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

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.


"Mplstaylor" wrote in message
om...
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

"Mplstaylor" wrote in message
om...
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

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:
http://homewiringandmore.com/switcho...sepswitch.html
From: http://homewiringandmore.com/homewir...002/index.html

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
http://www.mrelectrician.tv



"volts500" wrote in message
om...

"Mplstaylor" wrote in message
om...
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

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:
http://homewiringandmore.com/switcho...sepswitch.html
From: http://homewiringandmore.com/homewir...002/index.html

"John Grabowski" wrote in message .net...
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,

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.

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

Bill