In article ,
(tweety) wrote:

(snip)

1. I intend to install a fan in each bedroom and family room. At
minimum I like a light with a switch. Can I later on install a light
in the ceiling easily from the power comming to the outlets? What
Would I need to get done? He is asking me $95 for a fan box and $50
for a switch in each room.

Are you saying that you only have the choice of putting a room light in
the ceiling or a fan, and you're going with the fan? If that's correct,
how do you plan on seeing anything at night -- by candlelight and oil
lamp?

Why go thru all that ceiling light-fan separation rigamarole when they
make some pretty spiffy ceiling fans with room lights built in to them?
Fan and room light all in one package; convenience doesn't get any
better than that. But otherwise, yes, a ceiling light can be installed
later; it just gets wired into a new two-switch wall switch that'll
replace the original single switch.


2. Eventually, I want the fan and the light to be operated with the
same switch ( I think, can this be done?

Matter of fact, you can even put a lighted fan on a slide dimmer wall
switch. It's got the normal off-on flip switch with a tiny little slider
(which operates the dimmer and, consequently, make the fan itself run
slower or faster as you dim down or turn up). We've got one of these in
our bedroom on a single wall switch and it's pretty peachy keen.


3. In the kitchen I like to install recessed lights, but the chage is
$110 each with $50 for a switch. Can I easily install recessed light
later on in the kitchen? The other option is to install track
lighting later on and is that something that I can do easily later on?

"Easily" is a relative term. It's easiEST to just have them installed by
the builder when the house gets built and the ceilings are wide open.
Otherwise, "easy" depends on how equipped you are to cut holes in your
ceiling for the cans, nail the cans up to the joist spaces, run conduit,
and wire the whole thing into your circuit panel. And do it without
burning your house down or electrocuting yourself or something.

Personally, I don't screw with anything in my house that has pretty good
potential to kill me, and electrical work is one of 'em.


4. In the bathroooms, I will ahve one switch and light. i like to
install a vanity light as well and of couse he is charging me $85 for
it. I think this is a real ripoff, since he just has to install few
feet of cable and attach a light bulb to it. I think eventually, I am
going to want to install an exaust fan which currently will cost me
$295 +50 for the fan and additional $200 for the venting.

Unless your bathroom is going to be huge, it might be bathroom lighting
overkill, IMO. Vanity lights throw off a ton of light on their own
without needing any help from a ceiling light. Otherwise, unless you
know how to wire it all up yourself and properly to code, $85 might not
be the ripoff you suspect.

Also, you mean to say you intend to build a new house without an exhaust
fan venting to the outside of the house in the plan? Moisture is a
home's worst enemy, and showers and baths put up a rainforest's worth of
it every single time.

Unless of course you just happen to be a big fan of mold, mildew, and
peeling paint. Then nevermind.


5. In the garage they are going to install a light with one switch.
I like him to install a switch at the other end of the garage as well
($50) and a light on the outside of the garage.

I am assuming since, there will be outlets all over the house, I can
use the power or the cabling comming through them to do some of this.

I'm no electrician, but seems to me that a better practice would be to
feed off the circuit/run of the first switch instead of sucking juice
off an interior outlet. Tying into an outlet that serves and entirely
different part of the house just doesn't seem to be the best way to do
it.


(snip)

BTW, all he gives me is a light bulb at those ceiling lights.

They only do that for their cheapskate buyers. Just kidding. That's
pretty much what all builders everywhere give ya. People who spring for
the million-dollar homes probably get better than that, but even there
it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't.


Please help me figur out what I can do later on fairly easily and cut
the costs out. Also, If you can point me to where I can readup on how
to do someof this myself would be great.

Dude, there's a reason they invented the phrase, "Pay me now or pay me
more later." You'll almost certainly pay far more to add on later -- or
have a pro fix what you screw up because you dont know what you're doing
-- than you will to just bite the bullet, have it done when the place is
going up, and get on with your life.

AJS