Bathroom Fan Continually Runs - Electrician Needed in Maple Ridge
 

My bathroom fan will not shut off when I flip the switch. It will shut off when I flip the circuit breaker. I tried disconnecting the switch all together, but it still comes on when the circuit breaker is flipped on.

Sounds like a bad switch.

I tried using another switch, but the fan didn't stop. I even disconnected the entire switch to bare wires and it still continued. The only way I could get it to stop was from the breaker panel, I switched the breaker off. Or unplugging the fan from the unit itself.

Do you live in a house with only baseboard heat?
-If so, due to code some of these houses need some sort of air circulation. Some electrical outfits might put it on a timer so that it goes on when you're not home. Some cheaper ones might put it on at all times.

Does your washroom/home have a dehumidifier?
-Maybe you're moist. ;)

If none of those apply, then maybe your electrician just wasn't paying attention and tied the black switch return onto the feed.

I'll bet there's a hidden junction box somewhere in the ceiling or wall with wires that have probably arced together, allowing constant power to the fan.

Its an apartment and the unit does not have a moisture control dial. I think its a short somewhere, but since I'm not an electrician I'm not going to be messing around. Any members interested in tackling the job?

Probably has a humidity sensor somewhere that's triggering it, especially with the damp weather lately.

If this is an apartment, though, this should be the responsibility of the landlord or property manager.

Can you post pictures of the switch and the fan
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Call your landlord. Let him deal with it.

If it had a humidity sensor though typically it has the dial to adjust when the fan Comes on no?
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Is it a new place? My upstairs bathroom was wired to be always on in order to pass a new code, but builder had it set up so that we ourselves could pull the switch off the wall and connect it to be on/off after inspection was finished.

in your case the switched wire might not be hooked up to the fan

Nah...the apartment is an older unit with no humidity sensor. Unfortunately I am the landlord....

This is what it looks like...

Probably wired through a junction box somewhere in the ceiling, and it has a short.

Call an electrician?

lol, sorry but a picture of the wires inside of the box would probably be more helpful.

If you want I can walk you through trouble shooting if you're willing to work with live wires.
Otherwise you would need to find an electrician for Maple Ridge as it's too far for me to do a 10 minute job.

We can probably help you fix the problem if your willing to get your hands dirty. Otherwise your pay a lot for a simple issue.

Start by removing that switch and replacing it with another. The wiring will be the same. We'll know if the switch is faulty.
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Thanks everyone for your replies. It's not that I don't want to get my hands dirty, its that I don't want to get electocuted.

SoulCrusher, I know it's not the switch because when I removed it, the fan was still running.

Matlock are you in North or South Burnaby? I don't mind driving you out there plus a couple cases of beer for you troubles.

Of course the offer is open to anyone, just PM or text me at 604.339.3655

Thanks

Had the exact same problem a while back! Make sure there's no sensor or other switch controlling the fan. In my case, there was. Somewhere in the bowels of a closet, I found one.

Btw, before I found the other switch/sensor, I took apart the original entire switch and disconnected the wires etc and it was still running. So make sure you scour your apt first.

Problem Fixed! Made Soundy run all the way out to find the humidity switch!!!

Thanks everyone for your help.

Cool, I'm glad you guys got it figured out. I thought it was a humidity switch/dehumidifier whatever you want to call. In my dads apartment I just deleted it.

Sorry I couldn't go, I've been so busy with my other side work. Day job 5am-3pm, then I goto my side jobs for 4pm-9pm lol

Good Guy Soundy!

http://www.homeaire.com/downloads/pr...high/73025.gif

I'll cut suprasian a little slack though, the thing was around the corner from the bathroom door, out in the living room, of all places... and looks a lot like just another baseboard thermostat (of which there are also two or three in the place).

Thing was also twitchy as fuck, but I managed to find a position where it was actually "off" and left it there. Thought about simply deleting it, but I didn't have any marrettes to cap the wires, or a blank plate to cover the JB.