It could be there is or once was a three way switch in play. To wire an exhaust fan and light fixture to a single switch you have to find a way of connecting the fan and light.
Light Switch With 2 Black Wires And One Red Home
Wiring a light switch red and black. Once youre done youll be able to control a light from two switches. This story features diagrams that show how to wire 3 way switches. Sheathed cable with a red. The red wire as a spare wire when a ceiling fan is not installed this spare red wire is insulated with electrical tape or capped off with a wire nut. Or it could be the red wire is the wire going to the fixture and the black wires are the live wires. Connect the black jumper wire to the top terminal screw on the switch and now both the switch and the top receptacle in the split tab outlet have power.
Some sheathed cable includes a fourth red wire which makes it useful for wiring fixtures with three way switches or a ceiling fan with separate light and fan switches. Wiring a 3 way light switch is certainly more. Examples include lutron grafik t controls. The operation involves making pigtails so its a good idea to know how to do that. You can do this in the switch box or by running a length of wire through the wall or attic. By checking for electrical wiring hazards and incorrect wiring before problems appear you can make your homes electrical connections safe.
Replacing or upgrading a light switch is a simple and inexpensive diy project. The red wire is most likely a spare wire that was intended to be used when wiring for a ceiling fan. How to wire a lutron control with 1 black and 1 red wire in a single pole application. The wall switch typically when a ceiling fan is installed the red wire is most commonly used for the light and the black is commonly for the fan motor. Connect the red wire coming from the outlet to the bottom switch terminal and now the lower receptacle on the split tab outlet will get power only when the switch is on. When you see a red wire in a light switch box it can mean two things.
The wiring is more complicated than a traditional single pole switch but well explain how to make the connections.