[coldinil]

I am adding overhead lighting and ceilings fans in my house. The house is set up with a light switch controlling one outlet in each room. I have to cut into the wall and put a junction box in and run the extra wire needed. The first couple of rooms were no problem as the receptacles were end of the line. Today the one I did is not end of the line. It has two cables running to it, both white wires are hooked to the outlet and the black wires are tied together. The wiring then goes back into the attic and I “think” hooks into a hall light switch. I need the ceiling fan and light to go off with the switch in the bedroom. Any ideas how to wire this? TIA

 

[kbsparky]

Any red wires in that outlet?

 

[coldinil]

No, in fact it is old enough that it is only 2 wires, black and white. I am not sure that the other cable is going to another switch, mighty hot in that attic today!!

 

[AandPDan]

I think you'll find that one of the cables to the receptacle is the feed, probably from your hall light, and the other cable is for the switch loop. That's why you have the two blacks tied together.

Pull the light switch out. You should have only the one cable with a black and white wire (plus ground).

The easiest way that I can think of to do this would be to make your connections at the light switch. While it could be done at the receptacle you'd likely overload the box.

At receptacle:
Separate the white wires. Then reconnect the white and black wires to the proper terminals on the receptacle.

At switch location:
Run a new lead into the box for your fan.
Tie the white wires together. Each black lead goes to your switch.

At fan:
Connect to your white and black as normal.

All we've done is make your outlet the "end of the line" and put your switch in. Don't forget the grounds.

 

[coldinil]

Thanks for the reply. Since I already have the junction box in I was wondering if I could hook the new cable to both white wires and then to the fan. The way it is now ,both white run to the receptacle which runs off the switch so wouldn't this accomplish the same thing? I don't want to get in that attic again and don't want to cut any more holes in the drywall if I can help it. Also, this is an older house and it is only two wire, no ground.

 

[AandPDan]

Yes you could do that.

The outlet and the fan would then be switched.

 

[coldinil]

Thank you, much appreciated.

 

[AandPDan]

Anytime.

If you can make sure that you have the hot/neutral correct. While both the wires you see are "white" one of them is hot and should have been marked black on the outlet.