Adding cieling fan with light fixture to existing wireing?

Question

In a bedroom I have a wall switch which controls an outlet. I want to change that circuit so that the switch is always hot. I also want to replace the box for the wall switch for a box which will allow two switches. One switch to control a new ceiling fan and a switch to control the light fixture attached to the fan. It seems that I need to pigtail 3 wires to the current wiring coming into the existing box. #1 would go to the outlet which is currently switched making it always hot, #2 would go to the switch for the fan, #3 would go to the lights on the fan. Would that be too many wires to pigtail together?

Answer 1

Hi Milt, You thoughts may not be correct. Its possible the wire in the switch box is only a switch leg. In other words you have a hot coming to the switch and the switched hot returning. You do not have a neutral. All this is supposition because you never really said how many wires are in the box already. If you have an attic area that you can access the ceiling, you may find power there that you could bring down to the new switches. In a two gang box you are allowed 10 wires (excluding grounds) so the number of wires isn't the issue. Its where do you have steady power.

I rethought your description and I agree that you could bring steady power from the receptacle. You will need to change the receptacle or put a jumper on the "hot' side of the plug as the leg has been broken to accommodate the switching of half of the plug. You will only need to fish a three wire from the fan/light down to the new 2 gang box. The black from the receptacle to the 2 gang will give you the power, the whites from the 2 wire and the three wire (we don't count the ground when we talk number of wires)are joined together, the black from the 3 wire to the fan and accompanying switch, the red to the light and accompanying switch and then a pigtail from the hot black to the other leg of the switches. That will do it. Good luck.....attics are hot this time of year!!