# Attic Exhaust Fan wiring



## PromethusBound (Jun 13, 2017)

With the summer heat we have noticed our 2nd floor isn't cooling off. I took a look in our attic and noticed the exhaust fan isnt running. Opened the junction box and noticed one of its white wire was disconnected. The Black wire is connected. Testing the power the only live wire is red. I do see two sets of white wires.


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## nealtw (Jun 13, 2017)

Do you have a main floor switch and if you do can you fiure out which set of wires go to or come from the switch?


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## Snoonyb (Jun 13, 2017)

The fan will not operate w/o the white conductor connected.

However, you have the option of determining, if, there is a switch leg, or, install a temperature controlled switch, at the open "J" box, instead of a mechanical switch.


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## nealtw (Jun 13, 2017)

PromethusBound said:


> With the summer heat we have noticed our 2nd floor isn't cooling off. I took a look in our attic and noticed the exhaust fan isnt running. Opened the junction box and noticed one of its white wire was disconnected. The Black wire is connected. Testing the power the only live wire is red. I do see two sets of white wires.



Have you ever had this fan running before.
If yes and nothing was changed you might look in the wire nuts on the white wires to see if a wire just broke leaving some evidence where it was.

There are just to many wires to say this is easy, this box could also be a junction box for another circuit or something.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 13, 2017)

nealtw said:


> There are just to many wires to say this is easy, this box could also be a junction box for another circuit or something.



Where is the neutral conductor, from the BX, which is sticking up in the air, connected?


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## nealtw (Jun 13, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> Where is the neutral conductor, from the BX, which is sticking up in the air, connected?



Why is there an extra black wire.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 13, 2017)

I've identified where the white conductor, which is not connected is, so; "Where is the neutral conductor, from the BX, which is sticking up in the air, connected?"


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## nealtw (Jun 13, 2017)

Are you assuming the BX is going to the fan?


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## Snoonyb (Jun 14, 2017)

Only if that would be a clue why the fan isn't operating.


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## nealtw (Jun 14, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> Only if that would be a clue why the fan isn't operating.



Just not enough info for me to make a suggestion.

We don't know if the OP knows the whole story. I will wait for him to come back with some answers.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 14, 2017)

In post #2 you asked about a switch.

A switched load requires a neutral connection to operate.


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## nealtw (Jun 14, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> In post #2 you asked about a switch.
> 
> A switched load requires a neutral connection to operate.



So far I agree with every thing you are seeing but I am thinking that someone else may have disconnected it for a reason.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 14, 2017)

It doesn't appear to have ever been connected.


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## afjes_2016 (Jun 14, 2017)

I noticed that there are conductors coming out of the bottom conduit and going right back out the top one as in a "loop". Hard to make out what conductors are from what conduit etc.
Also I would not assume that any of the conductors going through the conduits are for specific functions such as white will be neutral, black hot etc (nothing is marked). as we don't know who ever put this together did not just use more red because they had more of that color than white etc.

We also don't know if this ever worked before or just stopped working suddenly. We also don't know if there is any type of thermostat connected somewhere else and there seems to be a lot of wires to just control one attic fan so that means something else is running off the circuit beside the attic fan. The OP has to trace where these wires are coming/going and let us know.


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## PromethusBound (Jun 15, 2017)

As far as I know, this fan never ran. This is my first time up there and when I opened the junction box feeding it I found that white wire disconnected. I am pretty sure the fan itself is dead or seized. Unfortunately, the motor doesn't have any markings. I may just replace it with a solar power fan.


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## oldognewtrick (Jun 15, 2017)

My experiences with solar fans are they move very little air, don't work at night and ineffective. We quit using them for installations.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 15, 2017)

PromethusBound said:


> As far as I know, this fan never ran. This is my first time up there and when I opened the junction box feeding it I found that white wire disconnected. I am pretty sure the fan itself is dead or seized. Unfortunately, the motor doesn't have any markings. I may just replace it with a solar power fan.



If you have not, and do not connect the white conductor, how do you know the condition of the fan?


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## nealtw (Jun 16, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> If you have not, and do not connect the white conductor, how do you know the condition of the fan?



Promethus defied the gods and gave fire to the humans, you want to be care full you might be giving it back


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## Snoonyb (Jun 16, 2017)

But he's just bound, and not there yet, so he may be surprised to find the METHUSELAH, is my younger brother.


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## slownsteady (Jun 16, 2017)

OP: can you confirm that the BX running up and to the left is going to the fan?


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## nealtw (Jun 16, 2017)

All the breakers we can see in the other thread are 20 amp. all the wires in this picture are 14 ga. so anything that adds to the draw on this or these circuits could be very dangerous as the wires are not properly protected.


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## afjes_2016 (Jun 17, 2017)

nealtw said:


> All the breakers we can see in the other thread are 20 amp. all the wires in this picture are 14 ga. so anything that adds to the draw on this or these circuits could be very dangerous as the wires are not properly protected.



Nealtw: Heads up. It caught me too. Take a closer look at the breakers. The indicator "ON" printed side-ways to the left of the handle looks like "20" but then look on the left side of the breaker handle closely, there are 15 and 20 amp breakers.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 17, 2017)

He's probably not familiar with Bulldog Push-o-Matic breakers.


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## nealtw (Jun 18, 2017)

Snoonyb said:


> He's probably not familiar with Bulldog Push-o-Matic breakers.



Yes I have never seen that.


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## Snoonyb (Jun 18, 2017)

They were widely used in s cal, have since been purchased and redesigned by SIEMENS.

The are a real PITA when there was no main and the meter had the lock ring installed.


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