I am redoing some work in my bathroom. I have a hot wire running between two lights with the switch outside one of the lights. How do I wire it with 14-2 wire without running the power source to one of the lights first? I also must use this same power source for a fan where the hot goes into the fan and then down to the switch.
Wiring – Wire in two lights to a switch plus a fan to a switch when power is coming in between the lights without using 14-3 wire
bathroomwiring
Related Solutions
Here's a quick ascii art diagram of what you need to have:
Power source First Light Second Light Switch
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| + white/neutral ----+---------+ | | |
| | | | |
| +-- red/switched -+--------+ |
| |
+------- black/hot-------------------------------+
Between the second light and the switch, you can run a 2 wire line (just replace the red line with the white and tape the ends of the white with black tape to indicate it's a switched hot). However, between the first and second light, you'll need a 3 wire line to handle the hot/neutral/switched combination.
I am assuming that BOTH sensor-lights are identical with each having their own sensor. And therefore will work independently
You won't need to mess with the third (red) wires. Use what's called a "parallel" connection: Wire-nut the blacks together going to each fixture, Then wire-nut the Whites together. Then the Grounds together. After that, connect the two Blacks to the black lead at the source, then the two Whites to the white lead at the source, lastly the Grounds to the grounds at the source.
If you don't mind me saying, this is a very basic-type of thing to do. Might I suggest you get a good DIY book at the home-store before you do anything fancy, so you and your home are really safe?
Good Luck!
Related Topic
- Electrical – Wire switches so fan comes on with lights
- Electrical – How to wire multiple switches for the bathroom lights and fan
- Electrical – How to wire two light switches, two lights, and one duct exhaust fan so lights work independently but fan works on either switch
- Electrical – converting two lights from two switches to two lights from one switch
- Electrical – Bathroom fan fluctuates in power when using countdown timer switch
- Wiring – Using 14/3 to wire a fan and lights separately
- Wiring – Using a timer switch for power, how to wire two lights so that when one is on the other is off
Best Answer
They make products specifically for that problem. You wire hot, neutral and ground to every location (i.e. 14/2 wire) and the switch, lamp controller and fan controller uses digital signaling to send the on/off command over the 14/2 or wirelessly. Some can also be controlled by your smartphone etc.