Is this shotty short cut work or is It ok fine.?

Users who are viewing this thread

DIY

Member
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Florida
I had an electrician install a bathroom fan on the ceiling. (as he explained the whole process of what he will do to) The bathroom has an existing switch for the light. He put a bigger deeper box in(14 cubic inches as the invoice reads) and ran a short section of wire (12-2 or 14-2 he did not say..) from the fan into the new box and tied that wire into the existing wire for the light,and wire nutted on the + and -,sides short wires that connected to a new double switch that powers the light ,and the other switch powers the fan. Is this to good to be true....? The whole thing cost with time @ 30 minutes and materials $43.65. I am now wondering was this done correctly ,or hey it works the short cut way..?

Thanks to all replys
 

Nukeman

Nuclear Engineer
Messages
707
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
VA
Electrically, it sounds correct if I follow you correctly.

I wonder about the duct for the fan. Did he run a duct from the new fan to the outside? I assume there wasn't already a duct there as it sounds like there was no fan in this bathroom previously. He may have installed the fan without the duct to let you install the duct yourself or by someone else. You will want to check that out as you don't want to just blow the mosit air into the attic.
 

DIY

Member
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Florida
Thanks for the reply nukeman,and thanks for asking about the duct work for the fan. Yes, i forgot to put that in my post about this. The duct work was done and directed to the outside. I guess I got in a bit of a ? mark wondering if all was wired correctly... never hurts to double check. Thanks again
 

Nukeman

Nuclear Engineer
Messages
707
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
VA
I see. Sounds good.

I'm not an electrician, but I have seen this type of thing done (and have done it myself). Bascially, the box originally has power coming in and then a line that goes from the switch to the light. The old box is removed (1-gang) and replaced with a 2-gang. The incoming power wire needs to be split between the two switches. This may be done with a couple short wires (pig tails) or if the original wire is long enough, you can strip off a small section, wrap around the terminal for switch #1 and then head over to switch #2. New wire (14-2) ran from new switch to fan. All neutrals (white) in switch box nutted together. All ground wires (bare copper or green) nutted together.

The job is normally pretty simple, but like many electrical and plumbing jobs, the difficulty comes down to access. If there is an attic above, it makes things much easier and cheaper. If the bathroom was on the 1st floor of a 2-storey home or in a finished basement, things get move difficult/expensive.

If the box is metal, then it should get a ground wire too (you probably have a plastic box, though).
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,600
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
I can almost guarantee that for $43.00 you did NOT have an "electrician" doing the work. As I tell my customers, "It costs you $100.00+ as soon as I start my truck engine." I cannot even imagine how he could have done what had to be done in 30 minutes, unless your walls were already open.
 

Jbfan74

Electrical Contractor
Messages
135
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
Newnan, GA
The process sounds right, but the price dosen't.
Is the fan mounted inside the attic, or just on the ceiling?
 

Alectrician

DIY Senior Member
Messages
688
Reaction score
0
Points
0
The whole thing cost with time @ 30 minutes and materials $43.65.

This guy is fast and, unless he was charging $300 an hour, he was cheap.

The fan alone would cost him 20 or 30 bucks and anothr 8 for the stacked switch.

With 30+ years of experience, I couldn't retro install a bath fan in 30 minutes unless the sheetrock was all down. Hell, it takes me 10 minutes to pick up all my tools and another 10 to write the invoice.

Was the wiring done right? Gotta see it to know for sure.
 

DIY

Member
Messages
155
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
Florida
Hope I did not confuse all,but I supplied the fan @ $25. and cut the hole in the ceiling for the fan, and fastened It in place. And for the most part ducted to the outside minus the plastic cover,the double toggle switch @ $8. and the romex I already had. Hell my 6ft. fiberglass ladder was already in place under the scuttle hole,so he used that too...very easy acess to everything. He had all the tools seemed needed for the job on his tool belt. He was well aware I would supply all materials needed. The labor cost was so low to me even with me providing materials I thought his low price seemed a bit fishy....
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,600
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
Accessing the "job site" through a scuttle hole, and still only took a half hour? Either you had the easiest wiring job EVER, or he was the fastest electrician in existence, or he was an altruistic worker.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks