Wiring Bathroom Fan

[jsarin1]

Can someone explain how to wire a bathroom fan using the wiring from a standard outlet? Attached is a photo of the outlet's wiring.



I believe the clump of white wires together is neutral and the black is hot. There are also a blue, red, and another white that connect in the box that I believe are for rooms above this 1/2 bath.

I plan on running the wiring behind a chair rail molding around the room to its own switch.
I thought of wiring it straight to an overhead light in this room, but I rather have it work with its own switch and not turn on with the light...

The fan is a simple duct-less Broan that has a black and a white wire. No light, warmer, etc.

Any advice is appreciated.

[dlarrivee]

You're in way over your head.

You CANNOT run the wiring inside the chair rail, where have you ever seen that done before?

What good is a fan that has no duct to exhaust the warm moist air outside?

[jsarin1]

Looks like according to code, I need to use metal conduit to run the wiring. I can install the conduit behind a crown molding as long as it has 1 1/2 in. from surface of the molding. I'll be doing this instead.

Can you help with the wiring part of this?

[jadnashua]

Are you tearing out that box and making it a double to include a new switch? Or what?

Basically, run a 12/2 wire up there (12g, if this is on a 20A circuit is required), connect black to black, white to white, and ground to ground at the fan. Then, in the box, add the white to the bundle. Use a short pigtail from the black feeding the receptacle to one side of the new switch, and the black from the new wire you ran to the other terminal of the switch, and tie all of the ground together...essentially, you switch the hot lead, and run the neutral directly there.

[hj]

20/2??????? That is not even a lamp wire, not for a fan circuit, and definitely NOT for a 20amp circuit!!!!!!!!

[dlarrivee]

Are you tearing out that box and making it a double to include a new switch? Or what?

Basically, run a 20/2 wire up there (20g, if this is on a 20A circuit is required), connect black to black, white to white, and ground to ground at the fan. Then, in the box, add the white to the bundle. Use a short pigtail from the black feeding the receptacle to one side of the new switch, and the black from the new wire you ran to the other terminal of the switch, and tie all of the ground together...essentially, you switch the hot lead, and run the neutral directly there.

Jim meant 12/2, not 20/2.

[Glennsparky]

That existing box the GFCI receptacle is in is too small. Do not add wires to it until you replace it with the correct size box. You have no bare or green wire for ground. Hopefully the metal electric pipes are your ground, but I don't trust them. So, it would be much safer to take power from the load side of the GFCI. Metal conduit is not required by the National Code, is it a local code?

[dlarrivee]

That existing box the GFCI receptacle is in is too small. Do not add wires to it until you replce it with the correct size box. You have no bare or green wire for ground. Hopefully the metal electric pipes are your ground, but I don't trust them. So, it would be much safer to take power from the load side of the GFCI. Metal conduit is not required by the National Code, is it a local code?

You're an electrician that doesn't trust bonding of metal components? Really?

[jsarin1]

Are you tearing out that box and making it a double to include a new switch? Or what?

Basically, run a 12/2 wire up there (12g, if this is on a 20A circuit is required), connect black to black, white to white, and ground to ground at the fan. Then, in the box, add the white to the bundle. Use a short pigtail from the black feeding the receptacle to one side of the new switch, and the black from the new wire you ran to the other terminal of the switch, and tie all of the ground together...essentially, you switch the hot lead, and run the neutral directly there.

Jim,

Thanks for the reply. That setup works perfectly, just what I needed.
Also it looks like I'm scrapping the crown molding idea and boring my studs instead.

Thanks again all.

[Glennsparky]

You're an electrician that doesn't trust bonding of metal components? Really?

I don't trust old houses with obvious code violations (box fill) and who knows how much hack work upstream. I might trust my multitester, if I were there to test the ground.

[Glennsparky]

Are you tearing out that box and making it a double to include a new switch? Or what?

Basically, run a 12/2 wire up there (12g, if this is on a 20A circuit is required), connect black to black, white to white, and ground to ground at the fan. Then, in the box, add the white to the bundle. Use a short pigtail from the black feeding the receptacle to one side of the new switch, and the black from the new wire you ran to the other terminal of the switch, and tie all of the ground together...essentially, you switch the hot lead, and run the neutral directly there.

Ok, I count 13 existing #12 wires. With two devices, an additional 12-2 w/g and one internal romex clamp, that needs 45 cubic inches of volume. Please, buy your new double gang box with at least 45 cubic inches stamped on it. And the GFCI tweak would be ... The short black wire from the switch goes to the hot screw, load side of the receptacle. Not pigtailed to the black feeding the receptacle. The white from the new 12-2w/g goes to the white/neutral screw of the load side of the receptacle. Not the bundle. The bare wire in the 12-2w/g goes under a green screw in the new metal box. Good luck.

[ActionDave]

Ok, I count 13 existing #12 wires. With two devices, an additional 12-2 w/g and one internal romex clamp.....

The work is done using conduit. There is not any romex or romex clamps to be found in the photo.

I can't tell how many wires are in that box. It doesn't look like thirteen to me.

[Glennsparky]

In post #9, jsarin1 decided how to do the future work. My post is about that new work. Not the picture. Jsarin1 can count the wires, and let me know if I'm way off.

[jwelectric]

Clamp or no clamp the box is overfilled as it now stands and no other conductor should be added.