One light switch runs light in kitchen and fan in livingroom how can i but in a two switch?

Question

I have a small house with a kitchen light and ceiling fan in the living room ran from the same light switch, i would love to run the fan without the light in the kitchen having to be one. is this possible? inside the switch there are bare wires and two black that are wired to the switch and two white that are twisted together. can anyone helpl

Answer 1

Drop the ceiling light and see if there are 3 sets of wires (3 black, 3 white and 3 grounds -the bare wires. If so they jumped from there to the living room fan. If this is the case, then you could split those wires and tie one set to new wires and extend the new wires back down to the switch and add a double switch to the box.  Before you do this make sure the power is off to the light circuit.

Answer 2

One of those black wires is bringing power in to the switch and the other is sending the switched power out to both fixtures. To put in a double switch, you will need a second black wire to make the second fixture work separately.

If you have access to the area above the ceiling this would be an easy task.

I think they make wireless switches now which would make an easier but more expensive solution.

Good Luck ! ! !

Answer 3

Before you start fiddling with wiring, go read your homeowner's insurance policy. Many state that losses won't be covered if the homeowner did wiring/plumbing/repairs themselves or a jack-leg handyman instead of a licensed jouneyman. I used to do insurance restoration work and seen several claims denied due to that, including one where the entire house was severely damaged by fire due to a shoddy connection. The owners lost everything, took a walk and the bank hired me to repair the premises for resale.

They make a duplex switch for single boxes, yet that will require another wire ran. The easiest could be replacing the light with one that has a pull cord switch!

Another word of warning! If your house is older and has ceiling fixtures that capture heat inside of the globe/cover the wiring insulation on the connections above may be brittle. A good signal for this is if the drywall paper behind the fixture is black (it's carbon!!!) Trying to make new connections on these often causes the insulation to crack & fall off. Sometimes there's enuff excess line to pull in until some pliable insulation is reached, sometimes not!

Be safe and get a real licensed electrical contractor who has all the expertise and insurance. Let them supply all the stuff so if anything they install fails they'll have to fix it, plus their liability insurance (completed operations) will pay for any damages if you file for a loss.

Answer 4

It's simple.  Just get another switch and put it in.  Take the twisted ones apart...etc. etc.

If you're rather handy, but inexperienced, go spend the $20.00 at Home Depot for a do it yourself electricity book.  You'll be surprised how easy it is.  

If you're afraid of electricity, get your local Penny Saver or similar and hire a cheap handyman.  Should'nt cost more than $100.00 inc. parts for him/her to put in for you.

Answer 5

It is possible to make the changes, but you will need to run new wires from the fan or the light to the switch.  It is a challenge to run the wires without making several holes in the wall and ceiling.