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Fan / Light Combination Switch Wiring
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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...
Two cables entering this box, one is the 'circuit
power supply' cable, the other cable coming from
switch.
* a) using an insulated wire nut connect / join the
black wire from 'circuit power supply' cable + the
red wire of the cable coming from switch.
* b) using an insulated wire nut connect / join the
white wire from the 'circuit power supply' cable +
the grounded conductor (neutral) of fixture (shown
as white in diagram) + the white wire coming from
switch.
* c) using an insulated wire nut connect / join the
black wire coming from switch + the switched
ungrounded conductor (hot) from light (shown as
black in diagram) + the switched ungrounded
conductor (hot) from fan (shown as red in diagram)
* d) please see under important notes in regards to
the equipment grounding conductor (bare wire).
At switch box...
One cables entering this box coming from the fixture
* a) connect the red wire coming from fixture to one
of the main screws of switch.
* b) connect the black wire coming from fixture to
the remaining main screw of switch.
* c) using an insulated wire nut cap off the white
wire.
* 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
will be 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 switched 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....
Option 1:
Onward Always On Circuit Power...
(showing bellow the switch portion of the circuit)
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 state)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the
Identification of wires in
onward cable....
Black - Ungrounded conductor (hot - always on)
White - Grounded conductor (neutral)
***************
Option 2:
Onward switched power...
(showing bellow the switch portion of the circuit)
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)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire coming from fixture + the black
wire connected to one of the main screws of switch.
Identification of wires in
onward cable....
Black - Switched ungrounded conductor (hot - switched)
White - Grounded conductor (neutral)
**************
Option 3:
Onward switched & 'always on' power...
(showing bellow the switch portion of the circuit)
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 & always on)
* a) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join the white wire
of onward cable + the white wire coming from fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire coming from fixture + the black
wire connected to one of the main screws of switch.
* c) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join the red wire of
onward cable + red wire coming from fixture + the red wire
connected to one of the main screws of switch.
Identification of wires in
onward cable....
Red - Ungrounded conductor (hot - always on)
Black - Switched ungrounded conductor (hot - switched)
White - Grounded conductor (neutral)
**************
From the fixture location...
Onward 'always on circuit power' and 'switched power' is
possible from the fixture location.
Option 1:
Onward Always On Circuit Power...
(showing bellow the fixture portion of the circuit)
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 state)
* 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 the switch + the
white wire connected to the grounded conductor (neutral) of
fixture.
* b) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join - the black wire
of onward cable + the black wire coming from the 'circuit power
supply cable' + the red wire coming from switch.
Identification of wires in
onward cable....
Black - Ungrounded conductor (hot - always on)
White - Grounded conductor (neutral)
***********
Option 2:
Onward switched power...
(showing bellow the fixture portion of the circuit)
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)
* 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 switch + the white
wire connected to the grounded conductor (neutral) of 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) of light (shown as black in
diagram) + the switched ungrounded conductor (hot) of fan (shown
as red in diagram)
Identification of wires in
onward cable....
Black - Switched ungrounded conductor (hot - switched)
White - Grounded conductor (neutral)
***********
Option 3:
Onward switched & 'always on' power...
(showing bellow the fixture portion of the circuit)
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 & always on)
* 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 switch + the white
wire connected to the grounded conductor (neutral) of fixture.
* 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) of light (shown as black in
diagram) + the switched ungrounded conductor (hot) of fan (shown
as red in diagram)
* c) Using an insulated wire nut, attach / join the red wire of
onward cable + the red wire coming from switch + the black wire
coming from the 'circuit power supply' cable.
Identification of wires in
onward cable....
Red - Ungrounded conductor (hot - always on)
Black - Switched ungrounded conductor (hot - switched)
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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