Install Lighting From Fan Source

really

You can run eight #12 or eleven #14 THHN in a 1/2" PVC conduit; one more of each in 1/2" EMT.

the only problem would be finding a six hundred pound gorilla to pull them through the pipes. But what relevence does that have when all he needs is one more wire for the lighting?

I'm almost there. I was able to run a new wire. I am not clear on the switch part of this. I have 3 single pole switches with this type of a wallplate.
http://images.hardwareandtools.com/T/u325977.jpg
One switch is for the fan, one for an outside light, and the other is for a wall receptacle. Can I eliminate this and just have permanent electric to the receptacle and use this for the lights. The fan can be controlled by the wireless remote.

You should be able to take the wires off of the switch that is currently switching that outlet and put a wire nut on them, connecting them together. If you wish, add a 6" or so wire to that connection, run it back to the switch, then put the new wire you ran on the other terminal of the switch. Up at the fan box, that new wire will be switched and you'll need to connect to the neutral and ground wire and run them to the track lighting.

I wouldn't use the receptacle power for the fan or light, without some more research to make sure there isn't a neutral or ampacity issue somewhere.

Mikey said:

I wouldn't use the receptacle power for the fan or light, without some more research to make sure there isn't a neutral or ampacity issue somewhere.

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Why not? a fan draws one amp tops, it will be perfectly fine. not sure what you mean by the neutral issue. Besides, when I rough a house I don't seperate lights and receptacles, that's just silly.

Thanks All For Assisting

It appears as though I have it wired correctly. I tested the fan and one track light and seems to be working great. I just need to tie in the other track light, then put it all back together. I sincerely want to thank all that took the time and respond. I am most greatful and the project will be a wonderful addition to my home. All the best.

Chris75 said:

Why not? a fan draws one amp tops, it will be perfectly fine. not sure what you mean by the neutral issue.

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If the receptacle circuit were wired as a 20A circuit, but the wires to the fan were #14, there would be an ampacity issue, I would think. I also just don't like using a neutral from one circuit to serve as the neutral in another. Probably legal, I just don't like to do that.

Mikey said:

If the receptacle circuit were wired as a 20A circuit, but the wires to the fan were #14, there would be an ampacity issue, I would think. I also just don't like using a neutral from one circuit to serve as the neutral in another. Probably legal, I just don't like to do that.

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I probably missed the boat, because I didnt read the whole thread, but your correct with your first statement, that would be an issue... Your 2nd statement wouldnt happen if somebody new what they were doing, but you are correct it would be a violation to connect two seperate neutrals together.

Slight Problem - Switch Is Hot To The Touch

I used a 300w 1.5A Light/Fan Switch for a fan and two track lights. Each track light has 6 50w incandescent lights. When I leave the lights on for a short time the switch especially the metal part gets pretty hot. The original single pole switch is connected to a 10 Amp breaker, which is what my current configuration is using. I used a #10 wire for the lights and the additional wire I added. Am I doing something wrong here to cause this overheating of the switch. If so how can I resolve this. Thanks for further help.

christo said:

I used a 300w 1.5A Light/Fan Switch for a fan and two track lights. Each track light has 6 50w incandescent lights. When I leave the lights on for a short time the switch especially the metal part gets pretty hot. The original single pole switch is connected to a 10 Amp breaker, which is what my current configuration is using. I used a #10 wire for the lights and the additional wire I added. Am I doing something wrong here to cause this overheating of the switch. If so how can I resolve this. Thanks for further help.

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Hire an electrician before your house get hot

Why would you think that 600W for the two tracks would work well on a 300W rated switch? You ARE overloading the switch, and it likely will fail, and could very easily start something on fire in the process.

Billy_Bob said:

Wiring is not a simple thing! There is a lot of danger to life and property if this is not done correctly. You or someone from your family could be eletrocuited or a fire could result from an improper installation.

Furthermore if something does happen (like your house burns down), and this electrical work was not done to code and inspected, your insurance company does not have to pay a cent!

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I checked my homeowner's policy and it has no such provision.

I suggest this is a scare-mongering tactic to discourage homeowners from doing their own work.

Please provide the name of insurance company and policy provision that would disallow payment for such loss.

Bob NH said:

I checked my homeowner's policy and it has no such provision.

I suggest this is a scare-mongering tactic to discourage homeowners from doing their own work.

Please provide the name of insurance company and policy provision that would disallow payment for such loss.

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No I will not. I have better things to do than reading through insurance policies! Note that there is more than what the policy states. There is also state insurance law, state administrative rules, and court case history. This is not fun stuff to research!

However, here is one of many sources on this...

[Electrical work by the homeowner might affect not only safety but also fire insurance coverage. If a fire loss claim results from wiring you installed, the company may classify you in a higher risk category or in some cases your insurance company may fail to honor your claim entirely.]

http://www.inspect-ny.com/electric/Electrical_Code.htm

P.S. The way this works, is the insurance company will find *any* reason they can, not to pay a claim. They like to receive money, but not pay it out.

Then you go to court...

Then the insurance company says "Well the wiring was not installed properly as it should have been. It is not reasonable that we should have to pay for this damage because the homeowner did not take care to install the wiring properly, etc., etc."

Then what can the homeowner say?

Then a judge or jury decides....

Still Need Advice

If someone could help me to resolve my dilemma, I would appreciate it. Is there anything like a 1000W/Fan switch available. Or would an 800W/Fan switch be okay. Any other suggestions.

You have a load of 600W with the lamps, not counting the fan when it is on for that switch. You need to find a switch rated for what you have, which may not be easy. The switches are designed for lights attached to the fan itself, not externally mounted lamps, so the total Wattage available on a switch is unlikely to provide more capacity. Now, there's nothing preventing you from separating the light circuit entirely from that fan/light switch and adding one dedicated exclusively for the lamps. Most standard wall switches are rated at 15A. If you want a dimmer for the lights, you might want to get a 1000w dimmer since for space purposes, you may need to remove the heat sink tabs, which will derate it from the maximum, and should still meet the 600W capacity. If the wall electrical box is not big enough to add a switch, then you'll need to take the existing one out and put in a larger one. This may be beyond your capability. It should be easy for an electrician. Basically, in the electrical box, you'd find the wire that controls the lights. Take it off of the existing switch, then put it on one terminal of the new switch, then jumper power from the box to the other terminal of the switch. That's one example for a typical situation, which MAY NOT be what you have - as in many things, there is more than one way to make a connection, and we're not there to tell exactly what you have to tailor it to what is needed.