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Electrical Wiring

Electrical wiring for bathroom fan switch

17 years ago

In my bathroom, I have a simple switch that turns the exhaust fan on and off. I want to replace this with one of those nice timers (See: http://www.levitonproducts.com/catalog/model_6230M.htm ).

When I removed the panel and pull out the existing switch, there is only a black, white and a copper ground wire. Nothing else.

This new switch has the following instructions:

Black lead to circuit's line conductor.

Blue lead to the circuit's Load conductor.

Green lead to the circuit's grounding conductor.

White lead to the circuit's Neutral conductor.

Confusing... So this is what I did:

Black to black

Blue to black

Green to copper

White to white

When I turn the breaker back on, I can push the buttons for the switch and the lights come on, on the switch, but the exhaust fan doesn't come on. I must have something not right.

Any ideas?

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Comments (2)

guyinacoldhouse
17 years ago
Line is the power coming in to the box that will hold your timer.
Load is the power coming from your new timer and going to the fan.

Unfortunately it sounds like you have a switch-leg to your switch box and you do not have a neutral at the switch. This means that without some changes you can not connect your device.

The most likely scenario is: power comes into the fan on a black, white and bare copper wires. We will call them B1, W1 and C1. Also at the fan there will be another set of 3 wires, BS, WS and CS, the S here stands for switch because these wires go to the switch. At the fan the B1 is connected to BS, W1 is connected to the white (neutral) wire of the fan, C1 is connected to both the fan and C2, and WS is connect to the black (hot) wire of the fan. At the switch BS is on one side of the switch and WS is on the other and the CS is connected to the green screw on the switch.

When you turn the switch to turn on the fan, power comes from B1 to BS to WS to the fan black wire and the fan turns on. But at the switch there is no neutral and you can not safely power any other devices there.

To change this someone will have to run a different wire from the fan to the switch. You have options with that but all of these options will probably require holes to be cut in your drywall, turning off power to the circuit and pulling new wires.

This is a common problem and there is a lot of information about it on the web, words you might use in a search are electrical, switch, leg, power.

There is more info with pictures at:
http://www.selfhelpandmore.com/switchoutlet/fixonhotswitch/index.htm

good luck

Here is a link that might be useful: switch with power
0
rjoh878646
17 years ago
The simplest thing for you to do is get a mechanical timer.

Then you won't have to rewire the light switch.
0
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The black jumper is the hot jumpering power from one switch to the other and then to some other unswitched device. Connect the timer white to all the other whites. Take the hot black wires off one terminal of the switch and connect them to the black wire of your new timer. Take the wire from the other terminal and connect it to the red wire. Connect the green to the ground.
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