Confused about wiring multiple switches

[MattMc]

I wanted to relocated three separate switches into one 3 gang location, and replace the switches at the same time. Unwisely, I did not take pictures or make a sketch of the wires going to each switch. Now I am confused about how to wire the new switches. The first switch controls both a whole house fan and an attic fan simultaneously. There is also a second duel switch that controls a ceiling fan in the room where the switches are and half of a wall outlet, where a lamp is plugged in. The wires coming into the switch area are a four wire (black, white, red and ground), with the black wire hot (120 V). A black wire and white wire also come into the switch area. These were connected to the duel switch controlling the ceiling fan and half wall outlet. There were also a black pigtail and white pigtail connected with wire twists to the various wires and switches. Also, I believe the duel switch had a white wire connecting the two terminals on the same side. My question is: how do I connected three switches to these wires to separately control the whole house fan (and attic fan), the ceiling fan, and the half wall outlet? Thank you.

 

[westward10]

If you can show some pics of the disconnected wires but seeing as you made no notes or pics of how they were originally connected it will be a leap of faith to tell you how to reconnect them.

 

[MattMc]

If you can show some pics of the disconnected wires but seeing as you made no notes or pics of how they were originally connected it will be a leap of faith to tell you how to reconnect them.

Attached is a photo of the incoming wires and the pigtail. I should add that I think some of the wiring was done by a DIYer. Also, I'm not sure the red wire was used for anything. Thanks for your help.

 

[westward10]

Think you are going to need some professional help.

 

[Dartlec]

Needs someone with US experience, but I suspect it's going to need someone to trace the wires now and work out which one does which and whether they are all switched live(hot) or whether there is a neutral in there.

Were all the wires connected to the previous switches, or were some connected together in the back of the switch with a wirenut?

 

[Lucien Nunes]

I too recommend getting progessional help on this one. There are multiple possibilities including two circuits, or two hot feeds from the same circuit, being present here. Since three things are separately controlled and there are five wires other than ground, there must be one or two hot feeds, one feed and a loop out, or one feed and a neutral that is not used.

Did one breaker control everything switched here? Is the white of the 2W+G cable hot? Can you locate the end of the 3W+G?

UK readers note: in US the white (neutral colour) sleeved black is used for permanent hot feed in a switch cable and black (hot colour) for the switched hot. I.e. reverse of what we do. It's quite sensible... when you see one or more blacks and a white connected, you know immediately which is which.

 

[Megawatt]

I wanted to relocated three separate switches into one 3 gang location, and replace the switches at the same time. Unwisely, I did not take pictures or make a sketch of the wires going to each switch. Now I am confused about how to wire the new switches. The first switch controls both a whole house fan and an attic fan simultaneously. There is also a second duel switch that controls a ceiling fan in the room where the switches are and half of a wall outlet, where a lamp is plugged in. The wires coming into the switch area are a four wire (black, white, red and ground), with the black wire hot (120 V). A black wire and white wire also come into the switch area. These were connected to the duel switch controlling the ceiling fan and half wall outlet. There were also a black pigtail and white pigtail connected with wire twists to the various wires and switches. Also, I believe the duel switch had a white wire connecting the two terminals on the same side. My question is: how do I connected three switches to these wires to separately control the whole house fan (and attic fan), the ceiling fan, and the half wall outlet? Thank you.

Matt that’s kind of a hard question to answer and you being a DYI my advice to you would be hire an electrician to help you sort the wiring out. You mentioned that 1 cable has a red wire in it which indicates to me that they are probably a 3 way switch involved and some of those white wires could be switch legs and way to many electricians don’t wrap black tape around them to identify that they are being used as a hot wire. Yes you should have taken a picture. I can’t advise you any further. Sorry my friend and good luck