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In my master bedroom I currently have a Lutron Maestro switch that controls both my ceiling fan and lights. The switch can dim the lights and alter the speed of the fan. I would like to switch this setup to two independent switches - one to control the lights (dimmer) and one to control the fan (on/off). The switches I want to get are wifi enabled, so they require a neutral and can be grounded. I would like to ground them. I did this change in the room next door and it went well, but the wiring is a little complicated.

When I opened up the box to my current switch, I see 4 Romex cables coming in.

Cable 1: 14/3 romex. The red wire is connected to the switch. The neutral and ground and capped together with the other neutrals. The black is capped off by itself.

Cable 2: 12/2 romex. Black, white, and neutral capped with all others in box.

Cable 3: 12/2 romex. Black, white, and neutral capped with all others in box.

Cable 4: 12/3 romex. Black and red capped with other blacks. Neutral and ground capped with all others in box.

Here is a diagram of the existing setup: Diagram

existing

The black wire from the 14/3 romex is not hot when I turn on the breaker and test it with a no contact voltage tester.

Is it possible to convert this setup to two individual switches in a 2-gang box? In the room next door with similar wiring, I transitioned this to this and everything is working.

From

From

To

To

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  • You'll need to determine which cable brings unswitched power into the box. Then connect the hot (black) from that cable to each of your two new switches, then connect the other side of the switch to the lines to the fan and light.
    – FreeMan
    Jan 2 at 19:03
  • Thanks for the reply. I should have mentioned that my ceiling fan does not have a light on it. My lights in the room are recessed/can lights in the ceiling. Can I just group all the black wires and the red wire (not from the 14/3) together and pigtail off those to the two new switches? Also, how is possible for this switch to control both my ceiling fan and my recessed lighting separately if only wire is coming out of the line side of the switch?
    – AlecJTrevelyan
    Jan 2 at 19:10
  • That makes it even easier to identify which cable is which, but you'll still have to do that.
    – FreeMan
    Jan 2 at 19:11

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From your drawing it looks like the Cable 1 (14/3) is the one that switches light and Fan.

However conecting all wires on cables 2,3 and 4 all together is a strange approcah.

If the cable 4 is the main (brining power in) then what is the purpose of the cables 2 and 3, unless they extend the power to other places. If you disconnect 2 and 3 what is not working ?

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