Rewiring Bathroom - Old House - Fan/2 Lights w/dimmer

[Snorp]

My best to all. I appreciate your time and knowledge.

My forty year old bathroom has a single light switch which controls both a single light fixture and an overhead vent fan.

I'm remodeling the bathroom and I will be installing a new vent fan and two led lights over the new vanity. The two led lights will provide too much light for the size of the bathroom so they will need to be on a dimmer circuit.

How should I proceed? Obviously I can use two switches, one dimmer and one single pole for the fan - but that seems a bit awkward for daily use. Is there a specialty dimmer switch that can be used to provide both variable and steady voltage connections?

In my case, ignorance is not bliss.

I would appreciate any and all comments.

With my regards to all,

Andy

 

[Reach4]

How should I proceed? Obviously I can use two switches, one dimmer and one single pole for the fan - but that seems a bit awkward for daily use. Is there a specialty dimmer switch that can be used to provide both variable and steady voltage connections?

What would you like the controls to be? One thing to consider is to have a countdown timer control the fan, so it it will turn off on its own after a period.

The video shows an on-off switch for the lights on the right, but that could have easily been a dimmer. The fan and light controls operate independently of each other.

Many dimmers have both a slide for the brightness, and also have an on-off switch. So the brightness setting gets remembered when you turn the light off.

Also, while running the new wiring, consider adding a new GFCI outlet.

 

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[Snorp]

Thanks Mr. 'Reach',

Your suggestion is one that I will certainly consider. As for what I would like to do, I would like to have one switch which is constructed as to allow one connection to be made to the fan and one connection to be made to the lights. The one going to the fan would provide it power when the switch is flipped and concurrently, when the switch is flipped, it would provide adjustable power to the lights.

Andy

 

[Reach4]

I think you could get the function you are asking for by having a single pole switch power both the fan and the input to a dimmer.

Turning off the switch would always turn off both. Turning on the switch turns on the fan plus the lights via the dimmer.

Make sure the dimmer is rated for use with LEDs.

I think you would need a 2-gang (4-inch) box to do that. Maybe there is a 1-gang method that I don't know.

I would not like that function. A fan will suck conditioned air out. There are times you might want light in a bathroom without wanting the fan on. However I see the point -- not everybody will turn on a fan, even when it is needed.

 

[Snorp]

Thanks again Mr. 'Reach',

I'm accustomed - for about thirty years - to always have the fan and lights on at the same time - just seems 'normal' by now. However, your comment about the fan pulling the a/c out of the room is a very valid point. I (and plumbers) have worked in that room and after awhile it gets very hot in there.

I'm going to change my mind on this and just go with two switches - a dimmer for the lights and a single pole for the fan.

Thanks a lot for your comments - saved me a few x words while working in there - and later on also.

With my regards,

Andy