I had 1 switch going to 1 light on my porch. I want to add a couple more decorative lights and I want to add a couple of switches on the porch itself so I don't have to keep opening the door to turn them off or on as needed. Can I use the switch in the house currently to provide power to these multiple switches on the porch?
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Can you post photos of the inside of the switch box in question please?– ThreePhaseEelCommented Feb 3, 2021 at 0:16
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1 Answer
As usual, hate to say it, but "it depends". There are essentially 2 popular ways to connect switches for fixtures:
Provide power to the fixture and run a "switch loop" to the switch. If that's the case, no you'll have to get power for your outdoor switches elsewhere. (see last paragraph for exception).
If power is provided to the switch first and then a switched cable goes to the fixture, then yes, that can be done.
I ALWAYS run power to the switches first and NEVER use switch loops, there are just too many devices now (smart switches, timers, etc.) that need a bit of power and they don't work with an old school switch loop unless it was wired with 14/3 or 12/3, which is currently code for switch loop.
answered Feb 2, 2021 at 19:12
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1I can’t say always because always and never get me in trouble but since the code changes that require a neutral it is much more common for me to drop power at the switch.– Ed BealCommented Feb 2, 2021 at 23:56
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1@EdBeal yep. and LOL at the first part of your comment! Also, for 3-way, 4-way switches, if at all practical, I "almost always" run power into one "end" of the circuit, and run the other "end" to the fixture(s)....no box stuffing, no code taping, clean. But that's just my pref and at times it does take more cabling. Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 0:01
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It will take at least 1 pair of 3-way switches to make this work, so if power is supplied at the switch, that will still require pulling a /3 cable to the 2nd switch, then /2 cable to the other lights.– FreeManCommented Feb 3, 2021 at 15:21
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@FreeMan I think we are saying the same thing using different words. Using 2 3-way switches with /3 between is the only way to do it. The only point I was trying to make was I find running power to the first 3-way, /3 to the other 3-way (and 4-way if needed), then, like you said /2 to the fixture is the cleanest way, least complicated way to do it. There are several ways to wire 3-ways, but i feel my method is the cleanest, even if it takes a bit more cable. Commented Feb 3, 2021 at 17:00
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1I'm with you. I'm just working under the assumption that most people are as clueless as I was when I started hanging out here.– FreeManCommented Feb 3, 2021 at 17:33