Howdy!

In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box. This
switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.

I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have anywhere
to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position where
I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that will
allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?

Thanks!

"Calab" wrote in message
news:gpzkk.48330$nD.37166@pd7urf1no...
Howdy!

In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box. This
switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.

I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have
anywhere to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a
position where I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave
controller that will allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a
fan.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?

Thanks!

It may be possible to cut in a second box above the existing one. Run a two
wire cable between the boxes and you can control both separately

In article gpzkk.48330$nD.37166@pd7urf1no, "Calab"
wrote:

Howdy!

In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box. This
switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.

I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have anywhere
to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position where
I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that will
allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?

Thanks!

Don't most fans have either a pull chain, or a remote? Why do you need a
light switch for a fan?

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news | In article gpzkk.48330$nD.37166@pd7urf1no, "Calab"
| wrote:
|
| Howdy!
|
| In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box.
This
| switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.
|
| I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have
anywhere
| to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position
where
| I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that
will
| allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.
|
| Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?
|
| Thanks!
|
| Don't most fans have either a pull chain, or a remote? Why do you need a
| light switch for a fan?

No remote... and it's 10 ft up.

On Aug 1, 9:34*am, "Calab" wrote:
"Smitty Two" wrote in message

news | In article gpzkk.48330$nD.37166@pd7urf1no, "Calab" | wrote:

|
| Howdy!
|
| In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box.
This
| switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.
|
| I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have
anywhere
| to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position
where
| I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that
will
| allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.
|
| Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?
|
| Thanks!
|
| Don't most fans have either a pull chain, or a remote? Why do you need a
| light switch for a fan?

No remote... and it's 10 ft up.

just remove the old box and use an old work double gang box. A BFH, a
wrecking bar, and some finesse will suffice to remove the old box from
the stud, ASSuming that it's the typical metal box nailed to the side
of the stud. I've had to do this at least twice in my house so far,
but not for the same reasons (in one instance the box was loose and
therefore the whole box/receptacle assembly was wobbly and sticking
out of the wall; in another I was changing a light switch to a three
way and had to pull the old BX out and a new piece of 14/3 in, and it
just wouldn't pull because there was some horizontal framing in the
way.)

If for some odd reason you can't do this, you could get up on a ladder
and attach a pull chain to the fan switch that's built into the
ceiling fan, and rewire the fan so that the feed to the fan portion of
the fan/light assembly is wired to a wire that's always hot (might be
easier to do behind the fan, might be easier to do this in the switch
box, you won't know until you get into it.)

If you really prefer wall mounted controls, I second the other
opinion, if you simply can't use a double gang box, mount the fan
control in a separate single gang box above the light switch.

good luck

nate

In article vhEkk.108063$kx.92043@pd7urf3no, "Calab"
wrote:

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news | In article gpzkk.48330$nD.37166@pd7urf1no, "Calab"
| wrote:
|
| Howdy!
|
| In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box.
This
| switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.
|
| I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have
anywhere
| to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position
where
| I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that
will
| allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.
|
| Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?
|
| Thanks!
|
| Don't most fans have either a pull chain, or a remote? Why do you need a
| light switch for a fan?

No remote... and it's 10 ft up.

So you can't change speeds, either? Or is that currently done at the
wall? I think I'd put on a longer chain.

Calab wrote:

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news | In article gpzkk.48330$nD.37166@pd7urf1no, "Calab"
| wrote:
|
| Howdy!
|
| In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box.
This
| switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.
|
| I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have
anywhere
| to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position
where
| I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that
will
| allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.
|
| Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?
|
| Thanks!
|
| Don't most fans have either a pull chain, or a remote? Why do you need a
| light switch for a fan?

No remote... and it's 10 ft up.

Just go to Depot or Lowe's and buy an add on remote unit for the fan.
Minimal fuss and the convenience of putting the remote anywhere you want
it.

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:01:16 GMT, "Calab" wrote:

Howdy!

In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box. This
switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.

I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have anywhere
to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position where
I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that will
allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?

Thanks!

You can install a z wave fixture relay up at the fan itself. You can
add a second box in the attic if you wish to hold it.
http://store.homeseer.com/store/Fixt...ules-C107.aspx

and a zwave switch in the existing box to control the light.

Of course you wont get a wall mounted switch to control the fan.
You'll only be able to control it via zwave.


-dickm

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:01:16 GMT, "Calab" wrote:

Howdy!

In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box. This
switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.

I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have anywhere
to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position where
I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that will
allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?

Thanks!


I had a similar problem. In my case I wanted to replace a simple
switch with a dimmer. The switch box was also a junction box (had 4
#12 cables coming into it) and there wasn't room for the dimmer. This
was on a narrow section of wall without enough room for a 2-gang box.
I installed another 1-gang box below the original one (below, because
the existing wiring would get in the way above), This new box has
plenty of room for the dimmer (it has no wires in it except for the
ones going to the dimmer). The original box is now just a junction
box, and has a blank cover plate.

BTW, I also took the opportunity to reroute one of the previous
owner's add-ons (putting Romex under cable clamps in the metal box).
--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.laughingsquid.com

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent
force for atheism ever conceived." -- Isaac Asimov

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:01:16 GMT, "Calab" wrote:

Howdy!

In our bedroom, the light switch is in a single gang electrical box. This
switch seperately controls the ceiling fixture and ceiling fan.

I want to replace this switch with a ZWave dimmer, but I don't have anywhere
to install a fan control. The electrical box is mounted in a position where
I can't fit a double gang box. I can't find any ZWave controller that will
allow ZWave to dim the lights, and manually control a fan.

Anyone have any ideas on how I can deal with this?

Thanks!


You might consider one of those overpriced extender boxes from
Wiremold, made to connect to surface conduit. You can get a two-gang
box which will mount over the existing single-gang switch box. Install
the dimmer over the original swith box, and install a switch in the
other half of the Wiremold box. The dimmer installation might require
some custom cutting of the plastic box's back mounting plate. Be
careful not to weaken it an any important places.

If it were my project, I would install an aftermarket remote control
module in the fan, or just replace the fan with one that comes with a
remote control. In the switch box, just wire the fan directly to
power, leaving the rest of the room in the box for the dimmer.
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **