Fluke -A1-II Volt-Alert AC Non-Contact Voltage Tester: Amazon.com: amzn.to/13Tw7CY Playlist: Bath Fan Videos by Sparky Channel: ru-vid.com/group/PLSD43kAzjUITkkk-QVexMdSSczisP-a1s Also see: Playlist: Electrical Wiring by Sparky Channel: ru-vid.com/group/PLSD43kAzjUITARtRyFqvVhmqwNm34Ck5k Playlist: EMT Bending by Sparky Channel: ru-vid.com/group/PLSD43kAzjUIT9C0yzPTkqULBCmJXX_goh Playlist: 2023 NEC Video Playlist by Sparky Channel: ru-vid.com/group/PLSD43kAzjUISg0qOUMomYe8GH6a_C2xBv Playlist: IDEAL National Championship Competition Videos from Sparky Channel: ru-vid.com/group/PLSD43kAzjUIRfq58lAqj2dXKhTY_8QaDO
This was easiest, clearest video to watch so far about how to handle electrical for light switches, and especially these more complex double switches. Thank you for this!
I just did this exact change in my 100 degree attic. I am remodeling my master bedroom and had to tear out the 75 year old electrical in there. I went into the attic and dug through the insulation to locate the wiring and discovered it’s all wired in a chain with hubs that have 3-4 branches each. My father in law had installed a ceiling fan in the bathroom a few years ago for us and I discovered that he tapped into the bedroom branch. All of the lights and general use outlets are on the same circuit so after turning that off I was able to pull it all out. But then I was so confused with how my FIL wired the light and fan. He didn’t tap into the light switch at all. It still went straight to the light and the fan wasn’t to the light somehow. So I decided to just rewire it and throw in a combo light switch like this. I’m not an electrician but have been watching videos like this. After a while it all suddenly clicked in my head. I used the existing 2 conductor cable to the light switch and cut it from the light. I then stripped those and used those as the load wires and wired those to the two load terminals on the combo switch. Then I fished down a new wire to the switch and used black for line (hot). I capped the neutral. Up in the attic I used the cable I cut from my bedroom branch and wired the black to the black line to the ditch. I then used two short runs to wire black from fan and from light to the two load wires going to switch. Then I tied in the neutrals from both together with the neutral going to the hub where all the other neutrals are tied in. I was pretty nervous but also pretty sure I did it right. Glad I found this video because that’s the exact same switch I used and it makes me feel a little better. Wife was mildly impressed when I flipped them on and they worked flawlessly.
Finally someone who made sure the wiring video leaves no room for error. I ordered some of the things you used. 2 hours until I found this very clear video for my ceiling fan/light combo.
I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED AND LEARNED FROM YOUR VIDEO DEMO. BY FINDING THIS AFTER EXTENSIVE SEARCHES, I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY WIRE UP MY HOMEWERKS BATH FAN WITH BLUETOOTH SPEAKER AND LED LIGHT. I HAVE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY WIRED THE SAME DUAL ROCKER SWITCH AND NOW I HAVE AN UPDATED, BEAUTIFUL BATH FAN WITH GREAT TUNES TO ENJOY. THANK YOU!!! 👍🏼😅👍🏼
That's what I am attempting to do too!! Atleast it worked out for someone else. I will be rewiring everything just like this too. Did you use the included touchscreen switch or just the double duplex switch?
I have a real tough challenge for you... Get both light and FAN on Rotary Dimmers. Rules: Light and FAN must both be on SEPERATE dimmers. ALL DIMMERS NEED TO BE ROTARY (knob dimmers) Light dimmer needs low end trim. YOU CAN'T USE A DIMMER DESIGNED FOR A LIGHT ON THE FAN, it must be a FAN SPEED CONTROL. FAN Speed Control needs to be fully variable (no 3 speed controls allowed) and have a low end trim too. Low end trim on fan control must be adjusted so the fan runs where you can hear air being sucked in at it's lowest speed. You must use WAGO's to hook up and do the wiring. I've done this challenge, IT IS NOT AS EASY as most think.
Awesome! Removed old and didn't take a picture of the wiring. At wits end, was about to call electrician but RU-vid saves the day again! Exactly what I needed! Thanks guy!
Great video I’ll be updating my 1960 bathroom soon and have a light/ fan on the same switch. The bathroom is on the main floor with attic access above. Should be fun.
Sparky, you’re definitely a good teacher. Love your clear instructions and the review of what you just did. Thank you as this is exactly what I am doing this weekend.
9:25 - very important information. Running the wire is always the trick on projects like this with existing drywall. It can make or break the entire project from a DIY perspective.
I like two separate switches but I put a digital timer on the fan. That way people can put the fan on for 30 minutes (or whatever they select) and go off to work knowing it will go off and not stay on all day. I prefer the Cooper timers (Cooper Wiring Devices 9590AW Aspire 5-Button Preset Minute Timer, Alpine White)
Humidity detecting switches are available now as well. Removes the owner from the equation. It will turn the fan on and off as humidity conditions require. I have a Leviton IPHS5-LW which replaces a standard switch.
Bill--Great presentation--i watched this twice and my fan/light is working in my wife Artist Studio to remove paint fume and increase, air circulation--mounted on the wall to draw from table she works on-Used a Nuvent Scones 1 for the project--Thanks dave
18-minute video that explains in detail. I rather watch this than some 3-minute video that someone just assumes you know things common to them. Why can't the internet be full of educational videos like this one? We would have a lot less digital waste.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I am a D I Y er. My father used to be a master electrician and share all his knowledge with me, but I still like to review the new standards and codes. Before I do a project on my house. 👍
That was extremely well done. Thank you. I’m very impressed that the modification was both professionally accomplished and simply explained. I’ll be starting this later this week, with the added modifications of (a) a Leviton motion-sensing switch for the light, and (b) a humidity detecting switch for the fan. I hope it works as planned.
Was really hoping you came up with a new way of doing this with 12/2 and not adding a 12/3. Great video as always. You can always go with the wireless kit switch.
Very nice even though I rent now I feel confident buying a cheap exhaust fan and a piece of 12/3 from a job site off we go thank you for the how-to video
Wire gauge is determined by the amp rating on the circuit breaker providing power to the circuit feeding the j-box. If circuit breaker is 20 amp then 12 gauge wire is required. If you have a 15 amp circuit breaker then 14 gauge wire is required. However, if you have a 15 amp circuit breaker and use 12 gauge wire, for whatever reason, the circuit is “over-protected” and thus okay.
Thank you so much for this,,,, I finally got my fixture to work like it should after only 15 years.....lol..... This video did the trick.. I got 5 gold stars from the wife on this one.... It's our little secret tho... lol.... From Auburn Hills, Michigan
In California, building code title 24 requires that a bathroom fan (for new construction or remodel) must be controlled by a humidity-controlled switch and must be Energy Star compliant. If you measure the current draw of a typical bathroom fan, it is very small, around less than 100 watts, and 14 AWG is all that is necessary, unless installing a fan with built-in heater. Using 12 AWG does ensure you can put in a heating unit at a later date, however.
Keep in mind that some units need a 220V line to run the heating element though. They usually just run the light and vent off of 1 leg of the 220V line. At least that's how it used to be done with older units.
Outstanding video, I'm scared to try this but I'm going to give it a go. I'm going to attempt a triple light switch as there's currently a dual switch installed for the vanity and main light, so I'll need an extra switch for the fan. Also didn't occur to me to get a triple wago connector for the grounds.
Some installations may have the original 12/2 stapled in the wall cavity so it might just be easier to add an additional 12/2 to the fan/light combo instead of replacing it.
A good way to fish the new wire into the wall is to tie the new wire to the old wire before you pull the old wire out so it pulls the new wire with it as long as the old wire isn't stapled to the stud inside the wall. You can also use this same concept to wire separate switches on a ceiling fan/light. They basically have the same wire sets this has. Then you won't always have to turn the fan off with the pull chain if you only want the light and visa versa. Can you make one more like this to show how to wire a vent that has a light, vent and heater to their own switches sometime please?
I was kind of hoping you were going to show some fantastic, new way to get independent switches on a fan and a light with the existing 2/with ground cable. It would likely involve wireless relay controller. There is the naughty way, but it is completely out of code, so I won't tell you how to do it. Keep your house fires in a regularly cleaned and inspected fireplace.
Is this actually true? I'm so confused about whether 12/3 or 14/3 can be used. Seems like a exhaust fan running on a lighting circuit in the bathroom could be on a 15 amp circuit. I can't understand why this wouldn't be the case..
Wire gauge is determined by the amp rating on the circuit breaker providing power to the circuit feeding the j-box. If circuit breaker is 20 amp 12 gauge wire is required. If circuit breaker is 15 amp 14 gauge wire is required. If you have a 15 amp circuit breaker and use 12 gauge wire, for whatever reason, the circuit is “over-protected” and okay.
If my wall were the existing wire runs thought has insulation would it be easier to add a second wire without removing the current one? I am also worried about the current wire being stapled, how easy is it to get the staples off if there are some?
I like to put a Cooper digital timer on the fan so it doesn’t get left on all day. That allows up to 60 minutes of fan time for those who like steamy showers.
On a all in one bathroom fan/heater and light would you connect the light and fan to the 20 amp bathroom dedicated circuit. And the heater on its own dedicated 20A circuit?. Thanks
I have a fan and light combo as well connected to a 2 gang switch setup. I would like to change to a fan with light and speaker Do I really need to change one of the 12/2 wires to 12/3 or can light and fan share same hot wire and save other switch for speaker? Thanks.
Great video. I had the 2 switches for my fan light combo but replaced it with a countdown timer. Do you know of any countdown timer that has a separate control for the light so that I can have a countdown timer and light controlled independently on the same switch?
What if the new fan has a blue AND brown wire coming from the light along with the black, white, and ground wire....but the switch wires are only the ground, black, white, and red?
Realistically, when your doing this, most, not all homes, but most homes don't allow you to change out existing romex to a 12/3 easily lol And why are you using 14/3?, just curious 🤔. Your awesome sparky.
I'm not an electrician so I need some help installing a exhaust fan / light in my bathroom. The wires from my house are copper, one black, one white and one red. The wires from the new unit has three whites, three blacks and one green. The blacks are lables one as light, one as nightlight and the other has no lable. Would appreciate some help.
thank you my friend, I watched your video and it helped me a lot I installed a switch for the wind and separate lamp just like the one in the video, I'm an electric amateur, but I'm going to learn a lot from your videos thank you 🙏 😀😀
Hi Bill, what’s the cubic inches of the box? I can’t quite make it out but it appears to be 16.5. With the 12/2, 12/3, the switch, and the ground, I would think you would need 18 cu. in.
You should do a video on a fan with a humidistat that allows the fan to run whenever the sensor detects bathroom humidity above the preset. It is a strange wiring and switching.
This separate circuit is used in Europe for chandeliers. a 10 light chandelier may have 5 lights on 1 side of the switch and the other 5 lights on the other side. Are those available in the US or are the lights always switched together and only the fan is separate?
All our lights are usually ran off one switch except ceiling fan/light and bathroom exhaust fan/light we usually run a 12/3 from switch box to the device now say we run 6 led can lights in one room we will run 12/2 and jumó from light to light and use only one switch to control them all
Is it possible to add new wiring for the fan without opening up the wall? This video makes it seem like it's possible to just the fish an additional wire either to the light fixture or to the exhaust fan.. I've contacted a local licensed electrician who said there is no way to achieve this without making several large holes in the ceiling and the adjacent wall.
Running a single wire like that is against building codes. Also, if they're having to make large holes in your wall it's because your attic access doesn't give them enough working space to drill from above.
Thank you so much for this informative video. I have a similar setup in my bathroom, but I want to install a timer switch for my fan. I copied the wire setup of my non-timer switch and no luck. Any idea why that is?
Thanks! This video might help: How to Find Line and Load Wires and Install a Lutron Timer Switch MA- T51MN-WH Neutral Required: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Lar_6FaU8q8.html
@@SparkyChannel Thank you so much for the reply, turns out the switch itself was faulty. I replaced it with a new one & followed your instructions. It worked!
Bro I wish houses built in the 50’s had a set up anywhere near this lol just dropping in one romex would be candy but where I’m from houses are so old the have snake knots with 2 blacks (hot& travelers) nothings labeled and all neutrals tied in a spider web oh and no ground 😂😂💀
Hi ,Sparky, when I took the old light fixtures, I have 2 black wires wrap in a wire nut, a red wire hooked to the fixture and another black wire hooked to the white wire of the fixture, what are those 2 wrap wires then ? Thanks
Nice video. Do you have one on how to wire a combination 3 way switch ? I want to wire my ceiling fan to control fan/light separately from two locations. I know I will need (2) 12-3 wires but I cannot find a wiring diagram for these type switches. Thanks much
man the wiring in my house is different. Like my device and my switch is grounded but the 2 wire running to the switch is basically the same wire connected at the switch. If straight wire the fan, and cut one of the wires and splice in a switch, thats how my bathroom fan is wired... Have ever seen it this way?
I have a bathroom fixture that has a built in night light plus the fan and ceiling light in it. I have a 14/2 powering the bathroom. What’s the best switch to use and how do you wire it. Thanks
