiring methods. 300.3(B)(3) seems to allow conductors in nonmettallic sheath are allowed as long as it complies with 300.20(B), which deals with single conductors. the main concern with this section is when a single conductor is energized in a ferrous conduit or sheath.
 
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Old 01-29-06, 12:05 PM
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I agree. I do not believe that 300.3(B) applies here.
 
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Old 01-29-06, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by racraft
However, there are those that will argue for, and there are inspectors that will accept, two cables run next to each other and run through the same clamp for each box.
It is not possible that this is permissible under the NEC.
Article 310.4 states that parallel conductors must be 1/0 or larger.
I find the conclusion from this inescapable.

The grounded and the ungrounded conductor of the circuit should be in the same cable to reduce magnetic field generation.
 
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Old 01-29-06, 12:25 PM
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I do not believe that 310.4 applies here either. Even if it did, all you have to do is not use one of the white wires and you won't have any conductors in parallel.

However, I also believe that all these code debates are moot. Just do the job right, i.e., run 12/3, and all the code issues are avoided. It's no harder to run a new 12/3 than it would be to run another 12/2.
 
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Old 01-29-06, 12:58 PM
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didnt mean to start a fight

didnt want to ruffle feathers here just wanted to have the option of two light switchs one for the fan and the other for the light.after hurrican rita i have a lot to do with the house pluse its a fairly old house to boot so just trin to get some good advice to wire it i still have to have the local inspector come and look at my wiring.i also have done this i have ran one curcuit for outlets and one for the lights so if for some reason my wife or kids or me trip a breaker with the outlet my light will still be on.I though that was a good idea.oh and i'm no way a electrition or clame to be one i have some knowledge of circuit's just trin to make a old house better.

thanks chad
 
 

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