[Jenmarie1184]

Hello, we are remodeling the bathroom. We are trying to add an outlet since there wasn’t one in there. We also were trying to fix a weird way they had it wired. I have general electrical knowledge, but this issue is stumping me. We moved all the wires to a junction box. When we turned the breaker back on it immediately tripped, the switch was in the on position. If you turn the switch into the off position and flip the breaker, then the lights come on. BUT, when you flip the switch to the on position, the breaker trips.

Ok, the first picture, if I have them correct, the yellow is the power coming from the box, the blue is the wire to the light, the pink is coming from the whole house fan, and the purple is the new wire we put in for the plug. So the metal box in the middle the switch to the whole house fan. We are a little confused about why there are three wires involved in that. But we don’t know much about wiring a whole house fan.

Any clue why I am having this issue?

 

[RAL238]

In the metal switch box, it looks like you have all the black wires wire-nutted together, and all the white wires wire-nutted together, and then a black and white pigtail to the switch. That means when you turn on the switch, you're creating a dead short which will trip the breaker.

You should have just the two white wires wire-nutted together, and then the two black wires go to the switch. No pigtails.

If you're adding an outlet to the bathroom, it needs to be on a separate circuit and GFCI protected, not tapped off of something else.

 

[J. V.]

I would trash everything in that wall and start over.

 

[roughneck]

Are you planning on leaving that blue plastic junction box in the wall and dry walling over it?

 

[Jenmarie1184]

Yes, we just put that in. About the blue box

 

[roughneck]

But it will make your wall look not so great with an access panel right in the middle of it, to access that junction box.

 

[rjniles]

You have wired a switch loop across the supply. You are over you head, hire someone. All that needs to be ripped out and wired properly.

You can't use green wire nuts for the live conductors, they are for grounds only.

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[chetwisner]

Looks like you've wired the neutral to the swith, and of course when the switch is CLOSED, there will be a short between the hot and neutral.

All of that really needs to be reworked, it looks awful, and, if you're determined to do it yourself, please be patient with us as we try to help.

You cannot drywall over that blue junction box; it HAS to be accessible.

The thick lines you drew in PAINT to indicate the cables is in the way, really. Reupload the pics without the drawings.

 

[daveb1]

If you are determined to do this yourself we'll do our best to help you out. As mentioned you really need a new feed for the bathroom from your main panel. Not always an easy task. You might want to also add a ventilation fan.

We'll do our best to help you, but after seeing this attempt it will be a steep learning curve. You might be better off to hire an electrician.

 

[afjes2015]

Also more than likely the blue plastic box you are using as a junction box is probably above box fill capacity by code at this point anyway.


Again as suggested. Re-post the picture without all that coloring in it so we can clearly see the cables.

 

[J. V.]

Removing everything in that wall and everything in the walls will make this project go much smoother.
Its much easier to replace than trace.
Pull it all out. Find out if you have a circuit from the panel in there. And keep that cable.

Then install all your new boxes, run new cable and finally at the end install your devices.
This is how its done.

 

[roughneck]

OP, are you understanding everything?
Not trying to be critical but that job just needs to be done over.

 

[rjniles]

It appears you are using #14 cable that is rated for 15 amps, current code call for bath circuits to be 20 amp with #12 cable. It also appears that old cloth cable is the feed. That cable probably has no ground wire or an undersized # 16 ground. All the he more reason to run a new supply back to the breaker pane!l.

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[Jenmarie1184]

We have my FIL over here and we are re-doing it all. I think we are fine now. Thanks.