[Jack Trades Sr.]

• Replacing an exhaust fan, light, and heater combo and made the mistake disconnecting the existing one without taking note! It was connected by 2 separate 12-2 coming from a 3 switch. I vaguely remember the blue wire connected to ?one of the white source wires? I do remember the heater was designated to its own 12-2 only. Need some help with the rest and also why it would be that way! Thank you, Paul

 

[dcwired]

One of the white wires of the NM cables is a neutral and goes to all of the whites on the unit. The blacks and the other white are hots to each of the 3 devices. A non contact tester can identify them with the switches on.

 

[C'est Moi]

Perhaps the electrician thought he needed a separate circuit just for the heater. When I have done these I used a 20 amp circuit for the entire unit.

Before you connect everything up test your voltage from the hot conductor in the switch box to one of the white wires. One should show 120V. That is the one with the neutral.

Connect all the white wires to the white wire you just tested. Take the black from that cable and connect it to the heater. Then take the other cable and connect black to the light and the white to the fan or vice versa. Tape that white wire with black tape.

Btw, this install is really not compliant but that is what you have so...I doubt it is very dangerous but technically it is not to code.

 

[SW Dweller]

your drawings are very little help. You do not show how the fixture is fed.
You do show some kind of switch but a pic of the sides of the switch is needed.
I have no idea what HVL means on your switch.


A non contact tester is the worst thing to be using when there are a lot of wires in a box. The non contact testers can lie about when a wire is hot when they are close together. I have spent 50 years in the electrical trade and do not own one and discourage their use for people who do not have the needed background in working with electricity.

Might be time to call a local pro.

 

[joed]

I think you have a 12 for the heater. You need to connect that the heater hot and white. The fixture instructions should tell which two they are.
Since only have one other 12/2 the fan and the light must be controlled by one switch. The white connects to the two remaining whites and the black connects to the two remaining hot wires.

 

[Jack Trades Sr.]

your drawings are very little help. You do not show how the fixture is fed.
You do show some kind of switch but a pic of the sides of the switch is needed.
I have no idea what HVL means on your switch.


A non contact tester is the worst thing to be using when there are a lot of wires in a box. The non contact testers can lie about when a wire is hot when they are close together. I have spent 50 years in the electrical trade and do not own one and discourage their use for people who do not have the needed background in working with electricity.

Might be time to call a local pro.

H=heater
V=vent
L=light

The drawing is what the new unit has and on the right is the switch w/(2) 12-2 wires stemming off it. From memory, but I can post pics of the back of switch when I get back to it. The drawing doesn't show the connections because it's not connected yet. Thanks for the comment though any help is good

 

[dangdave]

your drawings are very little help. You do not show how the fixture is fed.
You do show some kind of switch but a pic of the sides of the switch is needed.
I have no idea what HVL means on your switch.


A non contact tester is the worst thing to be using when there are a lot of wires in a box. The non contact testers can lie about when a wire is hot when they are close together. I have spent 50 years in the electrical trade and do not own one and discourage their use for people who do not have the needed background in working with electricity.

Might be time to call a local pro.

HVT. Heater vent light

 

[Jack Trades Sr.]

Perhaps the electrician thought he needed a separate circuit just for the heater. When I have done these I used a 20 amp circuit for the entire unit.

Before you connect everything up test your voltage from the hot conductor in the switch box to one of the white wires. One should show 120V. That is the one with the neutral.

Connect all the white wires to the white wire you just tested. Take the black from that cable and connect it to the heater. Then take the other cable and connect black to the light and the white to the fan or vice versa. Tape that white wire with black tape.

Btw, this install is really not compliant but that is what you have so...I doubt it is very dangerous but technically it is not to code.

Thanks a lot. I'll take heed to that

 

[chandler48]

My take is the switch has power in. As C'est Moi state, the "electrician" used one of the whites as a hot but probably didn't mark it. It needs to be marked black on both ends (switch and fixture). Not right, but the cards are dealt.

 

[Jack Trades Sr.]

I think you have a 12 for the heater. You need to connect that the heater hot and white. The fixture instructions should tell which two they are.
Since only have one other 12/2 the fan and the light must be controlled by one switch. The white connects to the two remaining whites and the black connects to the two remaining hot wires.

I think you have a 12 for the heater. You need to connect that the heater hot and white. The fixture instructions should tell which two they are.
Since only have one other 12/2 the fan and the light must be controlled by one switch. The white connects to the two remaining whites and the black connects to the two remaining hot wires.

Exactly what I thought so I hooked the fan and light hot to the remaining black and wired the whites together and the first and second switch did nothing the 3rd switch turned everything on! So I unplugged the heater for temporary until I figure this **** out and nothing came on! Here's some better pics...

 

[Jack Trades Sr.]

the red circle is how it was before with black and white left over. I think the blue wire was connected to the white wire and black to black and the remaining whites all together

 

[Jack Trades Sr.]

the red circle is how it was before with black and white left over. I think the blue wire was connected to the white wire and black to black and the remaining whites all together

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR SOME MUCH NEEDED JOGGING OF MY MEMORY! ITS ALL GOOD NOW. I APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS AND ADVICE, EVEN THE ONE WHO WAS BREAKING MY BALLS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY ART WORK!! SALUTE TO THE DIY AND I WISH EVERYBODY A PROSPEROUS SUMMER!🤙✌👍🤘👌