2 Pole Switch Help
#1
12-03-17, 08:04 AM
2 Pole Switch Help
I am adding a bathroom exhaust fan to our bathroom. The light switch for the existing bathroom light is through the fixture power. I bought a double pole switch - will use one pole for the existing light and the other for the new fan. Am I wrong to think this will bring power to the fan pole if I leave the breakaway tab in place? When I wire the fan itself at the fan do I leave the white cable alone and wire everything else to the black?
#4
12-03-17, 09:11 AM
Group Moderator
The light switch for the existing bathroom light is through the fixture power.
Do you have a single two wire cable at the switch ?
Or.... do you have two cables at the switch box ?
Last edited by PJmax; 12-03-17 at 09:55 AM. Reason: Geo spotted typo
#7
12-03-17, 10:38 AM
There are two wires coming in to switch box. They were hooked to a single pole switch. I bought a two pole switch. I wired the existing wire to one pole on the new switch. I then ran new 14/2 from the newly installed fan down to the second pole on the new switch. At the fan, I wired black to black, white to white and ground to ground. Checked my work, flipped switch for fan and nothing. The light on pole one did work on new switch.
#9
12-03-17, 10:56 AM
Group Moderator
There are two wires coming in to switch box.
The black wire is (should be) switched hot back to the light.
You have what is known as a switch loop. You do not have a neutral in the switch box. You cannot tap anything off of a switch loop.
This is what you have there.....
#10
12-03-17, 04:58 PM
Thanks for all the replies. I went back into the attic today and also looked at the wiring behind the existing light and see where the incoming power is. At this point it sounds like I run 14/3 to the new fan and then the 14/2 to the double pole switch? There is power going to an outlet also at the existing light which makes this a little less straightforward.
