I bought this timed electrical switch and used it to replace a standard switch that turned on my bathroom vent fan (I'm always forgetting to turn it off and it often will run all day.) after the install, everything seems to work fine, but I could swear the fan is not running as loud / with as much power after the replacement. What could be causing this?
Electrical – Is a timed electrical switch causing vent fan to run slower / with less power
bathroomelectrical
Related Solutions
If you have the option, I think it's easier to connect the wiring and ducts from the attic side. If it was installed during construction, they did it without the ceiling in place, so you may find that the screws/nails to remove the enclosure cannot be accessed from in the bathroom. Make sure you get a tight fit with the drywall, otherwise you'll be sucking dust and dirt from the attic into the fan. That's all I can think of to add. nmc's link covered pretty much everything else.
You either have to replace the Vent wire with 14-3 AWG wire, or run a second 14-2 wire from the existing light to the vent. Assuming both switch circuits are from the same feed, you only need 3 wires to the vent. All the whites get tied to the white neutral of the feed. You could use the black (or Red) to go to the light - fan, and the Red (or black) to go to the night light.
This quick schem shows the connection with adding one 14-2 cable from the existing light to the Vent.
M-L-N can be switched around, depending on which functions go with the shared switch. I assumed the night light gets its own switch.
Related Topic
- Electrical – Controlling two fixtures on same circuit independently
- Electrical – Ceiling Fan Light Only Works when Fan is On
- Moisture issue in bathroom
- Electrical – Bathroom in-wall exhaust fan with dimmer
- Electrical – Wiring bathroom fan and light
- Switch – dimmer light switch with secondary constant 120V output
- Electrical – Converting Four-Way Switch to Three-Way for Vent Fan
- Replacing Bathroom Vent Fan
Best Answer
The timer you installed is designed for incandescent lights only. They make a timer suitable for induction loads (fan motor) You need to switch it out for the correct timer switch. I made the same mistake myself and getting the correct switch solved the slow fan problem.