I have a light switch that has the black wire attached to the bottom terminal and the white wire attached to the top terminal. Is there any way I can add another light switch for recessed lights to this circuit?
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Please add some more detail to the question. Do you have recessed lights now? What does this switch control?– JPhi1618Commented Mar 25, 2019 at 20:07
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1. The way you describe the wiring sounds weird. It SHOULD be that the hot wire (black) goes to the switch, then other black from switch to light, and the white wires tied together. 2. Do you mean add another light to the switch, or make it a three way switch?– BenCommented Mar 25, 2019 at 20:08
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2@Ben it's a switch loop.– Harper - Reinstate MonicaCommented Mar 25, 2019 at 20:26
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@Harper Is it common to be set up that way? I understand what you are saying, but I would hope that people don't generally do it that way.– BenCommented Mar 25, 2019 at 20:29
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@Ben what do you mean? You hope people don't use switch loops? Use of a white as a hot wire was sorta outlawed in 2011 in that you must now bring neutral to the switch (and that must be on white), but the idea of bring power to the light and having the switch be a spur is still SOP.– Harper - Reinstate MonicaCommented Mar 25, 2019 at 20:33
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2 Answers
The hot and neutral are at the light box. Another Romex is ran down to the switch box and viola, a switch loop.
You cannot use this for more lights unless you rewire some things and add more wiring to this switch.
answered Aug 23, 2019 at 3:15
This sounds like a switch loop. What this means is the power for the lights is delivered to one of the lights and then this wire breaks the hot to turn the lights off, to add more lights using this circuit you would need to pull another line to that switch box and feed the new lights from the existing hot , neutral and ground. If you have attic access to the wiring it would not be two hard, without access you would need to open the walls / ceiling to run new wires. It can be done but is a lot more work for the second switch and new fixtures.
