How can I wire a normal light fixture to make both my hall switch and bath switch work again like they did with the ceiling fan?
Asked by Katarina Ognjanović 
4 months ago
Last Updated: July 26, 2024
Hey, can anyone assist me in figuring out how to rewire this so that both my hallway switch and bathroom switch will function again? It was working fine with the ceiling fan, but now that I’m trying to connect a regular 3-wire light fixture, I’m at a loss. The diagram in the top left shows how it was wired with the fan, and the bottom right is what I’m dealing with now that I just have a regular light fixture in the same box.
An actual picture would make it easier to understand.
Neutral wires go directly to the light and your switches will require an additional wire, so you’ll need either 14-3 or 12-3 depending on the circuit. If you need the neutral wire to reach one of the light switches, it will be -4.
Fan works the same way.
I usually have my fan motors and lights on separate switches, allowing me to turn off the lights and keep the fan running. You might consider looking into remote control light kits for added convenience.
So, you can either power the new light with the bath switch or the hall switch. It sounds like controlling the light with both switches might require some extra electrical work.
What is this, the junction box for the fan, a switch box, or something else? Let me know what you’re working with here.
You’ll need a hot wire going to the bath switch and then a switch leg going to the fixture. Here’s a good way to visualize this: think of electricity like water and a switch as a valve. The hot is like the incoming water, and the neutral is like the returned water. The power comes into the switch, then goes to the light or fan. After passing through the light or fan, it goes back to the power source, not the switch. So, the hot power goes into the switch, and the neutral either bypasses the switch or connects to the fan and light. You’ll need a wire or switch leg going from the switch to the fan and light. Then, you’ll need dedicated switches. It’s really quite simple. Oh, and just connect all the grounds together.
Shoot me a message. I recently dealt with a similar situation. It all comes down to how the wires are connected to the switch. It’s actually pretty straightforward.
It seems like one switch was for the fan’s light and the other for the fan itself. Without running 14/3 wire with the necessary conductors, it’s not possible to set it up as a three-way system.
I have the 14/3 wire needed to run, but I’m not sure about the installation process. It doesn’t seem to be a three-way setup, but the power comes from the junction box for both switches.
The bathroom light switch actually operates a different light in the room, not the one you’re trying to install.
The bath switch probably doesn’t control the fan. Make sure the house wires hot goes directly to each switch. Ground should be connected to everything. Neutral should go to both the bath switch and the fan. The hall switch wire that isn’t connected to hot or ground should go to the hot fan wire.