If your attic only has one exhaust fan, you need to have a second one put in.
In some countries, the law requires homeowners to have two fans with separate ignition systems in their attics in order to defend their families from airborne pollutants. So, how do you have two switches with one exhaust fan?
You can use a combination switch to control the fan. First, connect the fan to the switch.
Then, connect one switch to the fan and the other switch to the light fixture. Finally, switch the fan on and off with the combination switch.
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How To Have Two Switches With One Exhaust Fan
Install Two Double-pole Switches.
You will need to install a double pole switch to control both lights in the bath separately and the switch for the ceiling fan also separately.
Make certain that you get a double-pole light switch that has a 3-wire cable connection.
You’ll also want to get a single-pole rocker-switch that has two terminals to connect it to the light fixture and the ceiling fan’s light kit.
Otherwise, they will not work simultaneously with the double pole light switch you’re installing in the bathroom to control both the lights and the fan’s light kit.
It’s important to keep a good distance between the light switches so that they don’t mess with each other when they’re turned on or off and don’t bother each other when they’re working on their own.
Connect One Pole From Each Switch to the Damper.
After you’ve installed the double-pole switches, you can connect each to one of the bathroom fans’ dampers using a 3-wire cable and nuts & bolts so that the bathroom fans can be controlled independently of the light fixtures and the ceiling fan.
The connection must be made in parallel to the cables running to each bathroom fan or they won’t function correctly.
This will begin with an “L” shaped bracket that attaches to the wall at the height where you’ll be mounting the double pole light switch that controls the bathroom fans and at the place where you’ll be installing the single pole rocker-switch that controls the light fixtures.
The switch will attach to the bracket with screws or a screwdriver and a drill.
Each pole must be connected to the damper with a screw-on connector.
The damper will need a hole drilled in it to allow the wires to pass through it and be connected to the electrical box of the exhaust fan.
While doing this, make sure to use a toggle switch at the same time, so that after you’ve finished connecting the two switches and the fans to the fans’ dampers, you’ll be able to turn the bathroom fan on/off or on and off the fan’s light kit.
In the same way, with the toggle switch, you can turn the lights on and off in the other bathroom as well.
This connection must be made to the fixtures as well so that you can turn them on or off independently of one another.
Connect the Second Pole of Each Switch to the Fan.
You’re going to look at the second poles of the two switches because you need to connect the fan itself and its light kit to one of the two poles of each of the double pole light switches with a separate 3-wire cable using nuts and bolts, or connectors.
The second pole must connect to the black wire that is designated for the power supply.
You’ll want to make sure this is set up such that it will control the light fixture, the ceiling fan, and the bathroom fan lights separately, or they’ll all turn on/off together when one of the switches is switched on/off.
Switches Should Be Connected in Parallel.
The last consideration will concern the switch itself.
This covers how to connect the two switches in parallel so that both will control the same load, such as a fan and its light kit, the fixture, or both at the same time.
The goal of using this parallel method is to have a single switch that can control all of the different loads in the house so that they will all be turned on/off simultaneously when a single switch is switched on or off.
You cannot have a circumstance where it is not the same load being controlled by the two switches.
You’ll want to make each switch operate at 120 volts and 60 Hertz so that your lighting and other loads will work correctly and efficiently when they are turned on and off concurrently by one of these double pole light switches.
Also Read: Is It Bad To Shut Off Water To Toilet?
Final Words
These are the elements to consider when you’re installing a double-pole light switch that will control both the light fixture and the ceiling fan in the bathroom, as well as the lights themselves.
If you want to install two double-pole light switches for two different rooms in the house, then you will want to be sure that you install separate cables for each light switch in each respective room of the house and connect each switch to a separate power source.
The damper will get one pole of the double pole light switch while the fixture will get the other.
To operate, they must both be switched off and on simultaneously by a single switch, which can be controlled by hand or with a wall switch.
You will need to take your measurements for the electrical box so that you know the size of the hole that will need to be cut into the wall for the electrical box to fit through properly and securely once it has been mounted on the wall next to the existing light switch.
It is advisable to plan out how you will set up your wiring before you install the electrical box because the wires get harder to work with once they are installed inside of the wall cavity behind the drywall.
