Here is a diagram to help explain..
Ceiling fan has neutral bonded to ground.
I recently discovered some peculiar wiring in my home.
There is a switch in a bedroom that runs the top half to two outlets. There is also a ceiling fan in the room that is not activated by the light switch. However, I recently discovered the fan gets power from the wires running to the switch.
In the electrical box for the switch there are three wires original to the home running into the box. A black wire, a white wire, and a ground.
The fan, which I assume was added later based on the wire being much newer also has a black, white and ground wire. The fan is wired into the light switch box as follows.
1. It’s a 2-way toggle switch with one terminal on each side
2. The original black wire is bonded to one side of the switch
3. The original white wire is bonded to the opposite side of the switch
4. The black wire that runs to the fan is bonded to the original white wire
5. The white wire that runs to the fan is bonded to the original ground wire
6. The ground wire that runs to the fan is not connected to anything
7. The original ground wire was un-bonded from the box so it could be bonded to the white fan wire. The box and light switch are now not grounded…
I know there is a lot wrong with how this is wired. However, I am not sure how to fix it. Can someone help me? I would like to wire this the right way and ideally have the switch operate the receptacles and the fan.
What I have tried so far: In trying to understand the circuit I bypassed the light switch and connected the original black wire to the black fan wire, and the original white wire to the fan white wire but the fan did not operate. I don’t understand what’s going on with this circuit…
There is a switch in a bedroom that runs the top half to two outlets. There is also a ceiling fan in the room that is not activated by the light switch. However, I recently discovered the fan gets power from the wires running to the switch.
In the electrical box for the switch there are three wires original to the home running into the box. A black wire, a white wire, and a ground.
The fan, which I assume was added later based on the wire being much newer also has a black, white and ground wire. The fan is wired into the light switch box as follows.
1. It’s a 2-way toggle switch with one terminal on each side
2. The original black wire is bonded to one side of the switch
3. The original white wire is bonded to the opposite side of the switch
4. The black wire that runs to the fan is bonded to the original white wire
5. The white wire that runs to the fan is bonded to the original ground wire
6. The ground wire that runs to the fan is not connected to anything
7. The original ground wire was un-bonded from the box so it could be bonded to the white fan wire. The box and light switch are now not grounded…
I know there is a lot wrong with how this is wired. However, I am not sure how to fix it. Can someone help me? I would like to wire this the right way and ideally have the switch operate the receptacles and the fan.
What I have tried so far: In trying to understand the circuit I bypassed the light switch and connected the original black wire to the black fan wire, and the original white wire to the fan white wire but the fan did not operate. I don’t understand what’s going on with this circuit…
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
There is no neutral in the switch box. It is a switch loop. The white is being used a s hot. They used the ground for the neutral. That is very dangerous. It could energize any ground metal parts is certain faults occurred.
You need fix the wiring.
You need a switch receptacle or light in the room so the fix needs new cabling.
You could make the receptacle always on and then use the cable to power the fan. However then you need a three wire cable to the fan so you can add a light controlled by the switch.
Or
You could move the fan cable from the switch box to some other box where there is proper power.
You need fix the wiring.
You need a switch receptacle or light in the room so the fix needs new cabling.
You could make the receptacle always on and then use the cable to power the fan. However then you need a three wire cable to the fan so you can add a light controlled by the switch.
Or
You could move the fan cable from the switch box to some other box where there is proper power.
1 - 3 of 3 Posts
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