Bathroom remodeling help. Where to move outlets?

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  • atgcpaul
    Veteran Member
    • Aug 2003
    • 4055
    • Maryland
    • Grizzly 1023SLX

    Bathroom remodeling help. Where to move outlets?

    Below is a rough sketch of our master bathroom. I need some help deciding where to move some electrical things.

    I removed the tub and installed a 3-piece shower kit. The walls over the shower are waiting to be sanded and then painted so we can start using that shower. Then I plan to demo the old shower which is across from the toilet. The floor to ceiling wall between the old shower and vanity will also be removed permanently and shelves will be installed for storage. The back of the old shower is actually recessed another foot beyond the back of the vanity.

    Removing that wall leaves me with an issue. Currently that wall has an outlet (blue box) and a double wall switch (red box). One of the switches control the light above the old shower and the toilet, and the other switch controls the exhaust fan above the toilet. I need to figure out where to relocate the outlet and switches.

    The double wall switch near the door (green box) controls the light between the vanity and the new shower, and the lights above the vanity.

    I am building a new vanity so I can relocate the one outlet to the side of the vanity cabinet. What to do about the fan switch and the light switch? I am thinking about changing the switch by the door to a 3-gang box and controlling both overhead lights with one switch, the other switch will still control the vanity lights, and the final new switch will be for the exhaust fan--which I may or may not move to a more central location in the bathroom.

    There's a walk-up attic above this, but there's plywood covering the ceiling joists over the vanity and new shower area so that will have to come up for me to work on it.

    Does my plan sound OK or should I look at other things?


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  • twistsol
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 2893
    • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
    • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

    #2
    Your plan sounds good, but if posssible, I would make the fan switch a three way and add the second switch next to the toilet so you can turn it on during a reading session when you forget .
    Chr's
    __________
    An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
    A moral man does it.

    Comment

    • atgcpaul
      Veteran Member
      • Aug 2003
      • 4055
      • Maryland
      • Grizzly 1023SLX

      #3
      Originally posted by twistsol
      Your plan sounds good, but if posssible, I would make the fan switch a three way and add the second switch next to the toilet so you can turn it on during a reading session when you forget .
      3-way switch. No matter how many This Old Houses or diagrams of them I see, my head still wants to explode.

      The fan is a humidity sensing type so we always leave the switch on. If we need it to be on immediately, you toggle the switch twice and it turns on. However, it's a super quiet fan so you won't save any face by having the fan noise block out your bathroom activities.

      Now I'm wondering if I should keep the two overhead lights separate and relocate both of those switches next to the toilet. Really wishing I had done that while I had the new shower enclosure opened up to the studs... I think it will be the same effort either way and maybe even slightly easier.

      Comment

      • twistsol
        Veteran Member
        • Dec 2002
        • 2893
        • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
        • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

        #4
        Originally posted by atgcpaul

        3-way switch. No matter how many This Old Houses or diagrams of them I see, my head still wants to explode.
        I finally got my head around three way switches a few years ago, and for our current remodel had to install 4-way switches which just spun my brain again. They're all working so hopefully I won't have to touch them ever again.

        Once I fiigured out that a 3 way switch is always on, it is just sending power to one or the other terminal, the diagrams started to sense.
        Chr's
        __________
        An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
        A moral man does it.

        Comment

        • atgcpaul
          Veteran Member
          • Aug 2003
          • 4055
          • Maryland
          • Grizzly 1023SLX

          #5
          Forget my original idea. I was up in the attic and it's going to be a lot more straight forward to move the two switches next to the toilet rather than by the door. Shorter path and I won't have to move any attic flooring. The outlet is still going on the side of the new vanity, though.

          Comment

          • tfischer
            Veteran Member
            • Jul 2003
            • 2343
            • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
            • BT3100

            #6
            Is there really ever a need to have separate lighting for overhead and vanity? When I'm in the bathroom, I want lots of light, and I'm going to turn them all on anyway. Therefore I'd just wire all the lights on one switch. That's how they are in my bathroom.

            Comment

            • capncarl
              Veteran Member
              • Jan 2007
              • 3564
              • Leesburg Georgia USA
              • SawStop CTS

              #7
              I think there should be separate lighting. In the middle of the night when you need to drain off a quart you might need some light, but not enough to blind you or wake up the neighbors! I always hated the bright bathroom light, and there was no outlet to plug in a night light. Recently I installed a fan timer switch and lighted rocker switch that is a night light built in. It has been a big hit as it puts out just enough light to see the toilet!

              Comment

              • JimD
                Veteran Member
                • Feb 2003
                • 4187
                • Lexington, SC.

                #8
                I like a night light in my bathroom for the reason mentioned - middle of the night or early morning visits don't have to disturb others. I don't think bathrooms need lights other than by the vanity mirror, however. Maybe if they are really large but this doesn't look that big. Ladies like a lot of light on the mirror over the vanity and that much light will work for the rest of the bathroom. That is my opinion. I just redid a small bathroom and left the fan on a separate switch but I would vote for having it on the light switch in the next two we redo. With a quiet fan it doesn't disturb me for it to be on and if you are there, there is either odor or humidity to deal with or both. So why not run the fan? Old style noisy ones are an issue but the 0.5 scone I put in the one I've redone so far is not. So I would just have one switch that would turn on the light and fan. Outlet or two by the sinks. No need to make it complicated. No real advantage I can see to multiple lights or outlets away from the sink area.

                Comment

                • capncarl
                  Veteran Member
                  • Jan 2007
                  • 3564
                  • Leesburg Georgia USA
                  • SawStop CTS

                  #9
                  My wife really likes the timer switch that I replaced the fan switch with. I was turning the fan on for 30 minutes when I showered, she informed me to start using the 60 minute selection to completely dry the room. She is the boss, so 60 minutes it is! With this timer we can turn the lights out, go to bed and and let the fun do it's work, or leave the house with the fan on without having to leave the bathroom light burning.

                  Comment

                  • Mr__Bill
                    Veteran Member
                    • May 2007
                    • 2096
                    • Tacoma, WA
                    • BT3000

                    #10
                    I second the idea of a three way switch on the fan, that or an oder sensing fan.

                    I put an outlet by the window to plug a window fan into. As soon as it's warm out I ventlate the house by letting the fan run constantly blowing out. The litter box is in there and this is a big help in the hot summer.

                    I also put the light on a dimmer thus the ceiling fan needs a separate switch.


                    I like the idea of a very quiet ceiling fan, I'll have to look at the borg for one and see if it will fit where the current ceiling fan is.


                    Bill
                    On the left coast

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