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How Do You Wire 2 Light Switches And From 1 Power Source?

How do you wire a fan ceiling box that has 3 wire terminals coming into it, each containing a black, white and ground wire? I believe one wire is the power source, 1 wire goes to the wall switch and the other powers an adjacent room with ceiling fan. All black and blue wires together, all white wires together and all ground wires together has caused the circuit breaker to trip. How is the ceiling fan wired to the power source, light switch and adjacent room light switch?

asked 5 months ago

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Drrogers

First it is necessary that you understand (and identify) the switched conductor coming into the box. Confusion arises when you have a switched conductor for the light and a switched conductor for the fan being the same color (usually black) come into the box unidentified. You will need to identify both and ensure that they do not connect to any other devices as you begin.
Normally, combination devices such as ceiling fans with lights are wired with separate control wires colored black and blue, with black usually being the control wire (or power source) for the fan and the blue being for the light.
When wiring a combination fan/light with each being switched separately, you would have the switched conductor, neutral, and ground for each coming into the box. NOTE - you cannot use a common neutral unless you have two separate circuits originating in your panelbox which have the circuit breakers installed on different phases (i.e. Breakers installed at spaces 1 & 3, 2 & 4, etc.) You need to understand that the breakers installed directly across from one another are on the same phase (A); the next two will be on Phase B; and then the cycle will repeat. This is standard for all residential electrical.
Even when you have multiple fan/light units to connect together, you would connect the black to the black for the fans, the switched lighting conductor to the blue, all of the white together, and then the bare copper grounds together.
I would advise a trip down to the library to study on your particular installation, or to a local lumber or hardware store to pick up a book on basic electrical for residential installations.
Sorry - I got off track. The answer to your original question is yes. And I must say, in regards to the first answer that you got, I have never heard of a splitter (and I'm an electrical engineer.)
What you have to have is 2 three way switches and 3 conductor cable with a separate ground. The easiest method of installation is to wire power through the three-way switches and then to the fixture.
Take a look at the picture I've uploaded and it will clear up a lot. You can also go to the website in the picture for further study before beginning. Wiring three-way switches can be tricky. Good Luck.

answered 5 months ago

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found the answer on another site.......here it is and it works

Proper way to find the switch leg is use a continuity tester. With the power off and the fan switch on and the closet light off pick a cable and test for continuity between the black and white wire. If you find continuity then turn the fan switch off and test again for continuity. If the continuity turns on and off by that fan switch with your tester then you have the switch leg. Repeat the test with each cable till you find the cable that loses continuity when the switch is off and gains continuity with your tester when the switch is in the on position. Then once you find the switch leg jump down to the last paragraph to wire up your fan.

If you only have a voltage tester then leaving the fan disconnected and all the white wires disconnected wire nut all black wires together. Turn your fan switch to the on position and use your voltage tester testing from each white wire to the bare wires all wire nutted together with the breaker on. The white wire that reads hot will be your switch leg. ONce you have identified the switch leg the jump to the bottom paragraph of this reply to wire up you fan.

Fastest way to find the switch leg is to leave the black and white wire from one cable not wired together. Just bend that black and white of that one cable back out of the way. Leave the fan out of the picture at this time. Wire nut the remaining two black wires together with a wire nut not connecting the fan. Wire nut the remaing two white wires together with a wire nut not connecting the fan. Energize the circuit and turn on your fan switch. If the breaker trips then one of hte two cables wire nutted together is your fan switch wire.

Then you are down to a 50 / 50 choice.

If you turn on the fan switch and nothing happened then try your closet light. If it works you picked the cable going to the switch right off the bat being the bent back unused cable.

If you fan switch tripped the breaker then disconnect one of the two wire nutted cable and bend that cable back and connect the cable you left out the first time in black to black white to white and test again.

If the breaker still trips when you turn on the fan swtich then the wire that was wire nutted both times is your switch leg. If the breaker does not trip with the fan switch and the closet light works then the second wire you bent back is the switch leg.

Once you identify the swtich leg then connect the black of the other two cables and the white of the switch leg together and fold into the box. Then wire nut the two remaining white wires together with the white wire of the fan. Then connect the black wire of hte switch leg to the black wire of the fan.

You should have a working wiring system.

comment made by Fosterw 5 months ago Report

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found the answer on another site.......here it is and it works

Proper way to find the switch leg is use a continuity tester. With the power off and the fan switch on and the closet light off pick a cable and test for continuity between the black and white wire. If you find continuity then turn the fan switch off and test again for continuity. If the continuity turns on and off by that fan switch with your tester then you have the switch leg. Repeat the test with each cable till you find the cable that loses continuity when the switch is off and gains continuity with your tester when the switch is in the on position. Then once you find the switch leg jump down to the last paragraph to wire up your fan.

If you only have a voltage tester then leaving the fan disconnected and all the white wires disconnected wire nut all black wires together. Turn your fan switch to the on position and use your voltage tester testing from each white wire to the bare wires all wire nutted together with the breaker on. The white wire that reads hot will be your switch leg. ONce you have identified the switch leg the jump to the bottom paragraph of this reply to wire up you fan.

Fastest way to find the switch leg is to leave the black and white wire from one cable not wired together. Just bend that black and white of that one cable back out of the way. Leave the fan out of the picture at this time. Wire nut the remaining two black wires together with a wire nut not connecting the fan. Wire nut the remaing two white wires together with a wire nut not connecting the fan. Energize the circuit and turn on your fan switch. If the breaker trips then one of hte two cables wire nutted together is your fan switch wire.

Then you are down to a 50 / 50 choice.

If you turn on the fan switch and nothing happened then try your closet light. If it works you picked the cable going to the switch right off the bat being the bent back unused cable.

If you fan switch tripped the breaker then disconnect one of the two wire nutted cable and bend that cable back and connect the cable you left out the first time in black to black white to white and test again.

If the breaker still trips when you turn on the fan swtich then the wire that was wire nutted both times is your switch leg. If the breaker does not trip with the fan switch and the closet light works then the second wire you bent back is the switch leg.

Once you identify the swtich leg then connect the black of the other two cables and the white of the switch leg together and fold into the box. Then wire nut the two remaining white wires together with the white wire of the fan. Then connect the black wire of hte switch leg to the black wire of the fan.

You should have a working wiring system.

Eceveritt

Send the power to the other switch on the white as the common. The white wire can only be a neutral or a constant hot. The sw leg remains at the power source. If you send the sw leg to the other end, you are technically switching the white as either one of the travelers or the common.

answered 5 months ago

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How Do You Wire 2 Light Switches And From 1 Power Source?

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