Easy Bath Fan Switch Mod

[Wandering]

DW being vertically challenged had a hard time reaching the bathroom fan switch on the ceiling. Very easy mod to add a double switch on the wall. One for the light, one for the fan. Just drilled at an angle in the corner and fished the wire down the wall to the light switch. Happy DW.

[Duckogram]

Nice job.

[Mach428]

Very nice ��

[aeblank]

I want to do that myself....
Someday.....

[Mewcasa]

Nice... Where did you find the double switch assy?

[Wandering]

Originally Posted by Mewcasa

Nice... Where did you find the double switch assy?

Got the switch on Amazon. $12
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078M...op_mb_pd_title

It’s an easy install. Just got to watch for the plumbing vent pipe which I located once I took the old light switch out. Drilled a little at a time up top and stopped when I hit styrofoam. Good thing cuz the vent pipe was just a little further in.

[lexstone]

Thanks for sharing your design, good job!

[Murbella7]

Originally Posted by Wandering

DW being vertically challenged had a hard time reaching the bathroom fan switch on the ceiling. Very easy mod to add a double switch on the wall. One for the light, one for the fan. Just drilled at an angle in the corner and fished the wire down the wall to the light switch. Happy DW.

Attachment 171515Attachment 171516Attachment 171517Attachment 171518Attachment 171519

Now why didn't THEY think of that?

[Mewcasa]

Originally Posted by Wandering

Got the switch on Amazon. $12
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B078M...op_mb_pd_title

It’s an easy install. Just got to watch for the plumbing vent pipe which I located once I took the old light switch out. Drilled a little at a time up top and stopped when I hit styrofoam. Good thing cuz the vent pipe was just a little further in.

Thanks for the follow-up and extra hint... I’m going to do that install too. My spouse can’t reach the switch either!

[Steve-W]

Originally Posted by Murbella7

Now why didn't THEY think of that?

Apparently they did, my 17 had a fan switch from the factory.

Good job.

[Springerdad]

Nice Job! That's on my to do list for our SOB TT as well...... if we don't find a suitable 5er soon...

[Evereddie]

I did that mod too but added a third switch. It turns the ligjts on in a dimmer setting, lower brightness. Good for late at night when you dont want to blow your eye up. Family loves it.

[aeblank]

Originally Posted by Evereddie

I did that mod too but added a third switch. It turns the ligjts on in a dimmer setting, lower brightness. Good for late at night when you dont want to blow your eye up. Family loves it.

Oooo!
I'd love some details.
Two different feeds, I guess. Diodes required? What dimmer?

Is the feed up from the floor, through the switch?

[JLeising]

Our Solera came with a wall switch on the bathroom light. Similar to evereddie, but implemented somewhat differently, I replaced the switch with a double throw, center off switch. Down - on dim; up - on bright; center - off. The LED bulbs I retrofitted the lights with dim nicely with a simple series resistor, which I wired on the back of the switch. Bench tested to choose the resistor value for the desired level of light in the dim position. Chose a high wattage resistor to avoid heating of the resistor. Did similar mods to the light switches on the light over the dining table and the light over the head of the bed. Has worked great for four + years. Modding this way requires compatible LED bulbs.

[amblt]

Our wall switch is as far away as you can get, so re-wire is impossible.


Told wife to use her cane- works great!!

[Evereddie]

Originally Posted by aeblank

Oooo!
I'd love some details.
Two different feeds, I guess. Diodes required? What dimmer?

Is the feed up from the floor, through the switch?

Originally there was one switch on the wall that provided power to the fan and light on the ceiling. That switch had 12 volts running to it and it switched that 12 volts to the fan and light. The fan and light also had it's own power switch. I ran a new wire to the light and removed the wire that tied the light to the fan. I got a triple set of switches and mounted it on the wall where the original switch was. Provided the 12 volt feed to the supply side of switch one and two. Ran the fan wire to the middle switch. Ran the light to the first switch. So right there you have a dedicated switch for the light and a dedicated switch for the fan. On the last switch I installed a 12 volt dimmer module to the supply side of the switch and jumped the output of the switch to the light wire that also was on switch one. I set the brightness using the dimmer and secured the dimmer to the back of the switches and closed it up. The power switch located on the fan and on the light are now left on and controlled by the switch.

Here is the dimmer I used and once set is secured in the wall. Didn't want people messing with it and changing it. I'm not sure where I got the dimmer but didn't pay as much as the link shows. Any dimmer will work. https://www.amazon.com/Volt-Dimmer-LED-Halogen-Incandescent/dp/B01C4UBLYM/ref=sr_1_52?ie=UTF8&qid=1526359405&sr=8-52&keywords=led+dimmer+12v

[aeblank]

very cool. been thinking I could fish another wire to separate the fan and light. A night light never crossed my mind.