Having problems wiring a new bathroom exhaust fan/heater

[ojaiguy]

We bought a Broan 655 to replace the ancient exhaust fan/heater that was installed in our bathroom when we moved in.

I've got it installed and am looking at the pre-existing wiring. There is one power line and two switch lines (one for the light/fan, the other for the heater element) that run to the unit and I guess I'm just a bit confused on how to actually get this thing wired.

The wiring diagram (page 3 on http://www.broan.com/ImageLibrary/br...s/99042374.pdf ) shows a three wire romex with ground for the light/fan so I bought and ran it to the unit. Here is a pic of the unit with the lines run to it (yellow = fan/light switch, black = heater switch, white = power):

http://tinyurl.com/olc2s

And here are the lines run at the light switch:

http://tinyurl.com/ncchn

The part where I'm left scratching my head is that as you can see, my power line is in the attic and runs to the unit and not to a junction box near the switch as shown in the install manual. If anyone could help point me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.

Many thanks in advance,

Carlos

[HayZee518]

First of all 12/2 isn't easy to work with but try your best. Your hot feed which you have in the fan right now, remove it and put it into a separate junction box. Run another 12/2 from the junction box to the switch. In the junction box splice black to black and white to white and make up your box grounds.
At the switch box, all whites go together leaving you with a red-black from the three wire and a black off the two wire and another black of the other two wire. The black from the hot two wire goes to the common terminal on your switch. the other two wire black goes to the bottom-most terminal on the switch. The three wire black goes to the middle terminal and the red goes o the top terminal.
At the fan - the black and white off the bottom terminal goes to the transformer wiring - white to white, red to black. At the fan all whites go according to your plan. spliced together. The red of the three wire goes to the blue receptacle, the black goes to the other black receptacle.

[ojaiguy]

Thanks, HayZee, I really appreciate it. (Hrm, I thought I'd sent this reply already -- sorry.)

Actually, I just thought I was finished and turned it back on at the breaker box only to find that the fan was on with both switches in the "off" position. The light and the heater function properly at their respective switches but where would you think the problem is if the fan is on when power is restored regardless of switch position?

Thanks again for the help HayZee,

Carlos

[Snoonyb]

Thanks, HayZee, I really appreciate it. (Hrm, I thought I'd sent this reply already -- sorry.)

Actually, I just thought I was finished and turned it back on at the breaker box only to find that the fan was on with both switches in the "off" position. The light and the heater function properly at their respective switches but where would you think the problem is if the fan is on when power is restored regardless of switch position?

Thanks again for the help HayZee,

Carlos

Actually,(HayZee) was trying to make you life easier by relocating the hot pair from a hard to work in, fixture box. If you didn't follow the directions given, you'll need to follow these,(another alternative).
At the switch box: Wirenut the bare copper (ground) conductors together,
attach a wirenut to the white conductor from the 12/3, fold these two wirenuted connection into the box. Connect the white conductor from the black sheathed pair to the common switch terminal, connect the red from the 12/3 to the top switch terminal, the black from the 12/3 to the middle and the black from the black sheathed romex to the bottom terminal.

At this point you are done in the switch box, close it up.

At the fixture box: Wirenut all of the grounds together. Wirenut all of the whites from the fixture receptacles to the white from the white sheathed romex (hot pair), attach a wirenut to the white from the 12/3, wirenut the black from the hot pair to the white from the black sheathed romex, wirenut the black from the black sheathed romex to the the fixture red, wirenut the red from the 12/3 to the fixture blue, wirenut the black from the 12/3 to the fixture black.

Now you're done, close it up, use it.