How do I decouple an electrical switch into two discrete switches?

Question

In my bathroom, the same electrical switch simultaneously turns on the vanity lights and the little fan in the ceiling. I'd like to rewire it so that each unit has its own switch - one that turns on the lights, and a second switch to turn on the fan. How do I decouple this single switch into two switches? Links and/or diagrams are much appreciated :) Thanks!

Answer 1

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To decouple a single switch in two switches, one for the fan and one for the light. The most important thing is to identified each set of wires that is in the switch box. One set of wires (black - hot, white - neutral, and copper - ground) should be source wire( where power is coming from). One set of wire should go to the light and one set of wire go the fan. I suggest you type each set of wire for easy identification.

1- So open the switch box and separate all the wires and ID them. Use a voltage meter to determine the source wire.
2- Now attached the source wire to any one set of wires to determine if the its the fan or light and label them.
3- Install a duplex box. connect the source wire to the first switch. black wire should be connected to the always on terminal. The terminal should be top right of the switch. The bottom right terminal should be the black wire to either the fan or light wire. The copper wire shoud be nut together and connect to the ground srcew. The neutral wires and black wires needed to be nut together too. Remeber: you do not connect the neutral wire to a switch.

For the second switch, just follow repeat step 3. Make sure copper wires are grounded and neutral are nut together. Diagram http://www.crsupport.us/images/144-0.jpg

Source(s):

www.crsupport.us

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Thanks!

Answer 2

you will need to find where the light and fan are connected....

my guess would be in the switch box but maybe some place else...

your current switch will have a black wire in, and a black wire out....

disconnect the wire coming in... splice to this two wires, one the original switch, and one to the new one..
separate the light and fan wires, connect the lights to one switch, fan to the other switch...

Answer 3

If you remove the switch you should see 3 black and 3 white wires. All 3 white should be wire nutted together. One black is your hot wire and is connected by itself to one side of the switch. The other two black wires ( one from light and one from fan ) should be connected to the other side of the switch. The switch breaks the 120volts going to each load. In order to have them on separate switches you will need to add another switch. Next find which black wire is the power and jump it to the other switch. Next take the black wire from the light and connect it to the other side of one of the switch's and do the same for the black wire coming from the fan. Leave all the white wires tied together.

Answer 4

we just did the same thing, i used one of these switches.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=pr…

Answer 5

Just call an Electrician already. The 100 dollars you will pay for trouble shooting will be next to nothing compared with the bill you will get from the Fire Department, or the ER when you make a mistake. It only takes one tenth of an ampere of current across the human heart to make it stop. A typical residential lighting circuit is protected at 15 amps. Not to mention that you cannot possibly supply enough information on this forum, for anyone to answer properly.

Source(s):

Electrician.