Tuesday, November 23, 2010

How to change a double switch (1 for bathroom fan and 1 for light) to a single switch (for both fan and light)?

We currently have a double light switch in our bathroom -- one switch is for the fan, and the other is for the light. I want to change this to be one switch to cover both the fan and the light. There are separate boxes for each switch - how can I combine them into one switch? The drywall also will need to be extended to cover the hole created by having only one switch, but for now I'm just worried about the electrical aspect. Thanks for any suggestions on how to do this, or resources (websites, etc.) to tell me how to do this.How to change a double switch (1 for bathroom fan and 1 for light) to a single switch (for both fan and light)?Don't mess with the drywall. Just get a blank cover plate to cover the box. That said, the electrician is correct that having separate boxes is unusual. If you can move the wire from on box to the other, you would simply connect matching wires form both the light and the fan to the terminals on the switch.How to change a double switch (1 for bathroom fan and 1 for light) to a single switch (for both fan and light)?Actually, just use a wire nut to cap off the wire to the switch you don't need. You can connect the fan and the light to the hot from the switch you keep at the fixture.

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How to change a double switch (1 for bathroom fan and 1 for light) to a single switch (for both fan and light)?I'm an electrician and find it surprising that there are separate switch boxes for your vent light. If the switches were in the same box, you would have an easy fix. However , with separate boxes you better consult a pro. If both boxes have a power supply coming in and out, you will be looking at a significant amount of work to eliminate one of the boxes. A simpler solution would be a blank cover. Hope this helps.How to change a double switch (1 for bathroom fan and 1 for light) to a single switch (for both fan and light)?I would personally hire a electrician to do this.

However if you are wishing to do this on your own...



http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stor



This has pictures and diagrams and shows you the tools that you will need for this project.

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