How to separate connected light fixtures

[stardog]

Our house was built in 1960. There is one single pole switch in the kitchen that controls two fixtures: the main ceiling light/fan combo, and also a pendant light over the kitchen sink. Flipping the switch turns both lights on and off. I want to separate the pendant light from the main ceiling light so it can be wired to its own single pole switch. What would be the preferred way to accomplish this? Ideally I would like to replace the single pole switch with a double pole switch. The first switch could serve to provide power to the second switch controlling the pendant light.

I have yet to get into the attic and rummage thru old insulation, but I presume the two light fixtures are spliced together in some fashion in the junction box for the main ceiling light. Would it just be a matter of removing the wires coming from the pendant light from this splice, and then rerouting to the new switch? Or is this too simplistic and there are other considerations to be aware of? Just trying to plan it all out.

 

[WorthFlorida]

1) Most likely the pendant fixture is wired to the ceiling light for power. You’ll need to run a new three wire (14-3 or 12-3) from the new wall switch to the ceiling fixture and redo the connections at the ceiling box. 2) The wall switch could be wired to the pendant fixture first then the ceiling light, then a new three wire would than go the pendant fixture first. 3) Power may go to the ceiling fixture first then wired to the wall switch with the pendant light wired at the ceiling and this would still need a three wire cable to the wall switch.

If you need to ask this type of question you should hire an electrician to do it.

http://www.electrical101.com/duplex-switches.html

 

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[Jadnashua]

How easy it will be will depend on where the power input is. The power may go to the switch from the power panel, then a switched line goes to the lamps. Or, the power may be run to the lamps, then down to the switch. You need another wire to switch the pendant, but unless it's single wires in conduit or EMT (not common in most homes), then you need to run a new cable as said. You need to be switching the hot lead, not the neutral. When there's a switched leg, it should be marked with red, but that's not always done, so do not trust that the wire colors are as they should be...in a switched leg, a white wire could be hot.

WHen you look at the cable at the switch, if there's a single cable and it goes to both terminals of the switch, that's a switch leg, and power is coming from somewhere else. If there's more than one cable, and the white wires are tied together, and there are black leads on both switch terminals, the power is probably coming into that box by the switch.