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Fan / Light Combination Switch Wiring
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Fan Always Hot / Light Switched
Power at Switch
WHILE EXTREME CARE HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED IN THE
PREPARATION OF THIS SELF-HELP DOCUMENT, THE AUTHOR AND/OR PROVIDERS
OF THIS DOCUMENT ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS,
NOR IS ANY LIABILITY ASSUMED FROM THE USE OF THE INFORMATION,
CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT, BY THE AUTHOR and / OR PROVIDER.
Connections Instructions:
(as depicted in the diagrams above)
At the Fixture
box...
One cable entering this box coming from switch.
* a) connect the red wire coming from switch to the
ungrounded conductor (hot) from fan (shown as red in
diagram) on fan / light combo fixture.
* b) connect the black wire coming from switch to
the switched ungrounded conductor (hot) from light
(shown as black in diagram) on fan / light combo
fixture.
* c) connect the white wire from switch to the
grounded conductor (neutral) of fan / light combo
fixture.
* d) please see under important notes in regards to
the equipment grounding conductor (bare wire).
At switch box...
Two cables entering this box one coming from
fixture, and one being the 'circuit power supply
cable.
* a) connect the black wire coming from fixture to
the one of the main screws of the switch (this will
switch the light)
* b) using an insulated wire nut connect / join the
white wire coming from fixture + the white wire from
the 'circuit power supply cable'.
* c) using an insulated wire nut connect / join the
black wire coming from the 'circuit power supply
cable' + the black wire to the last of the main
screws of the switch + the red wire from fixture.
* d) please see under important notes in regards to
the equipment grounding conductor (bare wire).
Important Notes:
By electrical codes you MUST have at least 6 inches
of wire in the electrical box itself, and also the
wire must be able to reach at least 3 inches outside
the box, it can fail an electrical inspection if the
required min. wire length is not met. You may have
the wires a bit longer (within reason) but they
cannot be shorter. Also see the note on box fill
further down in this article.
Use wire nuts of the correct size to join wires
together. For fan / light combination fixtures, most
likely it will have wire connections, the white wire
is the grounded conductor (neutral), any green wires
are equipment grounding conductors, then there will
be two other wires one will be the switched
ungrounded conductor (hot) for the light, and one
will be the ungrounded conductor (hot) for the fan.
If you are confused please post to our forums for
further clarification.
What is not shown in the drawings to avoid
confusion, is that each wire cable also has a bare
equipment grounding wire included. This wire is
connected to a grounding screw in each electrical
box (if the box is metal), joined either through the
grounding screws in the box itself or via a wire nut
to the bare wire of the next cable entering /
exiting the box, it is also connected to any
grounding screw (if there is one) on the switch
itself, as well as any grounding screw at the
fixture (green wires that attach to the fixture are
grounds). Now if using a plastic box, it is made of
a material that is non conductive, however some
plastic boxes have a metal strip inside that can
still be used to connect equipment grounding wires,
in the event that it does not use wire nuts to join
the bare grounding wires together. The equipment
grounding wire (bare in most cables) must be
electrical conductively joined throughout the
circuit. Green wires are also equipment grounding
conductors.
If there is an equipment grounding screw on the
switch it may be green in color and be separated
away from the main connections of the switch and
likely part of the metal frame that is also part of
the mounting structure of the switch.
Extensions to
this Switch circuit...
Be Aware that there is a limit by code on how many
wires can be in a given size electrical box, when
adding more wires to the same box you may have to
install a larger and / or deeper box to allow space
for more wires coming and out of the box.
Here is an article / explanation in regards to box
fill calculations
'Box Fill Calculation'
The instructions here are based on the fact that the
circuit has already been wired to the configuration
shown in this article and we are now making the
wiring changes for onward power.
From the switch
location....
(both always on and switched power is available from
the switch location)
(showing bellow the switch portion of the circuit)
Option 1
- Onward switched power...
Not shown in the diagram but the onward
cable also has a bare wire (equipment grounding conductor) that
also must be connected to all the other bare wires at the switch
electrical box.
Connection Instructions for
onward cable (switched)
(only the changes to the wiring are described here)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from 'circuit power
supply cable' + the white wire coming from fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire connected to a main screw of
switch + the black wire coming from fixture.
Identification of wires of
onward wire cable...
Black - switched ungrounded conductor (hot) controlled by
switch.
White - grounded conductor (neutral).
************
Option 2 -
Onward 'always on' power...
Not shown in the diagram but the onward
cable also has a bare wire (equipment grounding conductor) that
also must be connected to all the other bare wires at the switch
electrical box.
Connection Instructions for
onward cable (always on)
(only the changes to the wiring are described here)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from the 'circuit power
supply cable' + the white wire coming from fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire from the 'circuit power supply
cable'' + the black wire connected to a main screw of switch +
the red wire coming from fixture.
Identification of wires of
onward wire cable...
Black - ungrounded conductor (hot - always on).
White - grounded conductor (neutral).
************
Option 3 -
Onward 'always on' and switched power...
Not shown in the diagram but the onward
cable also has a bare wire (equipment grounding conductor) that
also must be connected to all the other bare wires at the switch
electrical box.
Connection Instructions for
onward cable (always on & switched)
(only the changes to the wiring are described here)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from the 'circuit power
supply cable' + the white wire coming from fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire from the 'circuit power supply
cable'' + the black wire connected to a main screw of switch +
the red wire coming from fixture.
* c) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the red wire
of onward cable + the black wire from fixture + the black wire
connected to a main screw of switch.
Identification of wires of
onward wire cable...
Black - ungrounded conductor (hot - always on).
Red - switched ungrounded conductor (hot - controlled from
switch)
White - grounded conductor (neutral).
*************
From the fixture location....
(both always on and switched power is available at the fixture
location)
(showing bellow the fixture portion of the circuit)
Option 1 -
Onward switched power...
Not shown in the diagram but the onward
cable also has a bare wire (equipment grounding conductor) that
also must be connected to all the other bare wires at the
fixture electrical box.
Connection Instructions for
onward cable (switched)
(only the changes to the wiring are described here)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from switch + the
grounded conductor (neutral) from fan / light combo fixture
(shown as white in diagram).
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire coming from switch + the
switched ungrounded conductor (hot) connected to light on fan /
light combo fixture (shown as black in diagram).
Identification of wires of
onward wire cable...
Black - switched ungrounded conductor (hot - switched).
White - grounded conductor (neutral).
***********
Option 2 -
Onward 'always on' power...
Not shown in the diagram but the
onward cable also has a bare wire (equipment grounding
conductor) that also must be connected to all the other
bare wires at the fixture electrical box.
Connection
Instructions for onward cable (always on)
(only the changes to the wiring are described here)
* a) * a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join -
the white wire of onward cable + the white wire coming
from switch + the grounded conductor (neutral) on fan /
light combo fixture (shown as white in diagram).
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the
black wire of onward cable + the red wire from switch +
the ungrounded conductor (hot) of fan (shown as red in
diagram) on fan / light combo fixture.
Identification of
wires of onward wire cable...
Black - ungrounded conductor (hot - always on).
White - grounded conductor (neutral).
**************
Option 3 -
Onward 'always on' and switched power...
Not shown in the diagram but the onward
cable also has a bare wire (equipment grounding conductor) that
also must be connected to all the other bare wires at the
fixture electrical box.
Connection Instructions for
onward cable (always on & switched)
(only the changes to the wiring are described here)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from switch + the
grounded conductor (neutral) on fan / light combo fixture (shown
as white in diagram).
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire from switch + the switched
ungrounded conductor (hot) connected to light on fan / light
combo fixture (shown as black in diagram).
* c) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the red wire
of onward cable + the red wire coming from switch + the
ungrounded conductor (hot) connected to fan on fan / light combo
fixture (shown as red in diagram).
Identification of wires of
onward wire cable...
Red - ungrounded conductor (hot - always on).
Black - switched ungrounded conductor (hot - controlled from
switch)
White - grounded conductor (neutral).
Foreign Users:
The colors of the wires depicted
are based on the standards and code requirements / configuration
in the United States and Canada. If you are viewing this site
from a foreign country, your wiring standards and color of wires
may be different but the principal and sequence of wiring will
still remain the same. Therefore the information in this article
may still be of use to you regardless of what country you may be
in. Just translate the colors used here to the color of wires
used in your country in regards to ungrounded (hot) conductors /
grounded conductors (neutral) and equipment grounding conductors
as well know applicable code requirements in your country.
By: Donald Kerr
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