Split loop with only Two conductors?

[Angelfire]

Hiya,

I'm in the process of building an adobe wall which will house receipts and switches. My electrician is out of pocket so I'm moving forward with this as I need to get it done. He's run all the wires and coiled up the UF cables that I will run in the adobe wall to my boxes. He'll do final tie-ins. My question arises regarding my switches. Basically we have 6 recessed cans. Three of these should be on one switch and the other three on a separate switch. Additionally we have a ceiling fan going in so two switches for that (lights and fan). He has three cables coming out of the wall. One, 14/2 is labelled "fan". The second is 12/2 and is labelled "power". The third is also 12/2 and is labelled "SL Lights". I can only assume the "SL" stands for switch loop. How can two switches be used in a switch loop with only 2 conductors? I've always worked with 3 conductor cables in cases like this. I really don't want to work the adobe for a 4 gang switch setup only to discover he screwed up and we can only use 3 switches. Any inputs are welcome.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

It really sounds like he messed up and only provided one switch loop for the six lights, rather than two loops for them.

Charles

 

[Angelfire]

Yeah, that's my take on it as well.

 

[Angelfire]

It does appear there is a junction box between the switch wiring and the lights so I'll dig through there to see what he's doing but I don't think I'll find what I'm looking for. With a 12/2 coming from the switches, not sure how he'd turn that into a 12/3 going to the lights. Bummer.

 

[40cpe]

is the two conductor wire a traveler for a 3-way switch?

 

[Angelfire]

Nope. They screwed up it appears.

 

[BigGMC]

In addition, how are you gonna switch the fan and light seperately with only the 14/2? i always like to have 3 conductor run to fans for this reason.

 

[ishiboo]

One option is to use Insteon to fix some of these problems.

For example, to fix the fan you can run constant power to the fan, use a single 6-button switch with on/off for the light and hi/med/low buttons for the different fan power levels, and then install a FanLinc in the fan's junction box area to handle the actual switching of both.

Same for the lights, depending on your junction boxes. You can run constant power to the start of each chain and use an inline dimmer/relay in the first junction box to switch individual legs.

Just a thought!

 

[Angelfire]

Yeah, I may have to go with a fan with a remote control. Wiring in the ceiling is inaccessible so what I've got is all I'm getting. Oh and the drywallers covered up a coax box in another location. Not sure how to find that! Bummer....