Bath fan w/light w/ seperate switches


  #1  
Old 08-25-07, 09:42 AM
H
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 11
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Bath fan w/light w/ seperate switches

I want to wire a bath exhaust fan w/ light, with seperate switches for fan and light. I also want seperate switches on another wall.So the fan and light will be 3-way.I already have one 12-3 running from each switch box to light location.Will this work or what would you suggest?I have power wire running into one of the switch boxes. Thanks, heron 1960
 
  #2  
Old 08-25-07, 11:58 AM
J
Member
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: welland ontario
Posts: 8,038
Received 515 Upvotes on 420 Posts
There are many ways to wire a three way switch. You want to wire two three way switch setups. That means you need 2 12/3 wires running between the switch, one for each device.
I think from you description you have a power at the light, 12/3 to one switch box(s1,s3) and 12/3 to the other switch box(s2,s4) from the light/fan. If that is the case then you need another 12/3 from the light to each switch box. And you need a rather large box at the fan to hold all those wires.
 
  #3  
Old 08-28-07, 03:09 AM
brewcityc's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 149
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
If you're saying the power is coming in through one of your switch boxes, this is what I'd do.... Assuming that you already have the cables run.... Also asuming that there's an attic above the bathroom.... I'd mount a 4 11/16" junction box by your fan light. Take all the cables to there. Then from there run a 3-wire to the light/fan, a 2-wire to the switch box with the power, and another 3-wire to the other switch box.
Now the wiring will get a little tricky, but take it step by step and be thorough and patient. You may want to label the wires first and then double check everything before terminating. Start at the switch box with the incoming power. Pigtail your hot wire to feed the two switches. The line terminal should be a different color screw than the other 2. If not, then you'll have to do a continuity check to figure out which one it is. The line terminal will have continutiy to either of the other 2 depending on what position the switch is in. The 2 traveler screws will not have continuity to each other, but will have continuity to the line terminal depending on what position the switch is in. Once you've wired the hots, splice the neutral to the white wire of the 3-wire. The red and black of the 3-wire go to the other 2 screws of one of the switches. The white and black of the 2-wire go to the other 2 screws of the other switch. Obviously the bare wires are ground...
OK, now to the other switch box.... Take the white from your original 3-wire and land it on the line side (it'll actually be the switch leg in this case) of one of the the switches. Then terminate the red and black on the other 2 screws. The red from newly added 3-wire would go to the line side of the other switch. White and black go to the remaining 2 screws.
This is where it gets really fun.... Next is the junction box. Take the white and black of the 2-wire and splice them to the white and black of the newly added 3-wire that goes down to the other switch box. The left-over red from that 3-wire goes to the red from the 3-wire that goes to the light/fan. Now to the 3-wire coming from the power side switch box.... The white goes to the white of the 3-wire going to the light/fan. The red and black go to the red and black of the remaining 3-wire going down to the opposite switch. All you should have left (besides the grounds) is the white from the one switch and the black going to the light/fan. Splice them together, splice the grounds, and then close the box.
At the light/fan, the black and red will be your 2 switch legs and your white's the neutral. I would suggest that you put the light on the switches that are closest to the doors and the fan on the outside switches. This can be done later by seeing which switch controls what and flip-flopping them if necessary.
Good luck!
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: