12 Volt Wires - link to lights?

[jlwardn]

I want to put a couple vent fans in my vents on my Sunseeker. I pulled the vent trip and see neatly taped wire right there....no fishing for a wire. My question is it tied to the lights so that it is switched with the wall switch. I am hoping it is live 12 volt all the time. I would rather ask than have to cut wire or poke hole in it for probe. There is a light right next to it that is switched.

[Steve-W]

Most likely you will find that they are constant hot.

[A32Deuce]

Test with a volt meter. If they have crimped ends, easy to probe the ends. Mine were hot. I have fans in all my roof vent openings.

[jlwardn]

It is just a wire loop of about 6 inches of wire. Not cut or crimped. I am hoping they did this just for future fan. My other thought was.....is it a bad thing to have 4 fans? You mentioned you did it. Do you seem significant air movement over just two fans?

[A32Deuce]

My meter has sharp points it stick into the plastic coating and not hurt the wire.

[rockfordroo]

Make sure the wires are 12VDC and not 110VAC.

[5picker]

The ONLY way to know for sure is test them (the wires) with a meter.

It seems they wire every one of these R/Vs differently depending on the mood of the worker that day.

Are 4 fans too many?... no.

When you need to evacuate hot/stale air, the more fans the better.

The only time less fans are better is when you are trying to conserve battery power when boondocking.

[JLeising]

Originally Posted by jlwardn

It is just a wire loop of about 6 inches of wire. Not cut or crimped. I am hoping they did this just for future fan.

A single loop is not sufficient, unless you can find the two (disconnected) other ends and determine how to connect them AFTER cutting the loop. Connecting a loop to power would create a short circuit...

I suggest looking for a second loop and measuring voltage between the two loops. May be two wires routed to all of the vents for future fan install (hopefully).

FYI

[Bytesponge]

Originally Posted by JLeising

A single loop is not sufficient, unless you can find the two (disconnected) other ends and determine how to connect them AFTER cutting the loop. Connecting a loop to power would create a short circuit...

I suggest looking for a second loop and measuring voltage between the two loops. May be two wires routed to all of the vents for future fan install (hopefully).

FYI

My FW30 Pursuit has two wires taped together just waiting for a Fantastic fan or other I may find on sale. You are right that a loop is not a complete circuit. OP beware.

[A32Deuce]

To max at vent is for an A/C unit. Two wires with one having a traced line on it is 12 volt.
Pull all the surrounds that don't have a fan and you may find the end.

[brucemc]

I installed two fan vents in our Sunseeker - I replaced the factory cheapie in the bath and the unpowered vent in the kitchen area. Obviously, the bath was wired and switched, and the kitchen? Yep, just as you describe - it has an unswitched 12V wire looped into the void next to the vent. I checked the 3rd vent and it also contained the loop. I may install a powered fan at some point in the future.


You can tell this is 12V vs 120VAC as the 12V wiring is bi-color zip cord, usually red/white or black/white. You will find other colors, always paired with a white (ground) wire. The wires in mine were 12 gauge, so they have plenty of current carrying capacity.



120VAC is always within a white (indicating 14 gauge) or yellow (indicating 12 gauge) plastic sheath, called NM (Non-Metallic sheathed cable) or commonly by the brand name of Romex. It will contain 3 separate wires - a bare ground, white and black. All 120VAC wiring terminal points must be contained within an enclosure. You'll never see crimp connections on 120VAC wiring unless it was done by someone who didn't know any better.