Help adding a light switch

[rlanicek]

I know barely enough about electrical to be dangerous. Outside my shed, under cover, I installed a ceiling fan. Now I need to wire it. There are several outlets already there.

I want to install a switch to turn the fan on/off.

I'd like to keep the outlet and install a new outlet/switch combo box.

The closest existing outlet has two hot and neutral wires on each side. How should I wire in the switch so it works and the outlet stays always on?

How do I wire this:

From this:

Thanks!

 

[tyme2par4]

You just need to run another NM cable (14/2) up to the switch, then another run up to the fan. The two black wires will go to either terminal of the switch. The whites will be tied together. The grounds should also be tied together, with a jumper to the green screw of the switch.

 

[Sticks McGee]

There will be three wires running to the fan. Should be a hot, a common(neutral) and a ground.

Take the black wire from your fan and connect it to the top right screw on your switch. On the bottom right of the switch run a black wire from that terminal to either one of the two black wire terminals on the outlet. The common wire from the fan will connect to either one of the white wire terminals of the outlet. Connect the ground wire from your fan to the ground terminal of the outlet.

This leaves the outlet untouched as you are simply running power over to the switch from the outlet. The switch connects the hot wire to the fan when on and disconnects it when the switch is off. The common and ground can be shared from the outlet.

 

[rlanicek]

Like this?

 

[Tyberius]

Like this?

But connect the fan's neutral to the lower neutral.

ETA: Is the existing outlet switched or on two different circuits? There are two feeds and two neutrals which suggests two different circuits. Use the same neutral as the rest of the circuit. If it is a shared neutral you have to mark the breaker - bond them together.

It also may be switched so a switch may control one of the feeds to the outlet. Is there a switch that looks like it doesn't do anything? If so it may control one half of the outlet. Be sure you connect your fan's switch to the unswitched feed.

 

[CJ7VFR]

Something like this. This one is shown with the receptacle to the left of the switch, and you substitute your fan for the light they have shown. But you get the idea. In this example, there is an extra ground shown coming off the receptacle and switch because this example assumes they are each installed in their own metal boxes. You would not need the extra switch ground because your switch will be in the same box as the receptacle.

Jim

 

[rlanicek]

But connect the fan's neutral to the lower neutral.

ETA: Is the existing outlet switched or on two different circuits? There are two feeds and two neutrals which suggests two different circuits. Use the same neutral as the rest of the circuit. If it is a shared neutral you have to mark the breaker - bond them together.

It also may be switched so a switch may control one of the feeds to the outlet. Is there a switch that looks like it doesn't do anything? If so it may control one half of the outlet. Be sure you connect your fan's switch to the unswitched feed.

Not on two different circuits, I think. There are four outlets along that wall, I assumed they were wired in parallel?

No mystery switch anywhere.

 

[rlanicek]

Thanks all, I think I got it. I'll let you know if I light on fire.

 

[nsula_country]

But connect the fan's neutral to the lower neutral.

ETA: Is the existing outlet switched or on two different circuits? There are two feeds and two neutrals which suggests two different circuits. Use the same neutral as the rest of the circuit. If it is a shared neutral you have to mark the breaker - bond them together.

It also may be switched so a switch may control one of the feeds to the outlet. Is there a switch that looks like it doesn't do anything? If so it may control one half of the outlet. Be sure you connect your fan's switch to the unswitched feed.

If the tie bar is not cut on the receptacle, then one pair of BLK/WHT is line and the other BLK/WHT is feeding something downstream. If this is true, then it doesn't matter which WHT is used for fan neutral.

The diagram looks correct!

CT

 

[Tyberius]

If the tie bar is not cut on the receptacle, then one pair of BLK/WHT is line and the other BLK/WHT is feeding something downstream. If this is true, then it doesn't matter which WHT is used for fan neutral.

The diagram looks correct!

CT

You are right, I was over thinking it.