Half Bath Backsplash and Light Switch Move
The previous post showed half of the half bath backsplash complete. We didn't want to do the other wall until I finished another modification - moving the light switches from over the sink to just inside the doorway. This one ended up being a little involved and required a few extra tools, but it was generally pretty easy.
First, I pulled the light switch off the wall and pulled the mass of connections through the hole to sort out wires. I unhooked things until I had identified what I figured would be the incoming 12V pair, then climbed into the basement and into the underneath part of the rig. I had someone pull the wire and found it running down into the utility area.
Back inside, I taped two pair of wires (16 ga. lamp wire) to the incoming 12V line and, back underneath, pulled the two new wires down into the utility area. I pulled the majority of the wires (12 feet each) into the underneath, then taped the 12V line back to just one of the new lines and, back up top, pulled the 12V line back into the bathroom. With everything separated, I pulled the slack back underneath for the new line.
I determined the two wire pairs going to the bathroom lights and tied them to the new lines (essentially extending them down into the utility area). Now I had the light wires long enough to make it around the corner and up the wall just inside the doorway.
Next, I popped off the trim piece just inside the doorway that hides the junction of the two wall sections, then popped off the wallboard near the door so that I could see back behind the wall. Removing the intake vent on the front of the bottom step, I drilled a couple 1/2" holes through from the return air area into the bathroom wall. I ran the two new wires up to the position of the new light switch, then ran another new pair of wires back down and underneath into the utility area.
Back underneath, I took the last new pair and tapped into the 12V line running across the utility area between the fuse panel and the old back of the bathroom wall. I cut a hole into the wallboard, inserted the orange junction box insert, wired up the switch, screwed the switch into the junction box and covered it with a switch plate. A quick test (after replacing the 15A fuse I blew accidentally touching the 12V wires together at one point) showed the lights were working fine.
I used my air compressor and power nailer to tack the wallboard back to the stud, then tack the trim piece back in place. I had to be careful with the air pressure, ending up at about 65 PSI to keep the brads from going right through the wallboard and trim.
In the process of sorting wires, I lost track of which were which back behind the sink. I finally figured out all the fan wires but couldn't figure out the black tank monitor wiring. I decided that the black tank monitor could be placed most anywhere (with the rest of the switches and monitors makes more sense) and black tank monitors are notoriously inaccurate after getting crud build-up on the sensors, so I just tossed it in the closet for a future project.
With all the wiring sorted out and tidied up, I mounted the rest of the smart tiles, covering the holes left by the light switches and the tank monitor.
Now you can just reach inside the door as you enter the half bath and turn on the lights (I was reaching there anyway before I even contemplated the modification).
