Single Pole Switch, but 5 wires in wall and ceiling

jmo1112

Hi. I recently removed a remote switch from my ceiling fan in a bedroom because I just wanted a normal light switch to control it. In taking out the remote from the wall and the ceiling, I have 5 wires coming out of both (one group of black, white, red, and another group of gray and white). Using a tester, I found that the gray wire is my hot, so I assumed the black is my switch. I originally put the black and gray from the ceiling with the blue and black from the fan together, the 2 whites from the ceiling with the white from the fan together, and left the red by itself. At the wall I put the gray onto one screw of the switch, and black to the other screw, whites together, red alone. When I switch the light switch, it works in the bedroom fine, HOWEVER, it also controls half the other lights in the house, including the kitchen and living room. This house has been here for 35 years, so I know that the switch CAN just control the bedroom. What am i doing wrong?

Thanks for your help, and sorry so long-winded.

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kbsparky

At both locations, you have to connect all the black wires together with a wire-nut. What you are calling "gray" is actually a "black" wire.

At the wall switch, connect a pigtail from those 2 black wires to one terminal on your wall switch.

Connect the red wire to the other terminal on your wall switch.

At the ceiling box, the blue wire from the paddle fan connects to the red wire.

All the white wires connect together, at both locations, including the white lead from the paddle fan. No white wires should be connected to the wall switch.

With this scenario, the light on the fan will operate with the wall switch. The fan will operate with its built-in pull chain regardless of whether the light is on or not.

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joed

Which wires were connected to the old switch unit? Those are the only ones you will need. Put all the rest back the way they were when you started.

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TimPa

and, red wire nut should cover any exposed current-carrying conductors (unlike the white wires in first pic). just snip some off and twist on new nut.

jmo1112

Thanks! That did the trick