Switched out, are you a fan? A little light on the subject.

Submitted by DonHester on Tue, 07/29/2014 - 07:19.

Switched out, are you a fan? A little light on the subject.

Chelan Real Estate Inspections

As always it seems I run into certain items on a home inspection in groups.

This one is a fairly common one, switching out a light for a fan (without a light). This maybe okay but you may have now just created another issue. It is required that each habitable room (bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms, dens etc…) needs to have a switched light. This can be achieved by a switched light fixture or a receptacle that can control a lamp (with exceptions for baths and kitchens). You can also use a motion sensor to achieve this requirement with some conditions.

Here is how the code reads-

Per NEC 210.70-

Habitable rooms — At least one wall switch-controlled lighting outlet must be installed in every habitable room and bathroom of a dwelling unit. See the definition of "Lighting Outlet" in Art. 100. There are two exceptions to this rule.

Exception No. 1: In other than kitchens and bathrooms, a receptacle controlled by a wall switch can be used instead of a lighting outlet.

Exception No. 2: Lighting outlets can be controlled by occupancy sensors equipped with a manual override that permits the sensor to function as a wall switch.

Notes:

A receptacle outlet controlled by a wall switch is not permitted to serve as the required lighting outlet in kitchens and bathrooms. A switched receptacle is not considered one of the receptacle outlets required by 210.52 unless it is a split duplex receptacle.

Occupancy sensors are permitted to be used for switching lighting outlets in habitable rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms, provided they are equipped with a manual override or are used in addition to regular switches.

The other issue when replacing a ceiling light with a fan is that the existing junction box may not be rated for the weight of the fan. Most plastic juntion boxes will not meet the requirements unless specifically designed for fan installations. So you need to be sure that the junction box is appropriate for mounting a fan.

Remember when you do a simple project it just may not be that simple, knowing the rules that apply is very important.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

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Switched out, are you a fan? A little light on the subject.