Bathroom wiring debacle - please help

[Mplstaylor]

I have a confusing issue (for an amateur like myself) that I hope someone can advise me on. I'll do my best to describe the problem.

I removed two light fixtures (connected to the same switch) on either side of my bathroom mirror and put two new fixtures up. When I did this, I somehow disconnected my bathroom exhaust fan. Figuring I would just re-check everything when I replaced the switch box (new color), I pulled the old dual switch out and wired the new one. I checked the wiring behind the new fixtures and everything looked secure.

The problem: The fan still does not work and now I have light issues. I haven't been able get the fan to work at all, and no matter how I wire it, I can't get both lights to go off and on from the same switch. When I first began the project, I tried to document all of the connections so I could retrace my steps, but somehow I have missed something and now I am totally lost.

Here's what I have in my boxes:

Light fixture #1 (left side of mirror) one white wire one red wire one ground

Light fixture #2 (right side of mirror) one white wire one red wire one black wire one ground

Switch box (dual switch) one red wire one white wire one black wire

Thanks for any help. Hope someone can help me figure this out.

Mplstaylor

[Curmudgeon]

The solution is too complicated to convey in words. And even a diagram would probably be confusing to an amatuer. Call an electrician. Take him less than 30 minutes to put it all back together again.

[volts500]

Sounds like you didn't jumper the hot to each switch and you may have crossed wires at the second light. This diagram should help, just treat your fan as an extension of the fan/light combo:

[John Grabowski]

How did the fan operate before? Did it come on with one of the lights or was it operated by one switch and the other switch operated both lights? When you mention "Dual Switch" are you referring to a combination device with two single pole switches?

From your description of the wires in each box it sounds as though there is another junction box somewhere in the circuit unless you didn't look close enough to see ALL of the wires in each box. I am going to take a GUESS and say that the white wire in the switch box is your hot. The red is your switch leg to each light and the black is the switch leg to the fan.

The combination device normally has a common feed on one side which is where your hot wire should go. If you look closely at the device you will see that one side is connected together. On the other side of the device are two separate terminals where your light and fan should be connected so that they can be controlled independently.

Let us know how you make out.

John Grabowski

[Mplstaylor]

John,

Previously the fan operated on one switch, both lights on the other. I erred in my earlier description of the switch box: there are TWO black wires, a red wire and NO white wires.

I determined the red was the hot and wired that to the common feed. The other two blacks are wired to the separate terminals. Now the the fan finally works and so did both lights, on independent switches. If I leave the bottom fan switch in the "on" position, the top light switch will turn the fan off and on as well when it is flipped.

Now if I can figure out where I disconnected the GFCI, order will be restored. When I rewired everything last night, I wired all whites in light #2 together (there was an "extra" white and "extra" black in this socket) and capped the black. I think maybe the black is for GFCI and it should be wired to the hot (red). Seems like in a prior wiring arrangement the black wired to the red allowed GFCI to function normally.

I appreciate all the help here. It's saving me a lot of time and probably money too.

[barry martin]

*Continued from previous message.

To double-check the supposed wiring you can use the ohmmeter part of a voltmeter. BE SURE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO THE BATHROOM IS OFF!!! A light bulb will give a very low resistance, so the reading between the red and white wires of the Left Light will be very low (if there is a 'beep' setting it should sound. Unscrew the bulb and it should stop (open the circuit). Repeat with the right lamp and the fan. (Do

*not* use this test with the black and white leads coming in, feeding the switch! Shouldn't do anything with the breaker off but let's not push your luck!)

- ¯ barry.martinþATþthesafebbs.zeppole.com ®

• Headline: If strike isn't settled quickly it may last a while

[barry martin]

M > I have a confusing issue (for an amateur like myself) that I hope M > someone can advise me on. I'll do my best to describe the problem. M > M > I removed two light fixtures (connected to the same switch) on either M > side of my bathroom mirror and put two new fixtures up. When I did M > this, I somehow disconnected my bathroom exhaust fan. Figuring I would M > just re-check everything when I replaced the switch box (new color), I M > pulled the old dual switch out and wired the new one. I checked the M > wiring behind the new fixtures and everything looked secure.

You replaced two switches with one, right?

M > The problem: M > The fan still does not work and now I have light issues. I haven't M > been able get the fan to work at all, and no matter how I wire it, I M > can't get both lights to go off and on from the same switch. When I M > first began the project, I tried to document all of the connections so M > I could retrace my steps, but somehow I have missed something and now M > I am totally lost. M > M > Here's what I have in my boxes: M > M > Light fixture #1 (left side of mirror) M > one white wire M > one red wire M > one ground M > M > Light fixture #2 (right side of mirror) M > one white wire M > one red wire M > one black wire M > one ground M > M > Switch box (dual switch) M > one red wire M > one white wire M > one black wire M > M > Thanks for any help. Hope someone can help me figure this out.

Lots of information missing, like _where_ do the various coloured wires connect to.

The left light fixture probably has a black wire stuck somewhere. I don't recall house wire sold as a red/white combo but could be wrong.

I'm thinking the original wiring was this way:

Black> Fan Fan Switch | Red> L.Lamp R.Lamp Light Sw

(The "." is a connection)

What I think you did was take out the two switches and replaced with one, then probably didn't correctly connect the "leftover" wire. If this is correct then the red and black wires now have to be thought of as the same colour. So all red/blacks get tied together and fed from the switch, all whites get tied together. (I would not tie the red to the black in the right light fixture - leave this connection separate should you or someone later wish to separate the fan from the lights in the future.)

Blk> Fan L.Light R.Light Sw>Black power

W------>White Power

Continued in next message.

• Headline: If strike isn't settled quickly it may last a while

[... ...]

something is still wrong . both switches should operate indepent of each other. Are you sure you wired the switch corectly?

Bill