Wiring Problem

[A-37]

Bathroom ceiling vent fan does not operate when the wall switch is moved to ON. The fan motor and switch are good (checked).

Two wires in the switch box (one white, one black). No power. The lights, fan, and wall outlets are all powered through the same CB. Everything but the fan works.

The switch failed to work after contractors installed a new walk-in shower. New drywall was installed behind the shower. The contractor said there were no wires behind the drywall that might've been cut. Not sure I believe him.

Theories?

 

[Sarge9]

is there power to the top of the switch ?
(hot side to top side, always)
Where is the neutral wire ?
(should be in the sw. box, white/white)
No problem till new work ?
Attic above?
You need to see if you are missing a JBox hidden.
Might require circuit tracer, to follow wiring.


If you were in SW Oh. I would help you out.
good luck !!

40 year master and Oh. ESI

 

[Fishinfool]

Lived in an old house where the bathroom fan would "buzz", but not turn. Ended up being mounted in a piece of wood that warped enough to bind the fan. Doesn't sound like that is your problem though?

Larry

 

[TLflag]

Fan

You have lost the neutral to the fan.

 

[jjrr]

Neutral wire was not always required in a switch box, could be just a switch loop.i don’t recall which version of the NEC added the requirement for the neutral in sw box. Earlier versions of the code allowed the white wire to be used to feed the hot to a switch and the black wire would be to the load in a two wire switch loop. That was an exception to the rule about use of the white wire, it will be seen in older construction.

 

[Tom S.]

Sounds like a drywall screw cut one of your wires.

 

[arjay]

Check the junction box inside the fan housing where the fan plugs in.There should be a hot lead connected to the switch leg (black to black or black to white.That should be hot and that means your switch leg was cut somewhere. If it’s not hot the problem is upstream somewhere

 

[gjgalligan]

The switch failed to work after contractors installed a new walk-in shower. New drywall was installed behind the shower. The contractor said there were no wires behind the drywall that might've been cut. Not sure I believe him.

Theories?

Sounds like the contractor needs to fix it.

If you don't have him fix it verify the problem (pictures) when you find it to bill him, if it is indeed his fault.

 

[WR Moore]

The contractor disturbed the wiring somehow. As in post #2, do you have power at the switch? I hate to think about this, but there have been guys who've put switches on the neutral wire. If you can get into the attic, they may have stolen power from the light.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Check to see if the GFI on the outlet has "popped" off.

Ivan

 

[jeffrefrig]

Check to see if the GFI on the outlet has "popped" off.

Ivan

Um, yeah!! Don’t you just love fixing stuff over the phone?If I fixed anything over the phone I got paid.

 

[Onomea]

Check to see if the GFI on the outlet has "popped" off.

Ivan

A year or two ago, I lost power in recently installed outlets in my two upstairs bathrooms in my Oregon house. I asked for advice here, and was told to check for a GFI outlet that had popped off. I was also advised that if a GFI outlet had popped off, it might be nowhere near the upstairs bathrooms.

I found the popped off GFI outlet in the garage, reset it, and power was restored to the outlets in the two upstairs bathrooms.

S&W Forum to the rescue! I was mighty impressed and mighty happy with the advice received!

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

Free advice is usually worth what you paid for it! Sometimes a little more, Sometimes a little less!

Ivan

 

[Kenna]

Obviously no one installed stud guards!! Typically it would be electricans job after he ran wire, but being that no electric was changed. GC or drywall contractor should have! Especially when Romex is used!!

 

[WR Moore]

When I bought my first house, a week of so after moving in, we lost power in the family & powder rooms. I'd used the overloaded entrance panel as one factor to beat the price down, so I had to move up the replacement.

I split one circuit over the basement stationary tubs and solved my problem. I'd changed a light bulb there after moving in and apparently somehow broke the continuing circuit.

 

[A-37]

OP Comment

I can access the bathroom vent fan in the attic. Run a line from an attic work box to tie the fan into the attic light system.

Turn on the fan by using the attic light switch in an adjoining family room.

Not convenient but it would work.

Thanks for all the comments and possible fixes.

Info: My research shows no battery powered bathroom vent fans.

 

[BC38]

Unless the switch is mounted really close to the wall where the new sheetrock was installed, it is unlikely that the wiring runs behind a wall in the shower, due to the risk of water leakage from the shower & plumbing getting to the circuit.
Now the ceiling above the shower is a different matter. Did they replace the overhead sheetrock in the shower too?
None of that precludes them having disturbed some wiring somewhere though. Most likely at a J-box above the ceiling in the attic.
You said you checked the switch - how? With an Ohm meter?
And there is no power at the switch - and you checked both the top and bottom switch contacts?

 

[jjrr]

It’s time for a knowledgeable electrician and electrical people on the pay scale don’t charge as much as other trades, anyway it would be money well spent.

 

[WR Moore]

I can access the bathroom vent fan in the attic. Run a line from an attic work box to tie the fan into the attic light system.

OK, if you've got a circuit tester, see if the fan switch makes a complete circuit up in the attic. Swipe your power from the junction box and still use the switch in the bathroom.

 

[jjrr]

Problem could even be a worn out fan motor.