Lighting Circuit In A SFD Restroom

[north star]

@ ~ @


I am looking for some assistance from ya'll !

A homeowner has recently had some electrical work
performed in her home........A Contractor replaced
a wall mounted light switch in this one Bathroom,
and installed an exhaust fan on the hot side of the
switch, ..the exhaust fan runs continuously.

What violations of the NEC / IRC are there ?

Thanks for any input !


@ ~ @

 

[iwire]

None from your limited description.

• We are allowed to replace switches
• We are allowed to feed fans from lighting circuits
• We are allowed to run fans continuously as far as the NEC is concerned.

 

[fmtjfw]

No violation on the face of it.

No violation on the face of it.

1) Is the fan rated for continuous duty?
2) Does the fan unplug inside the housing and can you safely unplug it while it is running?

If the answer is yes to both questions, I see no violation.

The Homeowner may be annoyed, however.

The fan is probably impedance protected from rotation failure.
The motor is a fractional hp one that can be disconnected by a plug and socket arrangement.

 

[electricguy61]

Here on the left coast, a fan may be required by the AHJ to run all the time to provide make up air for the home.

 

[north star]

+ & = & +


I do not have any additional information on this application.

From what I have gathered, the homeowner is annoyed in
that the exhaust fan runs continuously when the light switch
is off.

Would Article 210(A)(2) be applicable ?........I am
referencing out of the `08 NEC.

Thanks !


+ & = & +

 

[iwire]

+ & = & +


I do not have any additional information on this application.

From what I have gathered, the homeowner is annoyed in
that the exhaust fan runs continuously when the light switch
is off.

I would be annoyed if the fan ran all the time but that is a problem for the customer and the contractor to work out.

Would Article 210(A)(2) be applicable ?........I am
referencing out of the `08 NEC.

Thanks !


+ & = & +

Missing some numbers in that code reference.

 

[north star]

+ & = & +


Ooooops !.......You are correct **iwire** ! :ashamed1:

I meant to list Article 210.23(A)(2), `08 NEC......Sorry,
but the caffeine hasn't kicked in yet...

Also, ...the homeowner is low income and not good English,
and no idea of Codes and how to approach getting the exhaust
fan switched.

Thanks again !


+ & = & +

 

[fmtjfw]

+ & = & +


Ooooops !.......You are correct **iwire** ! :ashamed1:

I meant to list Article 210.23(A)(2), `08 NEC......Sorry,
but the caffeine hasn't kicked in yet...

Also, ...the homeowner is low income and not good English,
and no idea of Codes and how to approach getting the exhaust
fan switched.

Thanks again !


+ & = & +

No, as you describe it it is quite unlikely that the fan (and light combo) will pull more than 10--20% of the circuit capacity.

If it had a heater, it might.

also see 210.11(C)(3) exception.

 

[Ohms law]

The AHJ in my area requires that when enforced through local mechanical code we need to supply a switch in the bathroom which would not shut the fan off it would kick the speed down to 30cfm instead of 80 or 100cfm.

Then it would need an additional single pole switch that is labeled at the panel excluding the OCPD so not to shut the lights off if someone needed to service the exhaust fan.

If the homeowner doesn't like the sound then you could see the path the exhaust takes. Make sure it has the least amount of bends. A fan with a 6" opening and a 6" exhaust piping is going to be quiter than a 6" fan opening and a 4" pipe.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[JFletcher]

I take your post to mean the contractor wired the fan from the line side of the switch instead of from the switch/load side, thus the fan always runs. You can swap the fan's ungrounded conductor to the load side of the light switch, or get a combo switch so the fan and light will work independently from each other.

 

[kwired]

I take your post to mean the contractor wired the fan from the line side of the switch instead of from the switch/load side, thus the fan always runs. You can swap the fan's ungrounded conductor to the load side of the light switch, or get a combo switch so the fan and light will work independently from each other.

That would be about the easiest possibility. If they ran power first to the fan/light and only one pair of conductors for switch loop... we will need to run some wire/cable if we want a second switch at the wall location.